Hello, time to talk about vaccines again. Or rather, we’re going to talk about a part of the vaccine process: the needle.
Now, if you’re a crafty person like me, chances are you’ve been exposed to needles for sewing and the like. Alternatively, you may just not have a problem with vaccines—heaven knows we were all terrified when we were kids. However, there are some people who still don’t handle the experience of needles well and I’d like to talk about that just a little.
It’s not really a laughing matter, no matter how silly even the people with such anxiety say it is. When you honestly think about it, who wants to be stabbed with a needle? Even crafty me doesn’t want to watch it stick into my skin. And for many, it’s an actual medical condition that their body reacts to seeing needles.
There are some techniques to help those with a more mild fear of needles.
The first: look away. You’ve already come this far putting your trust into the medical professionals. They’re trained and know what they’re doing. You don’t have to watch it happen.
In a similar vein, bring someone with you that you trust. They can talk you through it and distract you while it’s happening. You can even watch them get their vaccine first if that helps.
There are meditation and relaxation techniques that can help calm you in general and they give you something to focus your mind on, but if you’re more likely to react to the pain, some doctors can numb the injection site for you.
You could try needle exposure, which is a bit similar to watching a friend/family member receive their vaccine, or you may genuinely need to consider counselling if you have a more serious phobia of needles.
Of course, if you are ever nervous about receiving a shot, talk to the professional about to administer it. They themselves might have a few tricks to help you get through it. This is especially true if you’re concerned you might faint.
Overall, everyone who is able should get vaccinated, but it’s understandable if you’re not comfortable with needles. Hopefully some of this advice is helpful, but above all, talk to you doctor about your concerns.
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