Conversation

I have a severe needle phobia, and for the first time (besides blackout-levels of anti-anxiety meds) found a routine that helped: 1. 10% numbing cream 40 min before 2. Ice on the area for 10 min up until the shot 3. A vibrating device ('buzzy') next to where needle goes in

171

Replying to

!! congrats!! is your phobia mostly about the pain? i'm still fairly phobic (used to be MUCH worse) but i cant imagine numbing/ice helping. the buzzy thing sounds promising though :o

Replying to

Unclear? I'm not sure if it's "my body thinks the pain is going to be way worse than it is" or if "feeling it go in lets me know there's a needle in me which is bad". Probably combo of both. For whatever reason removing the pain of it makes me less phobic.

This Tweet was deleted by the Tweet author. Learn more

Replying to

and

Relaxing and trying not to pay attention seems far harder than performing a few preliminary mechanical steps

This Tweet was deleted by the Tweet author. Learn more

Replying to

and

everyone is like "look away" like looking at it is even an option, I don't think i could possibly look at it if I tried

Replying to

and

o interesting 👀 how long is the really bad anxiety for you?

Replying to

and

long?

Replying to

and

like how far in advance does it start? i'm wondering if it gets really bad *just* before the shot and if that makes it impossible to look vs. if it starts much earlier and stays pretty level

Replying to

and

it varies, it's sorta like... if you know you have to give a speech you're nervous about, sometimes you might be able to not think about it, other times you might get yourself worked up, but when they call your name in the waiting room suddenly the world goes narrow

9:40 PM · Jan 3, 2022

Replying to

and

ok yeah based on what you said elsewhere it sounds like it's sheer intensity rather than whether it's all concentrated in a short span (can relate to it being like a speech tho, i used to be anxious for days in advance of getting a shot)