Crippling needle anxiety/phobia I think I need help, but how?

[nh_user_1074785]

I have an intense needle fear, as per why im in this thread. In thought I find it all pretty silly, and when I think about getting a shot outside of a doctors office I always think, 'Come on you chicken, you can get a shot. You're not gonna die.' but as soon as I'm in an office, no matter the reason, it's all I can think about.

I'm only 15, and I've already explained to my mother multiple times that if I ever got cancer, or fell very ill, to just let me die. My aspirations to join the navy we're halted when I realized the amount of shots you need to get to travel, and when I grow older I want to be a mother but I'm afraid that at the time I would be so sick with fear of getting shots well pregnant that I would die...

Very dramatic, right? But I suppose needle fear for most is a blind, seemingly immature and stupid fear...

A couple of weeks back, was my first doctors visit in a long time. It was a check up, and when the nurse mentioned I might get some vaccines I need for school I flipped out mentally. I sat and waited anxiously as the doctor asked me all sorts of questions until she came to the vaccine page, informing my mother that there was two shots I should get. Nearly immediately I started having a panic attack with fear and this continued until my mother stated I didn't need the shots, that they were optional. Just the threat of needles puts me in a panic and it worries me.

When I'm about to get shots, I feel this intense feeling in my whole body of either fight or flight. Generally I fight which includes thrashing, kicking, punching, and in the end running. Multiple nurses threaten to hold me down, and try to comfort me but nothing works. Only when my mother threatened to get blood drawn with me, did I comply. The comply was not easy one two fix, I was sobbing and hyperventilating the whole time.

I think what makes this all worse is after it's over I laugh at how stupid I reacted, and think 'Why would I do that? I'm crazy' it gives me this bad bad cycle of depressing thoughts because I feel I'm going mad...

I can't live with this phobia anymore, it gives me such a constant anxious feeling that I may be dieing and wouldn't know because I don't go to the doctor often. I've tried looking for therapy around me but I can't seem to find that either, any suggestions?

[nh_user_449026]

Hi FernyV, you do seem to have a serious phobia over needles, your not alone with this phobia many people have it and I doubt there are many people who finds the whole experience pleasurable so it's not an immature or stupid fear! 

The general treatment for overcoming a phobia is through gradual exposure where you re learn that there is no danger or threat through slowly facing the thing that you fear.

Is it the thought of the small scratch you feel when having a shot or blood test? 

I can only suggest speaking to your GP about treatment may be and this very much depends on your age whether you can be prescribed a benzo like Xanax or Valium before you have a shot which will calm you right down before hand, I'm not sure this would be possible given your age.

Your doing the right thing looking for therapy and your GP should know where you can get this, you shouldn't be feeling constantly anxious over this but can understand why you are.

First step see your GP.

Neil 

[nh_user_1054072]

Hi Ferny Neil is right.You have a very common phobia which a lot of people have however if you are losing out on a career etc you need to address it.As you say therapy is probably the best way to go get your doctor to refer you to a therapist.In the meantime there are a lot of self help books regarding phobias and how to deal with them.To give some encouragement my brother had a phobia of injections.He had a serious health problem which needed treatment and he faced his fear and now he says himself he wishes he had faced it sooner.Phobias are not a life sentence they can be conquered.