Anybody with a needle phobia had the COVID vaccine? How did you find it?

[Glitteryfox]

I’m early to mid thirties and still not had my jab. Feel very, very scared about it. I fully agree with vaccinations and want to be vaccinated but my fear of injections has overridden this so far. I‘ve been pushing it to the back of my mind but know that I just need to book it now.

My phobia is pretty severe and specifically seems to be about sitting still and allowing a person to stick a bit of metal into my flesh. I don’t like injections at the dentist but have nothing like the same reaction because I don’t consider gums to be the same. Crazy, I know. People keep telling me it doesn’t hurt and it’s really annoying me. I have a phobia of needles, not pain. I have become extremely panicked and desperate in the past and lashed out at nurses. A nurse in the maternity ward sprung a rubella injection on me and I flung it to the ground and wanted to run away. Obviously, I just told her I didn’t want to have it and that was accepted, but my reactions are pretty embarrassing and severe. I have fainted just at the thought of injections in the past and reliably faint every time I have one. I try to power through and tell myself it is fine and done and all over but I can still still faint up to half an hour later. It’s as though my body will force it to happen no matter what I am mentally telling myself. Everybody laughing and acting as though I’m just a wimp makes it worse and it seems to be tied into not liking people touching me or doing anything to my body. I get aggressively defensive about it.

Anybody else similar and have any coping mechanisms or anything? Or positive stories of having it done?

I'm a volunteer vaccinator and we see a lot of very anxious people. We are used to it and want to help you.

Make sure you are hydrated and fed before you go. Tell the staff what you need/want and they should guide you to an experienced vaccinator, when you're sat in front of the vaccinator tell them what you want from them (small talk, no small talk etc) and warn them that you're a fainter so that they're prepared. Lots of places will have somewhere you can be vaccinated lying down which really can help. Do what you need to do to get through it and remember that most people don't feel anything when the needle goes in.
I had one lady who counted to 25 in a foreign language and when she got there asked me why I hadn't done it already - the reality was the jab had been done and I was waiting for her to finish counting. Conversely, I had someone who closed their eyes and focused so hard on what they thought I was doing they complained that they could really feel the needle when I hadn't even finished drawing the vaccine up.

Try not to dwell on russiansnowball's bad experience from above, which sounded horrendous and is not indicative of my experience across several clinics. We've had a fair few fainters and none of us would ever slap anyone or shout in a persons face, nor would we panic and assume you were having an allergic reaction but you might find you opened your eyes to a few more people than you remember being there in the first place.

If you have the Pfizer vaccine you should be asked to wait for 15minutes afterwards, in case of an allergic reaction, but there may be ways the clinic you are at could make that wait easier for you.

Needle phobic here - I am actually worse at the dentist but we have a “relationship” and she knows how to “manage me”.

I had my second jab yesterday at a mass hub and the queue was horrendous. I got more and more upset, and when I was taken through was in a right tizz - the lovely vaccinator was SO kind. She took me to a bay with a bed, and said that I should have told a steward immediately, and they would have taken me straight in. My first jab I just walked straight to the desk, so yesterday caught me by surprise - I’m in Scotland and we can’t choose appointments, we just get a letter with date/time. Rather than sit in the holding area afterwards, she kept me in the cubicle with her until I could leave.

FWIW, I barely felt the needle. But I will definitely take on board what she said about talking to the steward if boosters filter down to my age.

I used to be severely (embarrassingly) needle-phobic. When I was a kid, I had a lot of operations and I had to be held down by five nurses to get a pre-med into my bum. (Thank god they don’t do them anymore!) I knocked one out with my broken arm in plaster, which undoubtedly hurt me (and him more than the needle did. I put this phobia down to the first needle I remember being a local anaesthetic (which DO sting a bit due to the nature of the medicine affecting nerves, etc…) in the ball of my foot, and I was told by my mother that it would be “just like a mosquito bite” and then held down again by several people while I was injected. Ummm… no! She lied and it was very painful! It was the lie that did it for me, and created a huge distrust of needles and of course the people carrying them. As an adult, I had to have further surgeries and knew that the healthcare workers had my best interests at heart, so I learned to tell myself the truth. “It will hurt a little bit, but not for very long.” It was SO EMPOWERING!!!
I have always said this to all my kids, and none of them are frightened of needles. They don’t love them, but they are absolutely fine with all their vaccinations and always have been. (They’re in their late teens now.)
Perhaps you need to do some reprogramming…

I got over my extreme, 24 hour previous anxiety then fainting needle phobia with LNP.

The bit that worked was understanding this behaviour was my mind's way of protecting me from an 'attack' (the needle) & finding another way to 'protect' myself. I pre warn the vaccinator, then talk rubbish about positive things like holidays to distract myself & pay no attention to what they're doing. I also breathe out & BUT instead of breathing in I push more breathe out, slowly before breathing in normally. Deep breathing in / out too many times can apparently trigger a panic response.

It worked very quickly. I'll never be relaxed to getting a needle, but I can manage without the problems now.

Have you looked into hypnotherapy? I used it for a spider phobia and it worked very well after just one session.

I am similar to you op. I don't mind the dentist or a blood test but a vaccine in my arm brings on the fight or flight response.
I used to be so bad I would get myself worked up for days.
They where very good, took my straight to a side room and I was done very quickly. I did have hypnotherapy when I was younger which seems to have stopped the running away but I do still cry and shake.
Book first thing in the a.m if you can as is quieter and tell them as soon as you there.
I just kept telling myself we arnt getting out of this mess unless everyone has the vaccine.

@Glitteryfox I am totally needle phobic. I’m over 40 and haven’t had most of the injections I should have.
I would say go to a big hub. I did. I started crying in the car park and when I got the the door I told them through my tears I was terrified. I was shaking so much I couldn’t tell them my name. The lady in the door skipped the queue and took me to the most amazing man. He then walked me to the vaccinator. They must have called over their expert one!!!
They were so kind to me. I literally can’t explain their kindness. I am so proud of myself. I say to my friends if you are scared of spiders imagine going into a huge hub full of spiders.
You can do this. You will feel so amazing when you do. Book early morning and maybe even print something saying you’re scared. They knew I was from my tears.
Please let us know when you’ve had it. I will raise a glass to you.
As you say, it’s not the pain it’s the physical injection.

Good luck. You’ve got this xxx

DH hasn't had it yet due to his needle phobia and the thought of having it done is making him really stressed as he knows he has to have it.

Just a warning - when I spoke to the vaccination centre where I had mine done they said they wouldn't do it there (mass vaccination centre) as they don't have anywhere for him lay down to do it/if he faints or any screens. It might be worth getting someone to find out for you if this is the case for you.

Also DH will faint at the sight of the needle and so wouldn't be able to walk into the vaccination centre where you can see people being vaccinated.

I wish I could do it for him at home.

Just to answer some questions, when I had mine I barely felt it. (Honestly!) it’s done in the deltoid muscle for that reason. The needles used today are very fine. You will need to hang around for about 15mins in case of an allergic reaction. Nobody had one at the vaccination post I went to in the entire time it’s been there.

@Glitteryfox

Thanks everyone, I suppose there isn’t really any quick fix, I’m just going to have to do it. Good to hear other people with similar fears have been ok. Music playing loudly in my head is a good idea and I agree I’d also like no small talk or hanging around. Not sure people really understand the phobia thing though - it’s not about the needle hurting or being able to feel it. It’s more the knowledge that I’m allowing it to be done to me and just calmly letting somebody damage my body. I feel angry if the nurse talks to me to try to distract me because I feel like they’re trying to trick me and I know what they’re really doing to me. That feeling of trickery adds to the panic because I don’t feel in control of what’s being done to me.

It was so bad for a while that I refused to even go into a doctors surgery or speak to a doctor for around three years because it started to extend to any medical setting or medical professional... except dentists! To truly understand the level of phobia I have - I chose to go through with a pregnancy because I found out, on the morning of the abortion I had booked, that they would use a needle on me. That is so obviously extreme and ridiculous because pregnancy itself brought a host of medical interventions and still involved needles, but it meant I got to bury my head in the sand and avoid them for a little longer. Obviously that worked out well in the end and I am glad I ended up having my child, but I’m aware that my thought processes and behaviour are really not normal so just looking away isn’t going to change anything.

I honestly wish they could just inject it into my gums because I seemingly have no problem with that - I wince/screw my eyes up tight and really dislike having it done but nothing like the extreme thoughts and reactions I have in response to the idea of somebody putting a needle into my flesh.

That’s why I suggest you accept your anxiety. It is needle being poked in your arm, you know why they’re doing it. All the distractions in the world won’t take that away, so better to accept that fact. Logically you know it’s not an attack, you’re going there for right reasons. Just break it down that way. It’ll be ok in the end, just have to get through that hurdle of about 30 mins I total (I’m including any time for queuing time and post jab waiting time!)

Yup. I have severe needle phobia and have paid for private counselling for over 4 years to help me.

Mine started when I was 4 years old and I had a fit with a very high temperature, was taken to hospital in an ambulance and the Doctors held me down and did a lumbar puncture which failed as I was screaming and crying so they just held me down more and did another one - It essentially meant from the age of 4, I didn't have ANY injections or vaccinations until I was in my 20's - No BCG / No Tetanus... I was a walking disease factory and if my Mother had 'held me down' (like I've read on Mumsnet in certain posts) I guarantee I would not have a relationship with her now and am actually grateful she didn't force me to have any.

I have had to have blood tests / injections over the past few years and what works for me is:

1. Being honest and upfront with the person - I feel a lot calmer if I feel 'in control' due to my experience as a child where I wasn't in control, so I request very minor things (e.g. can you do it in THIS arm please? I've put EMLA cream on, I hope that's OK? , I'm going to sit down like this... )

1. Accept I'm going to shake and cry and that most health professionals are kind and compassionate - I had this fear I was going to be 'judged' if I cried, which compounded my fear - I've never had anyone make fun of me or not be kind as an adult, so that fear has been totally unjustified so far

1. EMLA cream - I smeared loads on my arm an hour beforehand

1. My Husband booked his vaccination 20 minutes before me, so he texted me what happens - this again, really helped as I had already done 'research' on the vaccination center so I could visualise it in my mind and when my Husband said 'You go here, see these people, I asked about needle-phobics and they said speak to the lady in the purple T-shirt'... this meant less ambiguity and more knowledge.

1. I just burst into tears on the volunteer who was at the reception desk and he just said 'Follow me love' and I followed him and got the cubicle which was the furthest away from everyone and they got a nurse to do it (who was absolutely lovely).

My 2nd one is on 3rd August and if I had had a negative experience, I doubt I would be having it - However, it was very positive. Everyone was very kind, helpful and friendly and no, it really didn't hurt - I had very minimal side effects and just a sore arm (Moderna) and I'm grateful that in a global pandemic, needlephobic people seem to be genuinely considered....

I used to be terrified of needles/vaccinations. I would have panic attacks at the thought of them and would frequently faint during/after the jabs.
I really wanted to go on holiday to Asia and I knew I needed all these travel vaccinations. I found that if I lay down while having the jab then that meant I couldn’t hurt myself if I fainted which took away some of the panic. I didn’t look at the needle while they did it, it does hurt a bit but they are over quickly.
The only thing I’ve found with injections that helps with the phobia is to keep having injections. Phobias are irrational so avoiding the thing makes us more anxious.

It's not like when they're trying to find a vein to get blood, it's a very thin needle and it just felt like a tap. No pain. Far quicker and less invasive than dental injection. Best of luck OP.

I am exactly the same as you. I booked my vaccine a week ago and have been anxious about it since. I haven't slept properly all week and have been a nightmare to be around. I turned up to the vaccination centre this evening and felt as though I was going to cry. As soon as I sat down I said 'I have a needle phobia and it is taking all my will power not to walk out' and he was the kindest, most understanding person ever. He took me completely seriously and asked if I wanted to lie down. He was so kind that I hardly noticed the needle going in whilst he was asking me what I had for my dinner. It certainly didn't hurt. I am now so much more relaxed for my 2nd jab. Just make sure you tell them how anxious you are.

Hi @Glitteryfox how are you feeling after reading this thread? There's some really good advice here.

You're right that people don't understand the difference between a fear and a phobia. I could really relate to your post saying you lash out etc. I have a phobia of sickness (emetophobia) that is so severe I've been in a psychiatric hospital for 9 months. I was once getting on a plane and the thoughts hit me that I would be trapped with someone being sick and I lost it, was screaming and crying and pushing everyone trying to get off. They had to get my suitcase off the plane and we went home instead of going on holiday.

Anyway, I came here to say I work in a vaccine centre and I've seen people like you. Be VERY specific about what you need- chat/don't chat/want to lay down/etc. Can someone go with you and do the talking for you? Everyone is very empathetic in the centres. I wish you luck.

DD has a phobia and I have nothing but praise for all the staff at the vaccination centre. They allowed me to go with her (she's early 20s and I'm fully jabbed), they took their time, let her lie down, didn't bat an eyelid at the tears and shaking and nausea she suffered. It didn't matter that it took over 30 mins after the jab for her to feel strong enough to stand up again. They chatted about everything and anything to distract her. They got her water to drink and laughed with her. They kept reassuring her that she wasn't being a nuisance and taking too long.

Most importantly they made sure she knew that she wasn't the first and she certainly wouldn't be the last person to have these issues.

If you know beforehand and warn them it just makes it all a little easier.

Also, she didn't pass out this time so that's a win :)