Overcoming needle phobia

[Arty_Aurora]

For as long as I can remember (I'm 33 now) I've been very uncomfortable with any sort of medical or dental procedure that involves needles and it's not got any better over the years.

As a teenager I had to be held down by a friend to get the meningitis vaccination and skipped the last tetanus booster because I just couldn't face it, we also had a test to see whether we needed another vaccination and it was just a tiny pinprick and it still freaked me out and made me worry for days beforehand.

As an adult, I've only had injections for dental procedures. I had to go to the hospital to get two teeth removed as I couldn't face the needles, I managed once to have a small needle in the crook of my arm to make me woozy enough to have one in my mouth, but even then I was crying and being held by my mum and a while after that I had to referred to a dentists thirty miles away as I couldn't even have that thing done again and they gave me gas through the nose to make me woozy again.

Last week I had a dentist appointment checkup and they said I need to have two fillings removed and replaced and I started panicking and asking over and over whether it would require an injection and they said probably not, but it's made me so anxious that with even over a month to go before the appointment it keeps preying on my mind.

I was having counselling for my anxiety which ended a while ago, but the counsellor is no longer with my surgery so I'd need to get referred again; I'm thinking of making an appointment to see the doctor in person instead of asking for a referral over the phone as I'm wondering whether he would be able to help or if I would need to see the therpist - I'm a bit nervous as I'm worried I that (a) I wouldn't be taken seriously and (b) that there would be nothing he could do.

I'm also researching hypnotherapy - has anyone here had it.

The bottom line is that I'm sick and tired of letting this phobia invade my life, I know that I'm not going to be able to avoid it forever and I was to be able to know I'm going to need an injection and not be worrying about it for weeks beforehand.

Does anyone have any advice for me, I would appreciate it, especially from someone who's had the same problem.

Thanks.

[Agora1]

Arty_Aurora, I might be able to relieve some of your concerns. One is that I have had hypnotherapy and it worked great for me. You have to be open to relaxing, trusting the therapist and open to suggestions that they tell you. You are in control at all times. It is not like you see on tv where it looks like the people are made to do silly things. Not in anyway. This is geared towards telling your subconscious calming, soothing, positive suggestions that you will carry long after you leave the therapy. It is certainly worth trying. Very Safe.

As for you ever needing an injection on any part of your body, there is something new that they have besides the regular lidocaine that they can swab your arm with before injections. This involves you receiving a special bandaid at home. This is good if you need a shot before a procedure or MRI/Cat Scan etc. You put the special bandage on your arm area 15 minutes before leaving home. It needs time to numb the area. One you are at the hospital or clinic, the bandage is removed and you have absolutely no feeling in the area where the shot orIV will be injected. Works every time.

As for the dentist, they do use a numbing solution on a stick and keep that against the gum before putting in the anesthetic but I agree that wouldn't be the best solution for someone afraid of injections. Sorry I couldn't help you out with that one. My own daughter is given a pill while she is in the waiting room. After 15 min they call her in and she goes sound asleep during the procedure. No after effects short of drowsiness and you do need someone to drive you, but the whole thing is painless..

Wish you luck with the upcoming dental appointment. We will try to comfort you the best we can. We will be here for you the day of the appointment should you need some extra support and comfort. xx

[b1b1b1 in reply to Agora1]

Agora1 - If it is not nosy, I would be interested in what you had the hypnotherapy for and how many treatments you had. Also, how long did the effect last? I would be interested in it for relaxation in certain circumstances that cause particular tension. Thank you.

[Agora1 in reply to b1b1b1]

b1b1b1, I used it for anxiety. It is costly and has gone up even more since I've taken it. Not covered by my insurance, but worth every penny it cost. I had about 4 sessions (would have wanted at least 6) but my sessions were several hours long. The therapist was very kind. The feeling of walking on a cloud with not a care in the world lasts several hours or longer according to what your stressors are at home or office.

The thing about the hypnosis therapy is not about the instant relaxation it provides since that could have been done with meditation. It is about the long term effects of what they suggest to you while under that deep relaxing influence.

To this day, and that therapy had to be done at least 5 years ago, is with me every time I hear the numbers from 10 to 1 counted backwards. Whether I hear it on tv, read it in a book, see it on the elevator when going down and even watching the last 10 seconds of the microwave can put me into instant relaxation.

It's an amazing feeling to this day in how my body responds to that suggestion that she must have given me during the sessions. I don't remember. It comes automatically without a thought. I hope you give it a try. Keep an open mind as to each therapist is different in what they suggest for you.

Good Luck, let me know. xx

[b1b1b1]

Thank you. I may look for one to try it. It would also be for anxiety. It sounds like you had a very good hypnotherapist.

[Brumchick]

I too had terrible needle phobia following meningites aged 9 .It took four nurses and my mom to hold me down for the lumbar punctre into my spinal cord.for years afterward even a glance at a syring caused me to feel flushed my heart to pound and my body to tremble uncontrollably.This continued with little help from medics for years.The odd nurse would be understanding and let e squeeze her knuckles like i would break them due to fear.One day just like you i had come to the end of it.I was sick of this fear turning me to a nervous wreck.I sat down and wrote how many things that i could think off that would be worse than the needle.I thought for hours over how such a small thing in the scheme of things was holding me back.I wanted to be a nurse and this would not be possibe until i overcame this or at least gained some controli made use of distraction techniques using a rubber band twanged sharply on my wrist,I informed any medics to mot let me know when the injection was to be given,rather to just talk to e and when i was letting my guard down do the deed.I had built this tiny thing into a colossus in my mind over the years.Really it was no way near as bad as i had feared! Nooo way near! once i got through the second jab ,i knew i had control.How terrible what we do to ourselves frightening ourselves beyond all reason.with what are at the end of the day totally common everyday things.?if everyone else was doing it i was determined i was going to do it too.I refused to worry before hand,I told the docs or dentist that i was needle phobic and they all had a lot of experience putting people like us minds at ease.Think of how many bad things have happened in your life( i hope not too many) Im sure in comparison the needle phobia barey ripples the water ! Now i just say ,right girl. This needs done! Get the head down and get through it.Its rather like labour.All women have that sobering moment when they go into labr of omg i have to get this baby out!! No one else can do it. So i bedt just be brave a d get it done.ts amazing how brave you can be when you refuse to step on the rumination train before hand!

I know you will get there.All neede phonics do. They just have to have reached the point where they truly want to get over that hurdle,shake off the terror,and terrror it is at the time,take a big breath and blow out slowly and twang that eladtic.it works amazingly well.Any needle phobics i came across during my nursing career found that my eladtic trick reslly worked.Your body was concentrating on the sharp snap of the elastic so therfore the twinge of the jab was very much a secondary sensation.It really isnt as painful as you thinkNow i can go through any type of injection even big ones Its all a matter of get through the frst one and never look back.I know you will succeed.Spend some time getting your thoughts lined up.Refuse to step on the panic train and just go for it!

Best of luck

[Brumchick]

Please excuse my appalling spelling and grammarI have severeM.E. ad fibromyalgia and it fogsup my brain and i somehow cannot remember how to spell or use proper syntax! I was an excellent speller reading two books a week for years! Thats life! Lol

[Arty_Aurora]

Thanks to everyone who replied - I'm doing my own research on it and the doctor is referring me back to the mental health team for some CBT therapy, so hopefully I'll make some progress.