jimbob78

I have a medical in a few days for a job I'm starting. They want to check immunization dates, and do a blood test. Unfortunately I'm terrified of needles, and have signed the contract so I now have the job. This isn't a case of not liking needles, or thinking that it will hurt. I don't mind blood either. I just literally cannot deal with needles.
I'm pretty sure these are required for me to be signed off as "Fit to work."

I need the job though.

What the hell can I do?

Getting pretty stressed just thinking about it.

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theogonia777

What can you do? Quit being a wuss, that's what. I love getting needles at the doctor's.

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im not mental

i have the same fear. just close your eyes and take deep breaths the whole time.

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jimbob78

I literally cannot do this. I wouldn't say it makes me a wuss either. It's a genuine phobia. You wouldn't tell someone depressed to "Cheer the **** up" would you? I can't even make myself go there in the knowledge of this.

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JackWhiteIsButts

But if your eyes are closed how do you know the doctor won't stick you in the jugular or the eyeball or the uterus? I always make sure the doctor is aligning the needle above the veign, I don't trust em.

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jimbob78

I'm deadly serious though. Is this any alternative solution?

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Todd Hart

Like this?



Edit: ^ Not really. If they need a blood sample then there's only really one way they can do it. Most GPs and phobia-therapists are very familiar with a phobia of needles though, maybe you should go talk to one about it?

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Carnivean

Don't mind that guy lol. A phobia is serious, and they can make your daily life dysfunctional. If it continues to be a big problem, you'll need to see a mental health professional. Needle phobias are commonly treated, have no worry.

JackWhiteIsButts

Yeah, only instead of a fMRI machine thing it would be a grumpy middleaged family physician.

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Sid McCall

If you have good veins, ask for the baby/little kid needle. It's called a 'butterfly needle' here in the US, at least in my experience. I always ask for that and it barely hurts. As long as the nurse says your veins are easy enough to see/work with, they'll usually oblige. Especially if you're borderline peeing yourself, which if you're anything like me, you probably are.

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Todd Hart

Normal needles barely hurt.

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jimbob78

It's nothing to do with pain or blood. I could quite comfortably cut my arm (if I had to, not in a deranged way :P ). I just can't do needles, in any form.

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Niamorg

Maybe you could talk to the nurse before anything to see if there's another way to do the blood test? I know that in some countries, instead of using needles, they slightly touch the tip of your finger with an appropriate tool, in order to obtain a few drops of blood.

jimbob78

Might be worth a go. But immunization jabs too. I'm scared I'll lose the job. I'm far from the only person to apply. Couldn't they hand me a scalpel and let me go crazy? lol

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sebastian_96

Pfft, I have diabetes. I have (at minimum) 4 needles a day along with pricking my fingertips for blood sugar readings. I also have regular blood tests at the pathology.

But I'm afraid of spiders so I get where you are coming from. But the only word of advice is to just do it. Slap yourself in the face, hard, and get your shit.

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Highelf04

This, all of it...
Needles are my jam

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jimbob78

Really doesn't ****ing help. The fact that you don't have this phobia makes you lucky, not tough.

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Niamorg

I agree with sebastian_96. The best way to go through it, if there's no other way to do the test, would be to think really hard about that job you want and why you want it. It's not an uncommon phobia so chances are the nurse will assist you throughout the whole thing. Just bite your tongue, and everything's gonna be fine.

Todd Hart

I think they're called a lancet, and they only take blood from the capillaries, which might not be adequate as it has a different makeup slightly to blood in the veins.

TS, I think you should just address the problem - either by talking to the nurse about alleviating fear a few weeks beforehand or by just doing it. You'll need to have injections at other points of your life if you end up in hospital, want to go abroad, need another blood test at some point (and you will need another test sometime in your life) etc. If you avoid it then it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life.

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