How can a nurse comfort a terrifed patient who is about to receive an injection?
‘Millions of people get an injections every day. They are all fine.’
‘You have already received dozens of injections in your life – this is merely another one.’
‘This needle is a special needle that is designed to not hurt.’
These are perfectly good reasons. Yet, the patient is often just as terrified after hearing them.
Fear crowds out reason. To supply reasons to a terrified person is like trying to add new clothes into a messy wardrobe. The wardrobe needs to be organized first so that you can add something to it.
When we talk to a fearful person, we need to address their fear and arrange it so that it can accommodate reason.
Observations 