I have learned in our class that English in college is both similar and different than English in high school. It is similar in the topics and variety of assignments/projects that we do and have. However it is different in the pace and depth/discussion of certain topics and the level of work expected is higher (especially in an honors course). I think I have left to learn how to not only meet the requirements to the best of my ability but also how to allow myself to exceed them to have my work reflect my abilities. This is because I struggle with knowing exactly what I need to do for an assignment but I am trying to become more comfortable with the idea that not everything is going to be spelled out for me or outlined so black-and-white. I think I have excelled in keeping my writing style high quality and challenging myself on certain assignments even if I am worried that it may not be the “safe” thing to do. I think what keeps me from doing my best work is being unsure of myself. I wasn’t like that in my English classes previous to college. My best work results from time put into the assignment (which when constricted may affect it also) so that I can understand it as best as I can, talk to my professor about, think about it, and well-execute it so that I can be satisfied with the final product.
Monthly Archives: December 2014
Fears Episode 9: Trypanophobia
“I never liked getting shots. When I go to the doctor, that’s the only thing I fear. I see a needle and feel like something’s gonna go wrong. I am also not a fan of the prick when they stab you with it. One of the worse parts – obviously other than the shot itself – is watching them swab you with the anesthetic right before. I just got a flu shot, and it sucked.”
Trypanophobia is defined as the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. Although sometimes referred to as aichmophobia, belonephobia, or enetophobia, these terms may also refer to a more general fear of sharply pointed objects. In the medical literature, fear of needles is known as Needle Phobia. Since it is a phobia, it is defined as an irrational fear. It is estimated that at least 10% of American adults have a fear of needles, but it is likely that the actual number is larger as the most severe cases are never documented due to the tendency of the sufferer to avoid all medical treatment. Possible signs and symptoms of Needle Phobia when confronted with the sight of blood or a needle may include anxiety, increased heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, and (more with Needle Phobia that almost any other) fainting. Needle Phobes’ responses to injections may cause sufferers to avoid inoculations, blood tests, and in the more severe cases, all medical care. Possible causes of Needle Phobia may depend on the type. These may include an inherited vasovagal reflex reaction, a traumatic/negative event/experience (including vicariously witnessing one), violent resistance/flight, or an inherited hypersensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia). Some scientists believe that it is likely that the genetic form of Needle Phobia has some basis in evolution. Thousands of years ago, humans who meticulously avoided stab wounds and other incidences of pierced flesh would have had a greater chance of survival. One evolutionary psychology theory even makes the connection between the increased inter-group aggression during the Paleolithic Era and that some forms of fainting (one of the most common symptoms today as we previously discussed) may have been non-verbal signals she or he is not a threat, and directly linked to stimuli such as bloodletting and injuries. Possible treatments of Needle Phobia may include Ethyl Chloride Spray, Jet Injectors, Iontophoresis, EMLA cream, Ametop gel, Lidocaine/tetracaine patch, Behavioral therapy, Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas), Inhalation General Anesthesia, and Benzodiazepines.
Fun Fact: Needle Phobia, especially in its more severe forms, can trigger and coexist with many other phobias and psychological ailments; for example, Iatrophobia, or the irrational fear of doctors.
