GIVING FEAR THE FLICK
When Dr. Allan Cyna meets a child who is afraid of needles, he doesn’t talk about pain or sharp things. Instead, he might talk about ice cream.
He might ask them to imagine walking to an ice cream parlor and choosing their favorite flavor. Then he’ll ask if they’ve taken a bite and if it tastes as good as last time. When they can almost feel the ice cream dripping down their chin, he will ask if it’s OK to take their arm and put in an IV, an intravenous needle that leaves behind a small plastic tube for giving medicine. The patient typically doesn’t care. All they can think of is the sweet taste of chocolate chip or cookies n’ cream.
