Belonephobia- Fear of pins and needles
Belonephobia, also known as Aichmophobia is a phobia which is caused by an abnormal and significant fear of sharp objects like knives, needles, and even pencils. This phobia can often be mistaken for Trypanophobia which is a severe fear of medical procedures which utilise injections and/or needles (hypodermic or acupuncture).
Some of the symptoms of Aichmophobia may be:
Pounding heart, palpitations or accelerated heartbeat
Chest pain and/or discomfort
Shortness of breath
Shaking or trembling and excessive sweating
Stomach distress and nausea
Feeling of being detached from reality
Fear of dying, losing control, going crazy or fainting
Belonephobia may result in intense and disabling anxiety, panic and fear. Clients may recognize that their fear is unreasonable and excessive, but this knowledge does not prevent them from manifesting the fear. This manifestation may lead to the client avoiding avoiding situations where they may be exposed to the object of their fear. This avoidance may start to interfere in their ability to live their life and may cause varying levels of distress.
There are various professional treatments and therapies that can help a client to eliminate Belonephobia, these include hypnotherapy and behavioural psychotherapy. If one wants to consult a therapist for this issue, it is essential to ensure that he/she not only has the experience in working with this, but is also appropriately registered with organisations like UKCP and/or CNHC
