I am deathly afraid of needles, seriously. What can i do to get over this fea!?

Question

I am very, very, very scared of needles. My doctor has even said I have a low tolerance for pain, which puts my in even more fear of them. I have to get a shot in school in about 25 days. I am very scared, and i always throw up about 10 times the night before a shot. I am 14 right now, and i wanna know if I will outgrow this fear in the future, and if not, should i skip the shot so i don't have to live in this fear? Is tetanis, dipthermia, and pertussis dangerous? Is there a way to make a shot not hurt at all! Help!

Answer 1

Andrew,
I definately understand what you are going through.. I absolutely hate, hate, hate needles. But, coming from a 23 yr old, sometimes in life they are unavoidable. So here's the deal, the more you make yourself nervous, the more it will hurt, because you think it will hurt. I know its really, really hard, but try to relax. Talk to someone while you are getting the shot, give someone a hug right before the shot, maybe have someone hold your hand (I know this isn't the cool thing to do in school, but its really how I've gotten through all of my shots). Also try to remember to breath really deep and focus on your breathing. Also, do not look at the needle or the nurse, you don't have to make it look obvious that you're not looking, just casually look at the floor or something else in the room (that is if you are in front of other classmates and don't want to look scared). If you get a chance, tell the nurse that you are really, really nervous. That usually works for me, they seem to be very gentil if they know you are really freaked out. Most of all remember, that if you cry its definately not the end of the world, and also it will be over in less than 30 sec, so it really does go quickly. As for making it hurt less, take an advil about 1 hr before the shot, and try your best not to tense up. And YES, tetanus, diptheria and all the others are VERY dangerous diseases and getting the shot is the only way to protect against them. I have to get a tetanus shot soon too, so I can empathize with you, and I'm nervous too, but I know I'll live. Also, take it from a shot freak who just became diabetic (and yes, I have to stick myself twice a day), if you have to learn to deal with needles you do. I'll never like them, and I may always be scared of them, but I've had to learn to deal with them. Good luck and BE BRAVE!!

Answer 2

The best way to handle any fear is to look at it logically and put in proper perspective. Realistically, the needle used to give an injection is incredibly small and you really won't feel much of anything at all when it is used. If you truly have a low pain tolerance, then passing up the vaccination for DPT is not wise. Tetaness used to be called "Lock Jaw" and "bone break fever", because it caused muscular contractions strong enough to actually dislocate and break the bones of the body. I don't think that would be exactly a painless process. In diptheria, the throat swells shut, you can't breathe easily, and they have to poke a hole in your throat so you can. Pertussis is also called whooping cough. Does the idea of coughing hard for weeks appeal to you? These diseases also have a fatality rate, they kill you, in other words. There is no cure for them once you have them, you either survive or you die. The shot is a preventative. It is a couple of seconds, one small poke, and it's done with. With a good hand behind the needle, you probably won't even know you have been gotten until it's over with. Look some place else while you get it, and you don't even have to see it happen. Seriously, a healthy respect for sharp things is one thing, and nobody likes getting shots. Did you ever hear anyone say they like needles? No, you don't. You are 14 years old, old enough to think this through and put your fear into the perspective it deserves. Did you ever stub your toe? Scrape a knee? Get a headache? A paper cut? If you have had any of those injuries and survived, you can certainly handle a quick shot. It hurts a lot less than any of those do. So grit your teeth and bare your arm. You don't have to like it, and you can say it hurts if you like. But you aren't a baby anymore here, and it's time to see this for what it is. It's just a shot. It's not major surgery.

Answer 3

I don't know if this is going to help or not, but I have the same fear. Had it ever since childhood and the worst was when a doctor didn't believe my mum and then came out with like a horse needle as a JOKE! Soon found out that it wasn't actually funny when I bolted out of the doctors and ran all the way home!! Anyway, I recently had to have blood tests for something and because of this fear of needles (I have an anxiety attack which I cant control when I am near someone with a needle) I had to be sedated to get it. So basically I had to go to the doctor, get prescribed a Valium tablet take this like 30 minutes before the needle and then they could give me as many needles as they wanted cause I was completely out of it! Problem was I then needed someone to drive me home and I slept the rest of the day. But I did get the blood tests, had a needle without a problem (although I apparently yelled at the nurses and called them vampires!!) and lived happily ever after.

Really not sure how to get rid of the fear...but did get the needle. Hope this helps...

Answer 4

If you feel this is a very serious problem that you want to fix actively than there are psychological treatments or therapies that can help you if you choose to do so. Off the top of my head from psychology class two common ways of treating phobias are exposure therapy (you look at needles while talking about them or something- yes it actually works) and drug treatment which could be as simple as taking a small dose of an anxiety medication only before getting a shot until you no longer feel as worried about it.

I think it's a fairly common problem so you should be worried about asking people about it. Ask your family doctor, school nurse or parents to help you.

Answer 5

I am 15 yo female and I love needles. They just tickle for me. I have an incredibly low tolerance for pain as well. It's your state of mind that is causing you to think that you are scared of needles, just think of yourself as loving them.
You may grow out of this, and for your sake I hope it is very soon.
You should NOT skip any needles. They are there to protect you. They may hurt...but they can save your life.

Answer 6

Just relax. Don't look when they put it in. It'll be over in a couple of seconds. I was like you but I got over it. When I was litle I kicked my doctor in the face and ran down the road because I was so scared of the needle.

Answer 7

Just do not look DPT injections do not hurt and they are not dangerous. It will be over in a second, will you ever get over this fear I dont know......But you will not have to have injections that many times in your life unless your diabetic and then they are such little injections they wont hurt a bit......Dont get your self so worried sweetie it will be over before you can blink an eye...

Answer 8

Just don't look at the needle. Try to engage the nurse in conversation when they stick it in you so that your mind is not on what they are doing but what they are saying.

Answer 9

ANDREW,
A NEAT TRICK TO DO IS TO PINCH YOUR SELF AT THE EXACT MOMENT YOU GET A SHOT IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
IF YOU TIME THE PINCH AT THE SAME TIME AS THE SHOT YOU ARE BOUND TO FEEL THE SELF-PINCH MORE THAN THE ACTUAL SHOT.

Answer 10

at least u wont be a drug addict!. just dont look when they do it and i guarantee you wont eve know she does it. im not scared of needs at all. i got my belly button pierced a long time ago and i didnt even feel it, andi watched him do it.