How to get a needle into a needlephobe??

[Rowenasemolina]

Any suggestions? My brother has been called for the vaccine twice, and badly wants it, but had to leave without it last time.

He survived cancer 30 years ago, and no one has ever got a needle into him for anything since.

We are going to try half a bottle of wine before the next appointment, but really not sure if this is a terrible idea.

Any other suggestions?

I have a needle phobic son

He won’t be getting the vaccine any time soon, but there has been some very good advice which im screen shotting 😀

rosesandlemonade 💐

I had lots of needles as a child and it put me off. Then I chose a job where I used needles every day for a few years but I still was phobic.
Now I find a combination of rescue remedy, distraction and giving your self a pain somewhere else helps. I push my fingernails into the palm of my non vaccine arm
This vaccine is really gentle, just like a small pinch. Hope he manages to have it.

Might be worth speaking to his GP to see if there is a vaccination at home community team in your area he could access (my thoughts being that removing the going to a centre bit might de-medicalise it a bit for him.) They certainly have ways of vaccinating house bound people for flu, and I understood that they needed to do a similar thing for a Covid and maybe if someone was feeling sympathic to his issues he could access help that way.

@jimmyhill

Show him an intubation video and see which procedure he's more phobic of

Don't be ridiculous. Seeing that wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to me.

To people saying don't look, that's fine but it doesn't make any difference to me as I know it's going to happen. DH has already been told he'll have to drive me as I won't be safe to drive there or back. I'm hoping by the time I'm called I might get the J&J single dose so I only have to go through it once.

@Rowenasemolina I hope your brother is ok when it's his turn but he really has my sympathy

Ah I am a total needle phobe.

See if his GP will prescribe him a one off diazepam, mine did it for the dentist for me and it helps.

Get him to wear headphones and listen to music while it’s happening.

I will get flamed for this but he could get drunk before doing it? Not falling about the place but a little tipsy??

I don't normally mind injection (have the depo in my bum cheek every 12 weeks ) but last time I had bloods taken I ended up with more holes than a colander! And I don't know how the nurse managed it, but she said she couldnt get any blood from this vein, then on removing the needle blood spurted everywhere - like a gory movie.

I recommend diazepam. I take it for the dentist and when flying. You're not out of it, but you just don't care