This, right here, IS disapproval and judgment. It might not be enough to not say things like this when he is around- he might be able to pick up on it from your facial expressions, tone of voice, etc, unless you’re a very good actor.
Bullshit
They had to give me EMLA when I was getting regular IVs. It was the only way they could keep me from jerking my hand back when they gave me the shot. There’s an clear plastic band-aid-like-thing that goes over the cream and holds it in place. It does help, especially for little kids. It makes that sharp stinging pain into a dull pressure.
As someone who’s extremely needlephobic, I vote for distraction as a first tactic. Give him something to take his attention away from the needle when they stick him. The anticipation is the worst part. To this day, anyone giving me a shot has to sneak up on me to do it.
I’ve tried looking for that, but it’s not a term that is used in Australia, I’ll ask at the local pharmacy about it. Thanks
EMLA is lidocaine/prilocaine cream. It’s useful if pain is the problem. Not so useful for fear.
Yeah, it’d do me no good at all. The pain has nothing to do with the phobia. And Duke, I think there’s some wisdom in Whynot’s posts; even if they bother you and make you feel like you’re being attacked, please try to understand that there might be a dynamic going on you haven’t considered.