You've taken the important first step of writing it out. Now, picture you calm, smiling, and looking away from the needle and watching something else. The prick has come and gone, and you've done it! Sometimes, facing the fear with the sensation is enough to help change the thought pattern. You can do this!

I hate needles too. Talk to the nurse/doctor before the procedure and they will help you through it. Best wishes!

Sometimes the best way to get rid of a fear is by exposing yourself to it but by bit. If you're afraid of needles in general, I would suggest doing something such as looking at or holding something like a sewing needle each day, until you can do it calmly and it's nothing but. And keep doing this until maybe you're able to press the end of it against you lightly? Not to draw blood, just to feel it. That's likely going to take awhile though.

If you're just afraid of being poked or prodded or whatnot with a needle, then yes talking to the nurse about it ahead of time would likely help, they have many tricks to help people afraid of needles, you're by far not alone on that.

And don't beat yourself up, there's no shame in crying :3

there is a way to make it more manageable- I too have had phobia of needles since childhood- thinking I would dye within minutes of the needle and waiting for that to happen, every time (due to a stupid murder she wrote episode- which I wont describe to u, and add to preexisting phobia) Ive literally blacked out before because I forget to breathe, I always tell them I have an issue with needles, please don't let me see it- or any tubes they take out of me- or I will faint- I turn myhead the other way completely, and hold on to the chair with my arm (not being used) many nurses are used to ppl with needle phobias and will keep u talking to distract u/ make sure u don't faint. There is another thing u can do, u can take a pin cushion pin and sterilize it and your finger and push it in yourself (as practice) I realize many ppl will disagree with this, but u can face your fear and be in control of it- and as u press down into your finger u will feel your heart rate go yup- but walk yourself through it- talk to yourself- this will only last 1 minute- Im ok- I will live- Im doing this for 'whatever reason' in your case, your baby, u need to be strong, your doing this sacrifice for him/her- u don't necessarily have to break the skin, but a little skin prick will not hurt u- emotionally u will be better prepared- and u will be in your own controlled environment- u can do this a week before your apt or whatever, it may help. The more u understand that this is a phobia, and u are bigger than your phobia- u are more than it, then u wont let it hold u prisoner.

My fear of needles was hard during all three pregnancies! What I have learned to to is, (1) tell the nurse that I will not be communicating with her at all during the process, (2) DO NOT EVER look at the needle, (3) close my eyes until it is over, (4) either pinch very hard or dig my nails into my leg to focus on that pain, (5) think of something else, like the beach or some math problem I have to solve or something that I have planned to think about. Most nurses eventually understand that I WILL NOT respond to any questions and DO NOT want to hear the play-by-play. One time, a nurse said, "Are you going to faint? Are you alright?" and I just ignored her and stayed in my zone. Afterwards, she apologized because she realized she did the exact thing I asked her not to do. Anyway, that worked for me (also for the I.V. in the hospital!) but hopefully you can find something that works for you. I wish you much luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi. Sorry about the problem. --Of course I feel a tad of that myself; I don't like n.... . . .. . Cacheteen has made a good point. A therapist of mine once suggested "desensitization"; I turned the idea down at the time. But have learned more about it, since. Like Cacheteen said, it is a little at a time. Some nurses I think could coach a person through that, throught the desensitization.

Yes one can plan not to look at the n.; but sometimes at the last moment a person can turn and look. <shrugs> In my growing up, I often got thorns...from picking berries. Then Dad would get a magnifying glass and n. out. That never bothered me -- but a doctor with his business DID.

Back to a nurse somewhere (who knows about desentization, knows more than I and has had experience): I figure it could be done in three or so sessions. Very short sessions. 10'. A doctor if he/she would take the time could look up
n.-phobia or trypanophobia. Um, 20% of the people have some; 10% have it more severely. Doctors are not very sensitive on some things like this. Men doctors. So many are kind of domineering.

So a nurse (R.N., not the lesser-trained practical nurse) could pro'ly do better. COULD do better, depending on the person. That person could take a little time with you, (she) could block out *more* than a minute time. And a sedative arrainged.

Well maybe more than a sedative. Sedatives maybe are only drowsiness-inducing. There are anti-anxiety things like Ativan, which for me, are amazing. Ativan makes me impossible to feel uptight about anything. Alcohol could do it, 'cept medical places don't want to be caught using *that.* Pfffffttt (they're dumb

You might talk to several ppl here and there on -- well on the sedation subject.

good luck to ya'. don't think it is a big hurdle
talk only to people who are sympathic. one of 'em can help you with a plan
--- Paul

Again. Yes I have had a problem like your problem
to manage.

One reason I got through it : I felt trust for the people involved. Although they were giving a bit of urging to me, I knew they could never be harsh.

Push would never become "shove."
good luck,some more :) . :)

Well the good lord has seen fit to give you the cure to your problem. Because the cure is having to.

I had a terror of needles, I'd had a lot of injections as a baby, again as a child. And then I'd managed to avoid it. I could handle jabs and stabs, quick innoculations... stuff going in, quickly, I could take with much screwing up of eyes and whimpering; - i could NOT handle having blood taken. Oh god I cringe just thinking of it.

So the sweet baby Jesus in his wisdom saw fit to make me gestational diabetic. How poetic. now I had to have blood taken DAILY.

What are the things that I did.

1. scales. the arm that is not having blood taken, I would do hard weird piano scales. b flat melodic minor in thirds. That sort of thing. Focus! Concentrate! I could get through vial after vial. I could do four octaves. and then do it again.

2. Squeezing the hell out of my toes. I pretended I had no left (or right) arm - which ever was being assaulted by nurse. Every other single muscle in my body i would clench. I would focus on clenching this lot, releasing it, clenching next lot. Absolutely clenching the guts out of them.

3. Holding your breath till you nearly pass out. that's really good and great for a lot of crises. Warn nurse that you're going to do this or else she'll twit at you insufferably till you have to breathe again, thus ruining all your hard work and leaving you having to have a panic attack, and have your blood taken, without moving, and while nodding at the daft wench and telling her you're fine. double arrgh.

Thing is, crying is all very well but it doesn't solve your problem. You have a job to do and you know it has to be done. Cajolery by the nurse? No. it's tacky. You know the problem, you know what you have to do. Now what you have to manage, is to get through this hell somehow, to grit your teeth, and get through it. Who was that famous writer who had to have a breast removed without anaesthetic (in the 1700s) and it took 1 1/2 hrs? argh.

You need something to concentrate on, really really hard, as hard as you can, and work your guts up to pretend that nobody is sticking that bloody great needle in your arm. You have to compartmentalise. You have to blot out.

I wonder how many people are doing this at the hospital every day? I got so refined at it that I could nearly carry on a conversation. I never quite got there...