# Giving yourself a needle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2018, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496 "2018-06-21T06:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/1 "2018-06-21T06:28:47Z")
I always had troubles giving myself a needle. I just could not poke myself no matter how hard I would try. I would put the needle against the muscle and slowly try pushing it in and usually bending the needle or not getting it into the muscle. I just discovered the correct way to give yourself a shot. Instead of slowly forcing it in, just stab the needle (not super hard, but give yourself a quick fast stab) Relatively painless and it works. My “Eureka moment” of the day. I suspect that I am not the only one with that phobia. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/2 "2018-06-21T06:33:37Z")
I recently had to take “Lovenox” for a few days. Had to inject myself in the abdomen (the “love handles” area). It was definitely a difficult thing to get used to. And I always ended up bruising myself. I could never be a junkie! ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/3 "2018-06-21T06:38:24Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > … > > I could never be a junkie! It’s funny how quickly you’d change your mind. I had a roommate that couldn’t even look at the TV when someone onscreen was getting an injection. A few weeks after falling in with the heroin crowd, amazing had no more problems with it. Sad footnote: a few years later he was found in his apt tied to a chair and bled to death of a “puncture wound” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/4 "2018-06-21T06:41:05Z")
I’ve given myself insulin since the age of 6. I still hesitate occasionally. It’s more of a mental game than people know. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/5 "2018-06-21T06:42:23Z")
That’s almost the same place I had to inject myself, just a little lower in the hips. I was getting tired of running to a nurse for this and finally just got the courage to stab myself. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/6 "2018-06-21T12:31:55Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I recently had to take “Lovenox” for a few days. Had to inject myself in the abdomen (the “love handles” area). It was definitely a difficult thing to get used to. And I always ended up bruising myself. > > I could never be a junkie! You had bruising at the site of an anticoagulant injection. Isn’t that kind of expected? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/7 "2018-06-21T13:22:25Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I recently had to take “Lovenox” for a few days. Had to inject myself in the abdomen (the “love handles” area). It was definitely a difficult thing to get used to. And I always ended up bruising myself. > > I could never be a junkie! Yeah, me too. I found the same as the OP. Don’t try to do it slowly, just stick it right in there! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/8 "2018-06-21T16:43:50Z")
Not a medical type, but it makes sense that an intramuscular injection would have trouble if the muscle is too tense, which would be likely if you try to slow-poke yourself. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/9 "2018-06-21T20:26:56Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Not a medical type, but it makes sense that an intramuscular injection would have trouble if the muscle is too tense, which would be likely if you try to slow-poke yourself. These are subcutaneous, not intramuscular injections. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-yourself-a-needle/816496/10 "2018-06-21T21:33:51Z")
I’m a borderlineish type two diabetic, and really hope that by the time I inevitably advance from metformin to insulin they have some way to deliver it besides needles. After years of getting blood drawn for tests, I’ve just about worked up the courage to still not watch.