My horror of needles is so illogical, yet impossible to ignore
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
August 19, 2017 4:48am CST
For some inexplicable reason I have a real dread of needles or injections. It does not seem to make any difference how many times I experience injections, or even how minor or insignificant they may be.
Like most people I have had a fair number of injections over the years, although that has not eased the terror of injections in any way whatsoever. In fact, when I was younger I was a blood donor for many years and despite being very familiar with the system I still had this terrible dread of that needle going into my body. Once the needle is in I am fine, but the anticipation is never good.
This has proven to be a real problem recently due to the treatment that I have been undergoing for cancer. Naturally this has involved numerous blood samples and a few injections. Also, every time that I attend for chemotherapy I have a cannula fitted into the rear of my hand, which I find very unpleasant.
Right now I am in the middle of a 5 day course of injections into my stomach. To be fair the actual injections are not bad, but I still find it preying on my mind for a couple of hours prior to the injection itself.
The whole concept of this makes no sense whatsoever, yet I appear to have no control over this emotion.
20 people like this
21 responses
@LadyDuck (457307)
• Switzerland
19 Aug 17
Barry, I now feel sick, my legs shake in terror. I have this illogical fear too, I know it's nothing but I cannot think at a needle entering my body and I cannot even look at someone picking a living creature. I will never be able to control this emotion.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (457307)
• Switzerland
19 Aug 17
@Asylum I do not know, there are things we cannot control. I always say the same for my fear of closed spaces. I try to be logic and I say to myself, the next time I try to enter the cave (or the elevator), there is nothing to fear. When it's the moment I cannot.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
26 Aug 17
Happy weekend @Asylum. Hope you are fine.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
26 Aug 17
@TiarasOceanView It was very thoughtful for you to ask.
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@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
26 Aug 17
@Asylum This is wonderful news..always love to know you are doing okay my friend, thanks for always replying here. 
Welcome too.
Welcome too.1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
28 Aug 17
@Asylum I have to close my eyes... except I could not when I had my operations on my eye a couple of years ago, although being told I needed another bubble of gas put into my eye gave me a bit of a panic attack in the consultant's examination room... 
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
19 Aug 17
You are not alone. More men than women are squeamish when it comes to needles and faint more than women do! My sister is incredibly fearful of them. I usually tell people that it won't hurt.............me! 
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
19 Aug 17
@Asylum The anti coagulant clinic is the worse place to be taking blood. 90 patients in an hour and a half! Just enough time to say hello and goodbye! They are usually very good their sleeves already rolled up you don't really have time to look at people faces you just see the arm!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Aug 17
@garymarsh6 All that I would see would be the needle.
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@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
22 Aug 17
Hopefully the number of injections happening will dull the dread of them.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
26 Aug 17
@Jeanniemaries This is something that I have not had reason to do, although I suspect that it would not be easy.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
26 Aug 17
@Asylum The only worse thing is having to give someone else a shot. I was supposed to when my husband was so ill at the last but the only thing I could manage was loading up the syringe for him. I do feel bad I could not conquer my fear. I don't mind them too much, but giving a shot to someone else fills me with horror.
1 person likes this
@neha211985 (780)
• India
19 Dec 17
I can understand. I am too afraid of injection and needles. I remember when I was kid during blood test I told doctor to use knife instead of needle.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
Just the thought of needle being injected makes me cringe. Last Monday, I got my injectable vitamin supplement and I told my friend who administered it to tell me when she's about to insert the needle. I couldn't look. Like you I'm ok once the needle is in, but the anticipation...makes me sweat a lot!
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Aug 17
@toniganzon It must appear rather juvenile to anyone who does not experience this fear, but whatever we try there seems to be no way of controlling it.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
@Asylum Yeah. My employee even asked me if I had never had an injection before. I told her, of course I did but I still can't get over the fear.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16521)
• China
29 Aug 17
You are not alone .I have the same feeling.What we are dreading is not so much the injection itself as the prospect of being injected .Hope you will take a turn for the better!
1 person likes this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
19 Aug 17
I cringe whenever I go to the medical exam. Though I experienced injections many times before for my surgery, I still feel that I can't bear the injections. Especially when I see the huge needles.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
19 Aug 17
@jobelbojel The worst was the biopsy needle, which was much larger than average.
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
4 Sep 17
Your horror of needles is not illogical @Asylum
Most are not into pain and would assume this would at least be uncomfortable.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
20 Aug 17
Oh goodness me. Its sounds frightening. I always wondered how people cope with diabetes - needles every day. I dont like injections at all either and I totally sympathise with you. I hope you are doing well - you dont tell us how you are feeling?
1 person likes this
@JeeyanDee (2692)
•
26 Aug 17
I definitely know how you feel. I don't fear needles though, but I have extreme fear of heights. I tried many times to remove it by riding roller coasters and others that would make me force down my fear but it went nowhere. I actually feel like it only got worse. There was a time I can't handle going up alone in the third floor of a building using the escalator after those flodding sessions I did to myself.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157462)
• United States
20 Aug 17
I am not sure what to say about this fear. I would not belittle you for it, though. I also think that some injection sites seem worse than others. I would have a hard time with one in the abdomen, I believe.
1 person likes this
@rosedust82 (2066)
• Philippines
21 Aug 17
I have the same fear. I've had a lot of injections during my lifetime, the most when I was pregnant and I had to take a series of tests to check my glucose. They had to get blood samples 5 times if I remember right. Not to mention a few other blood samples needed for another test. I think from that day on, I just started not thinking of it too much. I usually look the other way so that I don't see how long the needle is.
What's ironic is, I have a number of tattoos and the needles on those don't bother me as much as the needles that they actually stick inside.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118327)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Aug 17
I have always been a blood donor going back to my teen days, and I have never had an issue with needles. I've always told people I would make a good heroin addict! haha
But my girlfriend is terrified of needles, and due to her Crohn's disease, she has to get monthly infusions that take hours. She cries the entire time, not because it hurts, but because she has such a fear of needles. I will sit there the entire time holding her hand just to help her get through that terrible ordeal.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
20 Aug 17
I can totally relate to the ordeal that she is going through. I has nothing to do with actual pain, just being aware of the needle can be quite a traumatic endurance.
Sometimes I feel rather embarrassed by my reaction, but whatever I do that fear always wins.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29233)
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Aug 17
It is strange how phobias affect us that way. While in the army, I saw big strapping young men faint and fall on the floor while in line for the many injections and inoculations they gave us.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325243)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Aug 17
I am sure what you are experiencing is similar to the dread many feel, not always regarding injections but in other areas as well. Fear of elevators, clowns, feathers, spiders - many are illogical in a way but very real to those affected.
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