No hate please - terrified of needles

[tinkerbellsays]

I have a massive phobia of needles & even going to a GP surgery causes mild breathing issues for me, I'm a big 35yr old baby I know but can't help my phobia...
does anybody know of any numbing creams that work? I am terrified even typing this is making my chest go tight, but I know rationally that the vaccine is brilliant & how lucky we are to be offered this by our wonderful NHS... please no hate, I am by no means an anti vaxxer & respect anyone's choice to do whatever they feel comfortable with..... just after some advice to help cope with the vaccine such as a numbing cream recommendation or anything else anyone can recommend.... thankyou 💜

I hate needles too but had mine yesterday and literally didn’t even feel it!! The nurse just prepared it out of my sight :)

I hate needles as well but have also managed several rounds of IVF. For some reason administering them myself into my stomach I totally got used to but I worked myself up about my flu jab this year.

Tell them you’re nervous. Take a nice drink with you to sip. A warm tea if you can, or something else comforting. If the covid jab is anything like the flu jab (which I think it is) I literally felt nothing!! The anticipation is far, far worse than the jab itself. You WILL be fine, please don’t worry

No hate from me OP. Im a nurse and I hate needles when they’re being directed towards me, don’t mind giving other people injections though!
Personally I always tell the nurse that I don’t like needles, but I do like a warning of when she’s going to inject, a 3-2-1 preferably. I do deep breathing and focus on letting the muscles of my arm and shoulders go soft, really soft and floppy, the less tense the muscle the less I find it hurts. I also get my patients who are scared to do the same thing and I find I have good results.
In the longer term it might be an idea to have a bit of therapy for it, CBT is meant to be good for lots of people for tackling phobias.
You’ll be grand.

Can vouch, that EMLA cream is damn good stuff! Give it a try OP

Do you ever go to the dentist?

veeeh is that helpful to the OP?

I don't do needles willingly and I go to the dentist. I'll just cross that bridge when I have to but it doesn't stop me seeking oral hygiene.

monkeypuddle you sound lovely.

OP, why don’t you see a hypnotherapist to get rid of the phobia?

Worth a try, but it's not a magic wand that works on everybody. Some people are resistant to hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Weird how the needle phobia presents differently in different people. I have no problems at all with intra-muscular injections, but I have to have bloods etc taken from the back of my hand because I turn into a hyper-aggressive ball of venom if anyone goes near any of my joints with a needle

No hate from me either!

I tell the nurse I hate needles. I never look. I never think about what is actually happening. I tell myself I can withstand anything for 10 seconds, and by the time I’ve gone through this internal argument it’s all over with (except when they’re taking 6 vials of blood ).