Overcoming Fear of Needles?

I try to avoid blood tests because I’m afraid of needles. Vaccines don’t bother me much, but blood tests do. I’d also like to donate blood, but I cannot because of fear. How can I overcome this?

Just to share a bit more: The pain itself isn’t bad (after all, it’s really only a skin prick), but the wait is. Besides, they always have to mess around with that rubber band and swab my skin–I think I wouldn’t be in such agony if they just drew the blood without all the theatrics. My veins are very easy to find.

I hear if you take up a herion habit you really don’t give a damn about needles anymore and will shoot up in any part of the body that you can still find a vein in.

But I think that makes you ineligible to donate blood.

Lots of people just look away. I always find talking to the person doing the sticking (who has a fancy name I can’t pull out of my head) keeps my mind off what they are doing. They are usually pretty good at making small talk for that reason.

And remember the theatrics are there for a reason. They wouldn’t swab you down if they didn’t think it was necessary.

I think those people are called phlebotomists (sp?).

I’m just the opposite…I don’t mind giving blood samples, but I hate getting shots. I once had to get a shot in my butt and they hit a nerve which took weeks to heal. It felt like someone shot me in the ass with a flaming arrow!

I think you just need to do it to get over it. The more they stick you the easier it gets.

Get yourself a small tattoo. You’ll be over your fear of needles in about 10 minutes or so. Sure, you can’t donate blood for a year, but you’ll be good to go after that.

One way to get over the problem is to force yourself to go through it. I used to have this problem, but after having blood work taken several times, I think I’m through to the other side now. I can’t say if this will work for you but for me, clenching my stomach, relaxing my arm, and refusing to let myself say ‘No’ was the way to go.

Read. That’s what I do. I always take a book with me into the exam room, and while they’re getting ready, swabbing my arm and the like, I concentrate on my book. If I’m really nervous, I force myself to memorize a line or two. (It makes you concentrate harder, distracting you from what’s going on.)

I watch, this way you know what’s going on. They must think it’s strange because half of them will say something like, “you don’t need to watch”. Then again I was never afraid of neddles, I just like to watch it go in.

See that’s the whole problem with it on my end. (lame-o pun somewhat intended)

The entire concept of someone sticking something into your body –and not using one of the designated orifices- is and always has been an experience that induces the heebie-jeebies.

I’ve seen worse though. When I was in the Navy there was a guy in our sister-company who was terribly phobic and would whimper, moan and be just about on the verge of tears whenever it was time for shots, which was often during basic training. This didn’t exactly inspire confidence from the company commanders.

Same thing here. I had blood taken for the first time last year. I just sat there and watched. The nurse looked up at me puzzled and asked why I was watching her. I just replied that I had read the insirational poster on the wall 73 times all ready and that watching this was much more interesting. She just shrugged her sholders and kept doing her thing.

I had this problem when I was younger. I had a chance to participate as a volunteer in a study where they take your blood once a week for many weeks. I committed to it and within a few weeks the fear was gone.

  1. Ask to lie down.

  2. Look away.

  3. Bring your ipod and turn it up loud.

  4. Confess to the receptionist on the phone that it’s the wait that kills you, ask if there is some way to reduce the wait. Read something while you wait.

I had similar issues with the dentist. These few things have really made a big difference for me. The confession to someone at the office is HUGE. Try it and you’ll see.

When I was a kid I used to be really afraid of needles. I went through a period where I had to have blood drawn on a regular basis and it made me positively freaked out.

Then, I went to the hospital and had to get a spinal tap which is like…the ULTIMATE needle experience (a 7", wide-bore needle that goes into your back where you can’t see it).

After that, I had the thought that I was sick of getting needles stuck in me “against my will” and decided to have needles on my own terms. So I got my ears pierced.

Every time I had to have a round of blood drawn/shots after that, I got my ears pierced. Getting your ears pierced is no picnic but at least I was in control and it was MY idea.

After a short stint in surgery when I was 17, I got a rather large tattoo at 18.

Since I started the body-alt-for-shots/bloodletting program, I haven’t been bothered by needles.

Of course, getting things pierced and getting tattoos isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (I’ve let 3 of my 7 ear holes close up), you can do what Plan B did which is much more responsible.

One that worked pretty well for me: give shots.

I’ve always hated shots. Can’t stand 'em. And then, my wife and I found ourselves doing in vitro, which meant that I, as Designated Painbringer, had to give her around 70-80 shots, sometimes as many as four a day. After that, it just didn’t seem as bad. It’s kinda hard to believe, though, that I managed to give all those shots.

And don’t listen to my wife when she drags out the story about the night she was only supposed to get three shots, but I stuck her five times. It’s pure slander, I tells ya.

Learn to sew.

No, really - I’m not being facetious.
I sew by hand A LOT (and needlefelt) and I am stabbing my fingers all the time. By accident sure, but plenty frequently. Getting pricked, jabbed and perforated loses its novelty pretty quick. At least when I go to the doctor, a professional is doing the honors.

I used to be afraid of needles… until I got exposed to rabies. After having six large shots in one day, and then repeats for the next few weeks, needles lost their ability to scare me.

I share your pain. I’m terrified of needles. Seeing them, thinking about them, talking about them. Doing any of that for more than a few seconds (even less when they’re coming my way) is enough to reduce me to tears. It’s really embarressing to be sitting and waiting, tears flowing down my face. I’ve avoided needles for years now. No doctor visits (for fear they want blood), no dentist visits (just the smell of it makes me break down) nothing. For me it IS the pain and it’s the intense fear I get when I start thinking about it. Hell, once for shits and giggles my gramma let the family test their blood sugar with her machine. It came to my turn and I saw the little needle pricker and I just started crying. If I could stop I would. But I have a feeling this is more of a full blown phobia than just a fear. God help me if I ever get pregnant. @_@

Oddly, I’m okay (not happy, but okay) with needles IF I can see where they are going. Getting blood drawn is no big deal for me. Getting a flu shot in my arm, not a big deal. For blood draws, I usually look once the needle is in; it’s kinda cool to see my blood like that. But the key seems to be having the option to look or not. If they propose a needle going anywhere else, I freak out.

Getting a tattoo is a completely different sort of needle experience.

I think that’s why I can handle vaccines–they’re over quickly, and there’s no rubber band involved. Blood tests just seem to take too long for my tastes, so there’s a lot of time for me to be anxious. That, and they draw blood from the inside of my arm (:shudders:).

I used to hate needles, but then I got pregnant. I then became a human pin cishion- they were pulling multiple vials every single visit.

It no longer bothers me a bit.