My Mother who is 89 and just had to have emergency surgery is terrified of them and instilled that in all of us. I went into the medical profession so had to put that fear away. I am not afraid of them at all now which is good since I am now diabetic and have to stick myself several times a day to test my blood. For me getting over it was simply a necessity and a need to have myself comfortable with it. I rarely can even feel it when they draw blood and if they are good rarely feel a shot.

Maybe going through this will help you on your way, then you could try donating blood knowing you are doing something to help others as well as help yourself.

Check out this page

Here is a link that might be useful: 5 tips to overcome your fear of needles

One of my three has always had a needle phobia; giving her a meningitis shot before leaving for college took two hours, a sister on the phone, and a fantastic nurse. Since then she had to have two fillings and did much better with the novocaine shots. An ipod and a sympathetic nurse are very helpful to her. You're not a baby--it's actually a pretty common phobia.

Hi omacaz,

Babies are fully impressionable.

It appears that you've developed this substantial fear, for whatever reason.

A number of such phobias can be alleviated, even overcome - with substantial resolve and good guidance.

ole joyful

I wouldn't volunteer for anything if they insisted I take shots.. I won't take any more preventative shots for any reason.

Don't look, just think of something else, and RELAX! I hate shots but I tell my self I can do this...before you know it, it is done.

I'm a baby about shots too. I remember how it started. They gave free smallpox vaccinations in my grade school, about 1960. We kids lined up. I watched the girl in line ahead of me get her shot, watched the needle go in her skin. Then she fainted. Then I fainted. I've been terrified ever since. And here's the kicker-I started dialysis for kidney failure in 2007. I get six needles a week stuck in my arm. I have both a numbing cream and a numbing spray. I look away. Yet I'm strill squeamish!

ME TOO, I am in my seventies and still have a time with needles. Jannie mention the smallpox vaccinations. I still remember that Saturday in the early 1940's that mother walked me up the steps to the doctors office the get the smallpox vaccination. Can hardly remember what I had for dinner last night, but that is still vivid in my mind. After you received the injection , a plastic shield was placed over the area. The doctors office was on main street in our little town, when I see those steps going up those stairs, I still think of that day. I never look when the needles go in now, but still my heart races when I know its times for an injection. Had a blood clot issue about 5 years ago, and hubby had to injection me everyday in my stomach. When I was in the hospital they ask if I could inject myself. WHAT, that was going to be very hard if I could not handle the sight of a needle. He did that about three months for me. Yes, I am still very afraid of needles.

I'm with ya!!! I can't watch when I get a shot or have to do blood work. Hate, hate, hate needles!

My DD is horribly needle phobic. She even went to classes. They gave her her own needle to carry around and had her give shots to an orange.

After her knee surgery they couldn't get her pain managed because her panic at having the IV in her arm in recovery overcame any relief the drugs might have given her.

Then she became quite ill and had no choice but to have blood frequently drawn and such. She used to cry. Now a she just does what needs to be done. She always asks to lie down. She has gotten so she doesn't cry. Still tense but she does it. Slow deep breathing helps.

Don't get all the shots at once. By the time you're on your 3rd shot you'll be used to it.

I learned this when I had a transfusion before a hysterectomy. They kept taking my blood several times a day and it got to the point I didn't flinch anymore.

But a shot in the mouth? Now that's a whole 'nuther story! lol

I remember once at the blood lab I said I was afraid of needles and might faint. They had me lay on a table with a pillow under my head and look away. Didn't feel a thing. The secret is-Don't look! And keep breathing.

If you need to have an IV started tell the nursing staff that you are a "difficult start" and to have anesthesia start it. Then ask for lidocaine, which will numb up the area. We in anesthesia are experts at starting IV's and can usually do it on the first try. This won't help with shots, though, sorry.

I hate shots too. I am stalling on getting the shingles vaccine because I don't want a shot. Waaaaaahhhhhh! But--you know what--the thought of it is much worse than the pain. Actually they don't hurt much at all, it's just the idea that someone is....well, you know.

I remember fearing shots at school when we all lined up for some sort of injection.

I was on an injectable medication for two years, and it was really difficult getting used to self-injecting. But I did it, and you can do it too,Omac, if you want to volunteer bad enough. Being at a hospital would be much more rewarding than Goodwill IMHO.

I am so glad I'm not the only one with this phobia.

Thanks for all your tips.. Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone could come up with a way to make the vaccines in a pill form. They have pills for everything else.

Could someone start working on that for all us.

I'm not afraid of needles, but I do make it a point not to look when it's being done, for some reason.

DH is deathly afraid of needles and would rather die than go get his blood drawn for a cholesterol test, which is ridiculous. If he ever has to go to the hospital, I know he'll refuse because he'll be afraid to get stuck with a needle. It isn't worth dying over.

Just look away, it's not bad at all.