honestly i just like look away and separate my mind from the needle. like focus on a poster in the drs office or something and just tell myself the needle won’t be in me forever

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When I was 8 it took 3 nurses to hold me down. Now that I'm 21, it takes 6 buff hospital security guys to hold me down.

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I read needles as noodles initially 😭

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I was terrified of needles when I was younger, but then I started getting allergy shots which required 6 needles a week, and I got over it quick. “Exposure therapy” in this case definitely helped me. If you don’t have a medical reason that requires needle usage, maybe consider voluntarily donating blood if you’re able to? It’s not too bad, can help a lot of people, and maybe help with your fear of needles

1

This is definitely not a permanent solution, but if you know in advance that you will have a procedure involving needles, you can likely get prescribed a single dose of a benzodiazepine to help with anxiety. Longer term if it’s a significant issue, you should try talking to a therapist who might recommend exposure therapy depending on the specifics.

1

I used to until I took my hormones through injection and now I don’t care about them (unless it’s my lower arms/hands— I absolutely CANNOT take an IV in the hand if I’m conscious). It definitely helps to know ahead of time, take some painkillers or use something like Lidocaine (pretty easy to get prescribed, I think, and there’re some OTC kinds)… be very hydrated. Communicate with the phlebotomist, too!!

1

I was, and then I was diagnosed with type one diabetes before I turned 14 and was in such a bad state that I was in and out of consciousness, and being repeatedly stabbed with needles during that point reduced my fear, and living with them ever since pretty much got rid of it.

1

i’m still very afraid of needles, but when i was younger, i thought about a book character i liked who was a lab subject and went “if she can survive needles so can i” lmao (it was not very effective)

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