I conquered my fear today.
23When I was about 4yrs old, I sliced my face open and had to get stitches. They held me down on the table and jabbed a needle into my face. Ever since I've had a legit irrational fear of needles. Makes going to the doctor and dentist extra fun.
Today I had a checkup and I wasn't able to talk my way out of getting a standard blood test this time. Everyone was super nice and I didn't even cry.
Has anyone else conquered any fears recently?
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I conquered my fear that you guys banned me when I couldn't get into the forums last night... I still think you just put in Sohma-protection... for when I post too many things in so many minutes, you block me for X minutes.
@hollboll In all serious-ness, I was worried...but it wasn't like yours... congratulations! :)
@hollboll I have the same thing (needle phobia). There's a company that makes a big vibrating mechanical bee (I swear I'm not making this up) that really helps with this. I mean, the fear itself is psychological but while the bee is doing its thing you can't actually feel the needle at all, so it definitely helps because it removes physical sensation from the equation. Sometimes doctors' offices have them--you'd generally have to ask--or you can buy your own and take it with you. It's called Buzzy.
@Starblind Vibrating Mechanical Bee...sounds like an order confirmation to me.
@Starblind @hollboll I don't like needles either. Similar experience, my brother hit me in the face with a baseball bat (Gotta love sibling rivalry) when I was young and I had to get stitches in the corner of my right eye. Same type of thing, I HAD to keep my eye open to make sure they didn't puncture my eye ball itself.
A few years back I had to get over my fear to give my wife shots (Long story). I still don't like needles, but I don't have that anxiety anymore.
@Starblind @hollboll I believe you're talking about the Buzzy. I've never seen one in use but tbh I think it would be a pain in the ass for those of us who actually have to give the needles. I have to do straight sticks and start IV's every day for my job and I couldn't imagine how much more difficult that vibration would make it for me. Some patients have such difficult veins that any little motion or movement makes it possible to miss. There's nothing I hate more than having to stick someone a second time. I not only feel horribly bad for them, but I feel like a complete failure if I don't get them the first time. Regardless, congrats on getting over that hump @hollboll! You're the perfect example of what I always say - almost everyone with a needle phobia has it due to some horrible childhood experience.
@cinoclav @starblind @hollboll Buzzy was another Shark Tank pitch. It didn't get a deal though BUZZY
@denboy don't let me be the only SharkTank geek in here.
@Starblind That's cool! Maybe I'll look into that in the future. :) It took me a bit to understand how it works, but it's definitely a cool concept.
@cinoclav that's a good point, I'm sure it would be pretty difficult. It's probably nice for little kids though. I always feel super bad whenever someone has to give me a shot or take my blood. Logically I know it's totally fine but I can't help that my heart starts to race and stuff. Today was great though, I was tough. :)
@mfladd
@denboy
@MrMark Please, no, don't give the order generator any new ideas. Every time I think it can't get any worse, it gives me things like boundless-jagged-medic, which produces truly horrific images.
@mfladd you are not the only shark tank geek here. When teaching certain classes my students have an assignment that involved a shark tank episode.
@Kidsandliz nice. I am glad @denboy and my self are not alone.
@mfladd I'm a big Shark Tank fan but I guess I missed that episode. I think the one place where Buzzy would be helpful is with the basic intramuscular injection such as a flu shot. Since there's no need for extreme accuracy into a vein it wouldn't be a real issue.
My oldest developed a severe needle phobia after an accident when he was little. They had to stitch his nose back together and the needles coming at him seem to have broken him for life. He would be very sympathetic and tell you that you did great! I'm a human pincushion, been stuck too many times to care anymore. A spontaneous PE a couple years ago made sure of that.
I actually killed my own moth not long ago. Sounds totally stupid, but with my stupid phobia of them, it was a big deal to me! And thanks to double checking my post before hitting Say It, I narrowly avoided saying that I killed my mother not long ago. Eek.
@jaremelz Oh man! Yeah not sure you'd want to admit to killing your mother on here. Props though for facing that moth!
@hollboll Thanks! I'm terrified of them, but I love butterflies. Go figure! I still feeling like calling mom to say I'm sorry.
@jaremelz I still have a hard time killing spiders. Not morally, because I think it's a matter of them or me, bbbbut... if I use a flyswatter, I am certain they will squeeze through it and a leg will come after me. If I use a shoe, I have to scrub it thoroughly afterwards. If I use a hammer, I have to go buy a new TV. If they squeeze into a corner, I have to wrap a book in tissues, then flush them (twice) and scrub out the corner afterwards. Now you've got me all crawly; I know it's your goatly duty, but ick.
@OldCatLady
@OldCatLady That only leaves -
Vacuum!! That's what I do. Sneak up under them, and whoosh!
@KDemo Then I'd want to buy a new vacuum cleaner, because all mine are bagless.
@jaremelz
@KDemo That spider got sucked into the vacuum with its eyes wide open. What makes you think it wasn't paying attention to the return path out? ;-)
@OldCatLady
ROFL
@RedOak A Little spritz of Raid, a piece of plastic rubber banded over the hose opening, and "The Fly" playing on a video loop inside.
@jaremelz someone I knew had a moth phobia because she hated their erratic flight pattern.
also because there was a huge moth on her porch and she blew at it to make it fly away, and it flew directly into her mouth. then she had a mouth full of moth wing powder.
enjoy your day!
@Lotsofgoats That made me literally lol and shudder at the same time.
@Lotsofgoats Mine started because when I was a kid, my job was to fold laundry. The dryer lost its vent cover and we didn't realize it. For a few nights in a row, moths came out of the clothes and into my face.
It is the flight pattern. It's unpredictable, but I assure you, they always seem to come for me. Years ago, my husband, roommates, and I were in our kitchen hanging out. I went to wash my hands, and saw a huge moth, right next to the faucet. I quickly retreated to the living room, which was a clear, straight shot from the kitchen. I could see everything, but was a good 15 feet away. My roommate hands my husband a flip flop, and he whacks at the moth. When he connected, he hit it HARD and straight at me, hitting me right in the chest, still fluttering. Everyone started laughing their asses off, and from the way I was sitting hunched over and shaking, they thought I was as well.
Nope, it was me hyperventilating. I've gotten better though, I can kill them, which is better than running from the room screaming!
I said to the nurse "I'm ok with blood being taken, but I like to look at my phone for distraction."
She says "Oh, that's ok, I understand."
And then, as she starts the process, she proceeds to tell me this long story about a guy who got dizzy and fell over and then the needle came out and there was blood going everywhere and how it even made her pretty nauseous and boy what a mess it was to clean up, and after all that they still had to stick him but this time they had him lie down and it mostly went fine except it still took several sticks because it was now so hard to see his veins through the smeared blood on his arm.
Thanks, nurse, that's exactly what I needed.
@dave Ha! We had a patient in for a stress test at my previous hospital. Worse veins ever. None of us could get an IV in him so we finally called anesthesia to come take a look. They decided to start a line in his neck. They took the patient into one of the rooms to lay him down on a stretcher and closed the door behind them. After about 25 minutes the anesthesiologist comes to us and says he's ready. I go to get the patient, open the door and stop in my tracks. It looks like a scene from a horror movie. There was so...much...blood... Patient had this look of 'what the fuck just happened?' All that, just so we could actually start his test which was going to take the next 3 hours!
Needles and stitches and blood, no problem. But stay away from me with that wooden tongue depressor! (I actually had an involuntary shiver when I typed that.) Popsicle sticks, too, BTW.
@hollboll - You're such a big girl now! I'm very proud of you, needles can be scary. Hope you got ice cream after, and what's with the plain brown bandaid? No fair! ;-)
@cinoclav - You said pain in the ass. Haha. Just had to poke you on it.
I did an externship as a phlebotomist. Seemed like everyone was afraid of needles, Worst was when the veins were hiding, requiring multiple tries. I couldn't take it. Personally I've been lucky. Lots of blood tests, but my veins are easy to find, no trauma.
@KDemo You do realize that you said pain in the ass and poked him, right? Because I'm giggling now.
@KDemo I know! I was hoping at least to get like a kitten one or a batman one or something. No ice cream yet, but I may stop on the way home. ;)
@jaremelz - I just took a shot that he hadn't realized.
@hollboll @KDemo I once had a teenage patient who didn't want our band-aid. She pulled a Hello Kitty band-aid out of her purse instead. It became such a funny 'moment' between the patient, her mother, and I that she pulled out another one and gave it to me to keep. I still have it several years later. Occasionally I see it and it just makes me smile. Some patients make your day in the craziest ways.
Started doing that dating thing. Not really a fear but I have been procrastinating and I am really late to the game. Didnt realize I get as nervous as a broken poodle and throw up all over the place. Its getting better and the dates havnt noticed that I am broken yet. I would figure at this age I would know my body better, but apparently not. So much for spock level of control over my brain.
@darkzrobe you'd think the fixed poodles would have more cause to be nervous.
@nadroj True
I have a fear of seeing pipes in water. Like in a lake. Or ocean. I think this stems from my siblings trying to flush me down the toilet when I was little. One of them tried to convince me that there was nothing to fear by showing me the contraption in the tank, and proceeded to flush the toilet to show me how it worked. At least that's why I think I'm afraid of pipes in water. And where I live I'm surrounded by lakes. And I'm cool with that. But throw a PVC pipe in the water next to where I'm standing and I go all boogily boogily.
@cegodsey
@cegodsey That one is really different.
@mfladd boogily boogily!!!!
My life with needles has gone through 3 stages.
1. Needles and shots never bothered me, even as a kid.
2. Had a kid and all of a sudden I faint at the sight of needles. (How weird is that mental process?)
3. Got old, got diabetes, have to stab myself daily. Needles are no big deal now.
And when you get old they really want to stab the hell out of you for every little thing.
. . . a little prick never hurt anyone.
@Pavlov how often does that line work?
@Pavlov
@Pavlov
Meh. Am I banned yet? (still try'in)
@mfladd
I have no problem with needles. But I can say swimming about 30 m in a dark cave where you have no idea what's underneath, feeling slimy stuff on your feet, bats hovering over your head, does help overcome any sort of fear...
@galmaegi - Not worth it. ;-)
@KDemo Totally not! haha It was too late to quit at that point. The worst part was I had to do the same thing again when I was coming back. :(
I don't have a problem with needles either, but I still haven't conquered my fear of spiders.
@heartny Sweet Dreams. ;)
@mfladd OMG! It finally escaped from my living room! I can go back in there now. Wheww. I couldn't find a fly swatter or paper cup big enough for that sucker.
@heartny This may help relieve some fear. It turns out that Daddy LongLegs aren't spiders. So you don't need to be afraid of them. Like when they are all bunched up in the cold and you hit them with something and they all go scurrying off in different directions. Just bugs. Not spiders
@heartny I don't do well with any type of bug at all. Even butterflies.
@hollboll
@hollboll I dislike butterflies too. I think it's the way they flutter. It's not necessarily a fear, I was able to go to a butterfly garden without fear, I just don't really like them. I think it's because I'm never sure which way they are going to go.
@MrMark I don't really care about the erratic flight patterns so much as I don't like their legs. All bug legs freak me out.
Lumbar Puncture
Complete victory is still pending (9 days away), but I have taken the first step by agreeing to the procedure.
Needles don't bother me. This is good, because I get stabbed a lot. Fortunately, I have completely translucent skin and glowing, fluorescent veins. Well... I'm just really pale and my veins are incredibly easy to find. I need to start recording people's reactions as they grab my arm, needle in hand. "Which arm is better? Is one easier to-- OH MY GOD! This will be easy!"
But a lumbar puncture is different. That needle is headed for my spine. MY SPINE!
Ever since the idea that I might need one crossed my mind, I have been terrified. Now I "get" to face that fear. I am drawing courage from the fact that you overcame, @hollboll. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
@christinewas You can, and will rock this. It's nothing compared to what you've gone through, in terms of how long it'll last.
You will be home and awaiting answers that I choose to believe are coming before you know it!
@christinewas Just make sure the person doing it has positive experience, that should give you more confidence. Also, we'll be here pulling for you.
@christinewas you got it! I know you can. :)
I actually love needles. And spiders. Everyone I know thinks I'm a freak for it :(
@Dweezle
You are not alone :)
I have thanatophobia and I think the way to conquer it is pretty shitty
Lucy: Do you think you have pantophobia, Charlie Brown?
Charlie: I don't know, what is pantophobia?
Lucy: The fear of everything.
Charlie: THAT'S IT!!
I used to be afraid of checkout clerks... felt like they were judging me. I was afraid enough that I would avoid shopping altogether. I could conquer it by, you know, going to the store regularly. But if I didn't go for a while it came back. I guess being an adult helped with that, since I have to, like, get groceries all the time.
@katylava they aren't judging you per say, just judging what you buy. You must love the self checkouts.
@katylava wait were you the older lady that came through my line 8 years ago with a big cucumber, a big bottle of wine, lube, and an enema? Cause the smile that was given to me just wasn't right.
@katylava See you at the self-checkout. It's figuring out the small talk that gets me. When I lived in Boston no cashier ever spoke to me. I liked that.
Got a flu shot today. My arm hurts :(
@Bogie ouch.