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How to overcome needle anxiety?
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 6 days ago | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
@ashleyharris728 Dang, that is rough, isn't it? Please explain what you mean about having trouble with needles? Is it the actual poke, or do your veins roll, etc? I get two blood draws a month.
My veins roll. I have one arm not available for blood draws due to having a fistula. so my left arm gets the poke all the time. What has worked for me, when I am anxious, is to distract myself. Closing my right hand into a fist, nails into palm, to focus on that rather than the needle in the other arm. "Going somewhere" in my mind [easy for me to do, it's a cavern there LOL] Closing my eyes and relaxing my arm. All of these techniques have worked at various times.
Do you think you might try one of those ideas?
Ginger
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@gingerw thanks for your suggestions. I just tend to have painful issues, like developing hematomas. I also get some kind of poke about twice a month. Half the time it goes okay. The other half, I have a lot of pain. I have gotten a full hematology work up (nothing that points to a reason why) and use strategies like applying numbing cream. However I am just really tired of the pain and it stokes my anxiety. I do have a therapist and I have been able to work through a lot of things. I may have to really intentionally try to tackle this one.