Needle phobic - have jab today

[reducingfootprint]

daughter has a severe phobia of needles, shes 23 and booked for jab this evening unsure why as shes 100% healthy, healthy weight etc).

shes cried since booking, woke up in night with panic attack and has been very anxious since booking. shes tempted to cancel and delay but ill make her go

any tips? ive made sure shes drank plenty of water and will eat before she goes

If she is 23 and healthy she could just not have it. If she wants it it is a far less intrusive needle than a normal jab (or flu vaccine). Just make sure she tells them shes phobic when she goes in, she wont feel a thing.

she wont feel a thing

Please DON'T say that. I have given about 10,000 injections over my career. I am an expert at giving them, but it is a matter of luck whether they hurt - it depends if you hit the microscopic nerve endings, which is a matter of chance (you can avoid the main nerves, but there are millions of tiny nerve endings that you can't).

It is really unhelpful to anyone phobic to give them false reassurance, and most needle-phobics aren't primarily concerned about the pain anyway.

OP, tell her to tell the person giving the jab, so that they can get her lying down and as comfortable as possible. And, for the future, look into CBT and self-hypnosis, which can be brilliant at curing this sort of phobia.

Does she have additional needs or mh issues, work as a carer? The pain is momentary.

Has she been flagged up for her mental health issues?
I'd be talking to her about having something to look forward to after the jab. A takeaway, cake- anything.

I am following for advice as an in the same situation (slightly younger child but needle phobic). It isn't about the pain I'm sure, but I'm not sure how to help them. Self hypnosis sounds good. Advice from people who give injections is really helpful, thank you.

I hate hate HATE needles and I had mine today. It was fine. I told the person I didn’t want to look and I didn’t want to be told when he was doing it. It was done in literally 3 seconds and I only felt a tiny bit of pressure - it’s a small dose and a tiny needle. Needles are never nice and normally I’d do everything in my power to avoid them but if it gives me my freedom back then I will do it!

@LIZS no, she isnt a key worker and has no medical issues at all, only visit her doctor yearly for her birth control review

When I had mine they asked me if I have a phobia (I dont) so I guess they have some provisions to help with that when she's at the centre.

One plus is that it's a jab into muscle rather than intravenously so it's over in seconds. For me what was most discomforting was the actual vaccine going in rather than the needle aspect.

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

she wont feel a thing

Please DON'T say that. I have given about 10,000 injections over my career. I am an expert at giving them, but it is a matter of luck whether they hurt - it depends if you hit the microscopic nerve endings, which is a matter of chance (you can avoid the main nerves, but there are millions of tiny nerve endings that you can't).

It is really unhelpful to anyone phobic to give them false reassurance, and most needle-phobics aren't primarily concerned about the pain anyway.

OP, tell her to tell the person giving the jab, so that they can get her lying down and as comfortable as possible. And, for the future, look into CBT and self-hypnosis, which can be brilliant at curing this sort of phobia.

Blimey. Was only offering a bit of support (being as it wasnt the needle phobe that had posted). No probs, let her know that the "injection expert" has spoken and it could hit a nerve in her arm instead. Much better.

I'm not moaning but wondering why a healthy 23 yo has been offered a jab at this stage. Do you mind telling us approximately where you live?

My 23 year old with severe learning difficulties is having it on Thursday if anyone hears very loud screams! Will be so relieved when it has been done though.

@vargas birmingham city centre

@vjg13 good luck, hope it goes less noisily than you expect!

Look up a guided relaxation audio and listen to it on ear phones before and during jag, focus only on the words and breathing. Don't look at needle, close eyes and listen to the audio. Also infra the person doing the injection of the issue. Hope this helps?!

I am needle phobic but only with intravenous needles weirdly. However one of the few things I do is listen to music and/or I also try counting backwards from a random 3 figure number in multiples of 8 or 9 or whatever, essentially just to keep my brain concentrating on something else! I take a freeze spray for blood withdrawals, not sure whether they're any use for vaccination injection but could be worth a try. Hope it goes okay xx

Three point plan:

1. Say you are needle phobic as soon as you go in and don’t want to see them doing anything.
2. Shut your eyes and once you feel the tiny scratch start slowly counting to 20.
3. The deal is if it hurts when you get to 20 you have full permission to scream your head off. It never does. Ever.

My very much adult daughter is severely phobic re needles and cant even talk about vaccinations without feeling faint. Really worrying me to be honest but nothing I can do. She wont even consider the covid vaccine. She works with the public as well which makes my worry worse. I asked her today what she would do if she came into the group of health workers for whom the vaccine is going to be compulsory and she said she would have no choice but to lose her job. She absolutely meant it.
She is on a very, very long waiting list for therapy. Just hoping she doesnt die with Covid before she gets to the top :(