Overcoming Your Fears of Self-Injection

Many injections are available as subcutaneous auto-injectors. That means they can easily be injected under the skin and are a lot easier to use than a needle and vial. 

While most people find auto-injectors easy to ease, there is going to be a learning curve. But you will have plenty of resources, including your doctor’s office, videos, and written instructions from drug manufacturers on learning how to use an auto-injector. 

These pens are designed with ease in mind and only require a few steps. What’s more is that when you get better at using an auto-injector, the process will be relatively pain-free.

Before you give yourself an injection, you will want to learn the right way to prepare your medication and how to give yourself the injection. Consider asking your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to show you what to do.

If you find it easier for someone else to give you injections, ask a loved one for help. That person should go with you to the next doctor’s appointment so they can learn the correct way to give injections.

You may also want to connect with others living with the same health condition via online or in-person support groups. These people can help share ideas and words of encouragement to help ease anxiety related to self-injection.

In addition to teaching how to properly and safely inject medications, your doctor’s office can also provide tools for practicing at home, including empty syringes and auto-injectors. Practicing at home can help you gain confidence and make self-injection much easier.

One 2017 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, reported differences in the comfort level of 60 adolescents with self-injection. The teens were split into two randomized groups. The first group was given supervised and guided self-injection using a needle and empty syringe and the second group was given education with no practice using a real-life needle.  Researchers measured the comfort levels of the two groups using questionnaires.

When people get nervous about something, they will hold their breath, or their breathing becomes shallow. When giving yourself an injection, it is a good idea to pay attention to your breathing.

Take deep breaths while giving yourself the injection. Breathing will help you to stay calm and relaxed while you administer the medication. 

If are worried about pain and discomfort during the injection, take some time to numb the area before injecting. One of the easiest ways to do this is with an ice cube. You can also use a topical anesthetic cream containing lidocaine or prilocaine to numb the injection site.

Another option is trying a tool called Buzzy that combines ice and vibrations to overwhelm nerve signals from being sent to the brain. Pain signals are dulled because the body has too much going on to single out and focus on the pain. Buzzy is usually marketed to parents and pediatric medical providers, but anyone can use it.  

If your medications must be refrigerated, take them out at least 30 minutes before the injection. Allow the medication to reach room temperature to avoid adverse reactions, such as site injection bruising and soreness. Injection site reactions are common when a cold drug goes into the body. To warm up the medicine quickly, hold under your arm for a few minutes. 

To limit pain, bruising, and scarring, don’t give the injection in the same place every time. Instead, rotate injection sites regularly.  Each time, you should be at least an inch or two away from the previous injection site. A calendar or smartphone can help keep track of injection sites.

For most injections, you will be instructed to inject the medication into a subcutaneous layer of fat—a layer of fat just below the skin. Subcutaneous layers include the middle part of the abdomen, top of the thighs, and outer surface of the upper arm.

It is important to feel comfortable when giving yourself an injection. Try to administer your medication in a stress-free environment and at a time you will not be interrupted. You should also wear comfortable clothing to give you easy access to the injection site. 

A shield hides the needle during injection and prevents accidental needle sticks. It goes around the needle and screws into the syringe in the way the needle would. Auto-injector pens generally have shields, which keeps the needle from view and helps to prevent accidental injections.