Needle Phobia - Anyone?

[macygray]

I am off today don't know what happened. We went out for Dads birthday on Monday and I have been sick ever since - Don't know whether it's a bit of a cold of the food as I was sick that night.

Anyway, I was watching the TV where a man was talking about an injection he had to get. He didn't care but I was silently sweating and agitated at the thought of it. I absolutely hate needles and when I went to get my eye op done, I didn't know much about anaesthetics then therefore didn't realise it still came in injection form. Poor nurses, i wasn't their best patient - I am heating up at the very thought of this.

I have a lump in my throat and have had to take my dressing gown off now! I am really bad but have never passed out thankfully. I was okay when I worked with needles at the vets. I mean at the start I wasn't too great about touching them but am okay now, I believe.

Anyone have a bit of a phobia of needles? Any tips? Don't know how I'll get through life! :cry4:

Sorry for such a self centered thread. Not a fan of those when talking about myself. :yuck:

 

[Laurie]

Mae I'm the opposite of you! I don't mind needles at all and in fact watch whenever I have blood drawn or donate. It just doesn't bother me.
My brother-in-law is very affected by needles though and he nearly passed out while giving blood once and also when he got his tattoo. In fact, when he got his tattoo, Lisa and Lynelle were fanning him with a magazine the whole time to keep him cool!

I wish I could offer you some advice about how to get over it, but I just don't there's any advice out there!

I can give you this advice though--whenever you feel like you're going to pass out, or if someone tells you to sit down--do it immediately! Don't try to get to a chair or couch to sit down. Just sit on the floor and right away! When I worked in the OB-Gyn department we had quite a few patients faint after procedures and they would always try to make it to a chair in the waiting room. Well guess what when you faint you don't hold your hands out in front of you to break your fall! One poor pregnant woman didn't listen to me when I told her to sit on the floor and she fell and smacked her head on a table! It was awful! I must admit I didn't sound very calming call the code white (fainting) over the loud speaker! Dr Fox still laughs about that when I go in to see him for my annual visits LOL!

 

[Nancy]

I too hate needles especially if I spend time thinking about getting one before I do. When I need to have blood drawn, I need to go get it done quick because once my mind starts working, I will keep prolonging it. :lol:

I know it isn't that bad but my mind can sure work it up. :lol:

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Now here's my thing, I HATE needles around humans. *Try* to stick a needle in me and see what happens. Stick a needle in another person and I'm cringing and avoiding all sight of it.

But hand me a needle to stick into an animal and I'm fine! I work at a vet hospital and none of it bothers me at all. It's just when needles are around humans!

 

[alpayton]

Now see? I used to be that way - used to literally RUN from whoever had the needle in their hands - playing "catch me if you can!" But then, I got pregnant with Pierce. HAHA...try being pregnant and having a phobia of needles. It doesn't work too well when you get blood draws all the time and then when they pull that needle out for the epidural that you (well, I did anyway) want so very badly - well....it's all over then. So, you seem to get over your phobia rather quickly.

Now I'm in nursing school and stick what seems like everyone I see. I also was fairly recently diagnosed with pernicious anemia and therefore must give myself IM injections of B-12 and well....a phobia of needles just isn't in the plan for me anymore.

 

[Spoof]

I can't say I have a phobia of them but I don't like to watch, and don't like to be stuck.

It seems to be a family thing, when we vaccinated the cows we always took turns. Grandpa would punch and stick, then go sit down. We'd run another cow in the chute, I would do it, then go sit down. Then dad would do it, same thing.

If we didn't take turns someone would pass out, lol. Don't know why, it is an odd reaction. My brother never helped us, but he was in class with a kid that took an insulin shot and he'd pass out off his chair every time. After a week of that they had the kid start going to the nurse's office.

I'm almost 30, and still stick and sit. Been doing livestock for as long as I can remember with no changes to my tolerance - if I see blood dripping out of the end of the needle I have about a minute to get it done. IM I can do two to three at a time in quick succession.

 

[alpayton]

Oh....and as far as ways to get over your fear goes, there different ways that work for different people and some people don't ever get over it.

1) When you know that you're going to get a shot or a blood draw, close your eyes and take deep breaths (in thru your mouth, out thru your nose). Tell the nurse that you do not want to see the needle or syringe and you do not want to hear anything about the blood draw or shot. Don't talk during the procedure - focus on something that is relaxing to you while deep breathing. Continue this until it's over keeping your eyes closed.

2) Similar to #1, but this time keep your eyes focused on something (doesn't matter what) on the other side of the room. Pretend there is a flame there. While deep breathing, when you feel the needle and it hurts, try blowing out the virtual flame when you exhale. I know, it sounds stupid, but it works! It gives you something to focus on and a goal. Literally picture the flame and see the flame move as you blow it each time. Make sure before the stick to tell the nurse that you do not want to talk to her and that you do not want to hear about the shot/blood draw.

Lots of times, it's not the needle or syringe that you're really "afraid" of, it's the images or sounds or the talking about it that seems to "do you in." So, just make your wishes known.

 

[Courtney]

I don’t mind needles myself (I sit and watch them do whatever they need), but I went to school with a girl who was simply petrified of them. When nurses came to our school to vaccinate us against Hep C or something, she took one look at their stations and bolted. There were no needles in sight. It took a whole group of us to coax her back into the gym and reassure her, only for the nurse to show her the needle and have her take off again. She was sweating, shaking and crying… and still managed to run up a few flights of stairs without breaking pace.

 

[Cinder and Me]

I'm actually classified as needle phobic, and its on every medical chart I have.
It sounds weird, but it has been almost life debilitating since unless I'm dying, I will NOT be seen by a doctor in fear of getting an injection. I've found that its not only needles, its getting stabbed by tiny little sharp objects too. I was told that its hereditary, and my mom and little cousin have it too. I also believe it may be sever fear since when I was about 6-7 years old my mom had cancer (and is a survivor) and I was with her for many of her chemo treatments. To this day, I almost have NO memory of her having cancer. At 6-7 years old you are old enough to remember those types of event, and I remember a lot of other things except her getting cancer.

I wish there was something I could tell you that will ease your mind, or help you through the fear. I haven't found anything that helps me. The only thing that is done is either I'm lightly sedated for dental work, or I must have my mom or my bf with me for shots and getting blood drawn. Lots of people think I'm a big baby, and its can be embarrassing. But everyone fears different things, so don't feel bad. :hug4:

 

[macygray]

When nurses came to our school to vaccinate us against Hep C or something, she took one look at their stations and bolted. There were no needles in sight. It took a whole group of us to coax her back into the gym and reassure her, only for the nurse to show her the needle and have her take off again. She was sweating, shaking and crying… and still managed to run up a few flights of stairs without breaking pace.

That sounded like me accept I didn't bolt, well not running but I was crying and shaking and pulled away went out of the room and nearly died when I seen the size of the 2nd needle. I had to see what they were going to inject me with and that made me worse. Normally, they go in and out one by one I was in and out and in and out again, LOL.

This thread is making me shake! :yuck:

 

[alli713]

I hate needles too. But for me it's more of hating the feeling. I haven't gotten a shot or anything medical recently, but I hate dentists because I hate it when I have a cavity and they have to give me the shot. ugh.. I seriously HATE dentists.
I get all white and feel sick. I don't cry or anything, but it's just not pleasant.

I need to find one of those dentists where they say it doesn't hurt. Then I wouldn't mind so much if I didn't have to get those stupid shots.

 

[jmdebb]

SOrry if this was said, I didn't read everyone's answer's to your thread. But what if you try taking an anxiety pill before you have to get a needle. I don't know if that will help but it might, or maybe some other type of pill. Ask your doctor if something will help.

Personally I am also the oposite, I have had so many needles in my life they don't bother me.

I wish you luck with this problem you have, and hopefully maybe you can find something that will help, and I hope I gave you some helpful info.

Jean

 

[tunes]

I used to be horribly afraid of needles, but as you get older, you don't have much of a choice but to lose some of that. I'm not thrilled with them, and they still make me nauseous, if I dwell on it, but I'm way better than I used to be. Think, run at me from behind or I will hit you if you bring a needle near me. And you wouldn't have wanted to see me for a blood draw.

IV's scare the snot out of me still, but, I have to admit I handled the last two pretty well. I just did like Amanda mentioned, looked away, thought of something pleasant. The problem is, I think, too many nurses are really ROUGH when they put IV's in. I think they get jaded from doing it so often and forget that that's skin and veins and things down there and it HURTS when you screw up.

 

[gella]

I don't really have a fear of needles per se, but I do have an aversion to injection vs blood drawing. I have tattoos and have got them no problem, have had blood drawn and watched without batting an eye, but the feel of something getting injected NO THANKS! Even on films it creeps me out.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Okay.. I'm nauseous and a little agitated just skimming everyone's responses ..and I did my masters in Eastern Medicine! ..lol... yes, acupuncture and so on!!

My fear is basically isolated to hypodermic syringe types, though ..not the very fine and delicate needles used in acupuncture. But even still... I always tell the attending person with the needle... "I am nervous, nauseous and not at all pleased with the idea of them poking me ...so be prepared for me to faint or jump out of my skin, at any moment.. and please, be gentle!" This has worked, for the most part.

My own phobia has made me super sensitive to others' response to needles, fortunately ..even animals.

 

[pricklesnquills]

I used to be TERRIFIED of needles, but then I got really sick with a really rare disease. I had to get sooooo much blood work, and weekly shots that a very quickly overcame that fear. Now, I don't mind them the least bit.

 

[susansheila]

I have a small phobia of needles. It's because I have small veins and I'm like a pin cushion. One time they couldn't find a vein in my arms so they took it from the back of my hand. Now I tell them to use baby or I think they're called butterfly needles.

 

[Brandon]

My friend has a horrible fear of needles and blood- even seeing one makes her faint. Actually, two of my friends. One was at the dentist and as he got out the needle and injected her he said "Good night!"

 

[threewingedfury]

I'm so sorry you all are afraid of needles. I honestly can say I've never been afraid of them and have never felt pain from them. Injections and drawing blood doesn't phase me whatsoever and I never really feel anything. I guess it's because I have a high tolerance to pain (from never taking pain meds, not even tylenol really) and I just block it out of my mind and never really feel the sting from it. I was on depo provera for 2 years and also had to take lupron for 6 months and it was as simple as pie. I do like to watch when I get stuck though, it's kind of a rush. I enjoy getting tattoos and I like the feeling of them (I have 15+ so far). My back piece took over 10 hrs and the artist wanted to stop for the day because he was afraid I would be in too much pain but it didn't phase me, I was too excited to stop. I'm also a certified piercer. I don't do it anymore due to the costs to set up shop, but I've done over 30 of my own since I stopped (which I've taken almost all out now due to my skin rejecting them). I guess I'm just an oddball. I'm the kind of person who likes to take risks that excite me. Dunno how I got on that topic, but anyway.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I have a needle phobia as well.

When I'm sick, I don't go to the doctor so theres no chance of a needle coming near me. In January I had to have my wisdom teeth cut out. Well, my parents didn't inform me that there was an IV involved. After they finally got the IV in my hand, she was putting a cotton ball or something under a part of the IV to hold it up. The IV came out and she pushed it back up in my hand *and I had blood running down my hand* Well I started feeling funny and I was very angry. She came back into the room (after cleaning my hand off) with another needle. She laid it on the table beside me and after that the only thing I remember was waking up with 2 or 3 nurses over top of me, on oxygen and a heart monitor.
One of the nurses said my eyes rolled into the back of my head, I fell back (laying down) and my heart rate and oxygen both dropped (I believe thats what they said)