Avast, me hearties

[tonightwefly]

Hello :).

I'm Emma. I'm eighteen, doing A2s, hoping to study music, etc. etc. Have been a needle phobic for a little over five years (severely, at least, I think it stems from before that), and ugh, I don't know how to begin without sounding horribly downtrodden and putting you all off me for life.

Long story short - I'm undiagnosed, officially speaking. Haven't seen a doctor in a year, haven't received a needlestick in 3 (apart from one accidental self-inflicted one two years ago which resulted in, for the first time, my convulsing unattractively on the floor in a rather interesting manner).

Went through a brief period of beating myself up about being such an idiot about the whole thing when I was about thirteen/fourteen, self-harming and such, which is a phase I hope I'll never go back to. However. Since I decided to start being a little more lenient with myself with regards to this (which, put it this way, doesn't always work, but I'm doing better), I haven't been able to let a doctor near me, whether it's for a needle procedure or not, which is proving to be a little inconvenient at best.

I'm in the very very early stages of trying to organise getting a therapist or counsellor of some kind (if only the silly people would email me back...) without a) having to visit a GP or b) having to let my parents know, which is proving to be more complicated than I thought. Anyway.

Partly I'm hoping I'll meet some like-minded nice people. Partly I'm hoping you'll all be able to poke me into finally doing something about this.

Best wishes to you all, and thanks.

Peace.

-Emma

[clickaway]

Welcome Aboard, Emma

By the sound of it, you have made some progress, and even more by your decision to come here.

The best way to get over this is to face it. What is stopping you from telling your parents you need help with a counsellor or therapist?



Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[tonightwefly]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">


The best way to get over this is to face it. What is stopping you from telling your parents you need help with a counsellor or therapist?



<div align="right">Originally posted by clickaway - 02 October 2006 : 21:32:08</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Hmm. Well. The times I have attempted to hint to them they haven't treated it seriously at all. They're both by turns very derogatory and patronising about all forms of mental illness, and I don't know how the hell I can live with them knowing this about me, if I'm honest, because it's such a childish awful silly thing to be afraid of and if I think that they'll think the same. I should point out perhaps that I'm an only child and a high-achieving one at that (and now you'll all think I'm horribly arrogant *headdesk*). I am Not Supposed To Have Problems.

There is also the point of my mother being directly implicated in my restraint during a particularly traumatic blood draw I had when I was about nine and somehow I can't "forgive" her for that, if you will.

Bang goes the bravado, I suppose [B)]...

[mad_shell66]

hi emma, welcome to the forum
shellxx

[kate H]

Hello,

Being a needle phobiac (if that is the right word?) myself i can kind of sympathise with you although i dont think mine is to the same extent as yours.

The only thing I can suggest is to as i think someone else has said face it head on (easier said than done) i know.

Mine was simple really petrified of injections since as long as i can remember but going to Africa and it was either have the immunisations or catch some horrible disease and die!!!

So i had to go in to the doctors about 6 times to have all the different injections. The first time I went i was in a right state, even if someone mentions the word injection i usually break out in a sweat.
Any way it went ok and they lied me down so i couldnt faint and the second time was nearly as bad but gradually it got better and by the last visit I manged to sit up normally and have it which was a massive achievement.

Would it be worth you trying hypnotherapy?

Hope this contributes some way to making you feel less alone

****You can never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them to fly in formation ****

[LockedShut]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">
I am Not Supposed To Have Problems.

<div align="right">Originally posted by tonightwefly - 02 October 2006 : 21:42:28</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Boy, know how that feels!
Welcome to the site, hon :)
xo

[manmoor]

Hi Emma,

A big warm wecome to you.

Take Care

Mandyxx

[trac67]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum, you will get a lot of good advice here and make sime new friends.

Take care

Trac xx

'Live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten'

[yorkylover]

Hi Emma welcome to the forum.

Ellen XX

[tonightwefly]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Hello,

Being a needle phobiac (if that is the right word?) myself i can kind of sympathise with you although i dont think mine is to the same extent as yours.

The only thing I can suggest is to as i think someone else has said face it head on (easier said than done) i know.

Mine was simple really petrified of injections since as long as i can remember but going to Africa and it was either have the immunisations or catch some horrible disease and die!!!

So i had to go in to the doctors about 6 times to have all the different injections. The first time I went i was in a right state, even if someone mentions the word injection i usually break out in a sweat.
Any way it went ok and they lied me down so i couldnt faint and the second time was nearly as bad but gradually it got better and by the last visit I manged to sit up normally and have it which was a massive achievement.

Would it be worth you trying hypnotherapy?

Hope this contributes some way to making you feel less alone

****You can never get rid of the butterflies, but you can teach them to fly in formation ****

<div align="right">Originally posted by kate H - 03 October 2006 : 13:24:56</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

My God, you have my utmost respect. I wouldn't have gone to Africa, simple as. Which sounds awful. I would happily kill anyone who wanted to stick anything sharp in me at this stage, lol (which is why my teeth are a mess and I'm ill about 50% of the time...ehhh...).

I'd very much like to try hypnotherapy, but it's a question of finding somewhere to do it without my parents finding out...it's like Mi5 in my house ;)...

[honeybee3939]

Hi Emma

And a BIG warm welcome to you, you have certainly come to the right place for advice and make new friends.

Love

Andrea
xxxx

[magicsheep]

Hi emma,

I can relate to the mothers thing, although i'm big and ugly enough to look after myself now. Mine is different in the way that mental illness is a genetic thing but my mother thinks it's only her who can have it.

Would it be possible to talk to your dad, if this still isn't an option another family member?

I wish you alot of luck and we are always here to support you.

Love magicsheep x

If you don't want to do it you'll find an excuse. If you want to do it, you will!

[nomorepanic]

Hi Emma

Welcome aboard and lovely to see you here.

You will meet some lovely, supportive people here and get some great advice and help!

Nicola

[gbbryn]

People often mention early experiences as being a possible cause of phobias. I had a dentist in Bicester in 1960ish. I was about 10 and a bit twitchy because he was hurting (yes, he was fiddling with my teeth). He slapped me hard across the thighs and told me to keep still. Earlier, in Leighton Buzzard when I was about 9 I had to have a booster jab. My dad took me into town after collecting me from school - no explanation as to why - and then into the Doctor's surgery where it rapidly became clear what was going on. I upped and ran down the street to Woolworths and played a high stakes game of hide and seek from my dad and one of the medical staff. Eventually I was found and persuaded to return to the surgery. I absolutely refused to remove my school blazer but the b******ds injected through it!!!!! That would not be allowed now, surely . Oh well, I'll just have to get on with it and find the services button and earphones and have fun behind the screens when I have to have my forearm/wrist repaired next week.

So Emma, from other replies and mine you are certainly not alone and we all wish you success in seeking help - its out there and worth the effort. Its only taken me 50+ years and an accident to get me to sort myself out so you are doing well.


RBP

[tam]

HI EMMA AND WELCOME YOU WILL GET LOADS OF ADVICE AND HELP IN HERE .TRY TO THINK OF SOMEONE YOU CAN TELL ABOUT THIS FRIEND FAMILY MEMBER IM SURE IT WOULD HELP TO HAVE SOMEONE CLOSE WHO CAN HELP YOU .TC TRACY[8D]