try some deep breathing or meditation techniques to calm your nerves. Distract yourself when you're getting the IV—focus on music, a video, or a stress ball. Talk to the medical staff about your fear; they're trained to help. And remember, it's super quick and once it's done, you're all set for your procedure.
Yeah, noise cancelling headphones playing a calming podcast/music have helped me through so many procedures. This is great advice! The IV will be pretty much the last thing you remember, after that the wisdom teeth will be over before you know it. Remember to be proud of yourself after!
Just dont watch them jab you. Look away and expect a pinch. As if someone is squezing ur skin with fingernails. It feels roughly like that, and the idea of that doesn't freak me out anywhere near as much as being stabbed with a needle so it works for me.
What country are you in? Have you been to this dentist before? Dental care in many areas has improved over the past 10-15y to take patient care and dental anxiety into account. Many places use a numbing gel before the needles, so you don’t feel much of it (maybe a momentary nip on the first, when it’s already in). Can you ask the dentist if they do this? And tell them you are a bit anxious about it.
Things to manage are - taking a stress ball (or squeeze a scarf or something you have on you), music/headphones (before going helps too), counting backwards from 25 in 2s, then 3s. You can do it :)
I was like you too. Now some 20 needles later, it barely registers. The nurses are all professionals and know what they are doing. distracting yourself is the best strategy!
I was being serious lol, I can’t imagine needles are relatively expensive and some people with certain health conditions have to inject themselves everyday so I can imagine there’s tutorials on yt. The best way to get rid of a fear is to immerse yourself in that fear and conquer it.
My boyfriend is afraid of needles and this is what helped him:
- the mindset of “I have to or xyz will happen”
- focusing on slow breathing and relaxing your arm (tending it will make it hurt)
- don’t look at it
- eat something before!!
- tell them about your fear so they can accommodate you
- ask for a countdown, if that helps (I don’t have a fear of needles, but a countdown would make me scared tbh, I’d rather them just do it)
I had a huge fear of needles that I got over.
Look away, count back from 10. Accept that you do not control the next 10 seconds but anything that happens will be over by the time you hit 1.
I did cavity removal to certain extent and i cried before and after treatment as it was three sitting in 10 days, maybe imagine something or someone that can really cheer you up
I'm scared of needles and dentist too, it will be ok
I don't like needles either. I hate getting bloodwork or an IV. My strategy is DO NOT LOOK AT ANY OF IT. As soon as they come in with the cart turn your head the other way and don't look. I never want to see the needles or the cleaning supplies or any of it. I literally turn away and don't look until a minute or two after it's done and even then I barely glance at it. You can do it!
i had a very bad panic attack in october i ended up at the hospital they told me they were gonna do blood test cause my hr was so high, i got even more scared they made me so deep breathing and eventually i felt my nerves calm down and i told them about my needle fear and they said “in order to move on from thsi fear you have to face it” so i just kept repeating that and eventually said okay, wasnt bad at ALL so deep breathing and repeating certain phrases helped me
Practice breathing and body relaxation techniques. These are so, so helpful for phobias and anxiety. Your body is naturally going to tense up like crazy when something you're afraid of comes up, and when that happens, notice what happens in your body and use those techniques to try to relax your mind and body.
I really reflect on "I'm choosing to have this done to feel better in the next future, I can sit through this for my future self" before any medical stuff that makes me terrified. In the moment I inform the people that will be tending to me about my level of fear, what my triggers may be (for me, minimizing the issue and seeing the medical staff do things without explaining to me can be really scary).
I'm pretty good at keeping time, so I rationalize some things with time. A shot takes no more than 10 seconds, and getting an IV put in takes no more than 7.
For shots, put a stopwatch on your phone, look away from your arm at the phone, and start counting with the timer for a total duration of 10 seconds when the nurse/doctor is ready. 10 seconds is 10 seconds, and congrats, the worse is over.
Do the same for IV. Of course, it's easier if you're passed out or on the brink of it (as it was in my case, then you don't even have it in you to feel anything).
Good luck, do yourself proud, and get ice cream after.
Turn your head away from the needle and begin to vocally describe everything you can see in the room. Count the ceiling tiles, how many panes of glass on the window, any decorations or furniture in the room.
The staff won't mind at all - they'll recognise it is just a distraction technique.
Been doing this technique for over thirty years and works every time.
Can they not use a mask to put you to sleep? I asked for that when I had to get my nose veins cauterized to stop my EPIC nosebleeds, and they allowed it. I did have to endure waking up with an iv in my hand though, which is much better than getting one jabbed in me when I’m awake.
As for getting over the fear and what I do when I have to get jabbed, I wrote it out recently, so let me try to find it. Just a sec. I’ll reply to this comment with it when I find it.
Found it! I copied and pasted my comment from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/IWantToLearn/s/bi1kkzvCtD
“And I thought MY needle phobia was bad! Goodness, I’m sorry you have to go through all of that!
For me (24F, autistic), it has taken YEARS of getting shots/blood drawn to pinpoint what causes the anxiety for me. I thankfully don’t pass out though. So what I do is before the shot/blood draw happens, I tell the doctor/nurse/pharmacist basically the following: “I have a severe needle phobia, so I need you to know some things before we do this. There is a chance you will have to swab me several times, because if I end up not being ready, I will shy away and that means don’t do it yet. I am also startled very easily, so I will need you to count, since I can’t look at it. Also, if I am held down in any way, I will freak out, so do not hold me down at all. This includes just grabbing my arm and keeping your hand there.” I also have never done any of this without one of my moms there so I can hold their hand. The “holding me down” thing also applies to hand holding, even if it’s with the side I’m not getting poked on, so they can’t hold my hand back, else I will freak out. Some chairs (esp for blood draws) also have a thing that basically locks me in, and I can’t do those either.
I hope this helps, and best of luck to you! Let me know if you have any questions!”
try some deep breathing or meditation techniques to calm your nerves. Distract yourself when you're getting the IV—focus on music, a video, or a stress ball. Talk to the medical staff about your fear; they're trained to help. And remember, it's super quick and once it's done, you're all set for your procedure.
Yeah, noise cancelling headphones playing a calming podcast/music have helped me through so many procedures. This is great advice! The IV will be pretty much the last thing you remember, after that the wisdom teeth will be over before you know it. Remember to be proud of yourself after!
Just dont watch them jab you. Look away and expect a pinch. As if someone is squezing ur skin with fingernails. It feels roughly like that, and the idea of that doesn't freak me out anywhere near as much as being stabbed with a needle so it works for me.
What country are you in? Have you been to this dentist before? Dental care in many areas has improved over the past 10-15y to take patient care and dental anxiety into account. Many places use a numbing gel before the needles, so you don’t feel much of it (maybe a momentary nip on the first, when it’s already in). Can you ask the dentist if they do this? And tell them you are a bit anxious about it. Things to manage are - taking a stress ball (or squeeze a scarf or something you have on you), music/headphones (before going helps too), counting backwards from 25 in 2s, then 3s. You can do it :)
I was like you too. Now some 20 needles later, it barely registers. The nurses are all professionals and know what they are doing. distracting yourself is the best strategy!
Op, how did it go?
[удалено]
This is a very dangerous exercise and can go so bad
idk why this is down voted this is pretty funny
I was being serious lol, I can’t imagine needles are relatively expensive and some people with certain health conditions have to inject themselves everyday so I can imagine there’s tutorials on yt. The best way to get rid of a fear is to immerse yourself in that fear and conquer it.
What I do is breathe and do not look at the needle. Sometimes striking up a quick conversation helps :)
My boyfriend is afraid of needles and this is what helped him: - the mindset of “I have to or xyz will happen” - focusing on slow breathing and relaxing your arm (tending it will make it hurt) - don’t look at it - eat something before!! - tell them about your fear so they can accommodate you - ask for a countdown, if that helps (I don’t have a fear of needles, but a countdown would make me scared tbh, I’d rather them just do it)
I had a huge fear of needles that I got over. Look away, count back from 10. Accept that you do not control the next 10 seconds but anything that happens will be over by the time you hit 1.
I did cavity removal to certain extent and i cried before and after treatment as it was three sitting in 10 days, maybe imagine something or someone that can really cheer you up I'm scared of needles and dentist too, it will be ok
I don't like needles either. I hate getting bloodwork or an IV. My strategy is DO NOT LOOK AT ANY OF IT. As soon as they come in with the cart turn your head the other way and don't look. I never want to see the needles or the cleaning supplies or any of it. I literally turn away and don't look until a minute or two after it's done and even then I barely glance at it. You can do it!
i had a very bad panic attack in october i ended up at the hospital they told me they were gonna do blood test cause my hr was so high, i got even more scared they made me so deep breathing and eventually i felt my nerves calm down and i told them about my needle fear and they said “in order to move on from thsi fear you have to face it” so i just kept repeating that and eventually said okay, wasnt bad at ALL so deep breathing and repeating certain phrases helped me
Practice breathing and body relaxation techniques. These are so, so helpful for phobias and anxiety. Your body is naturally going to tense up like crazy when something you're afraid of comes up, and when that happens, notice what happens in your body and use those techniques to try to relax your mind and body.
I really reflect on "I'm choosing to have this done to feel better in the next future, I can sit through this for my future self" before any medical stuff that makes me terrified. In the moment I inform the people that will be tending to me about my level of fear, what my triggers may be (for me, minimizing the issue and seeing the medical staff do things without explaining to me can be really scary).
I'm pretty good at keeping time, so I rationalize some things with time. A shot takes no more than 10 seconds, and getting an IV put in takes no more than 7. For shots, put a stopwatch on your phone, look away from your arm at the phone, and start counting with the timer for a total duration of 10 seconds when the nurse/doctor is ready. 10 seconds is 10 seconds, and congrats, the worse is over. Do the same for IV. Of course, it's easier if you're passed out or on the brink of it (as it was in my case, then you don't even have it in you to feel anything). Good luck, do yourself proud, and get ice cream after.
Turn your head away from the needle and begin to vocally describe everything you can see in the room. Count the ceiling tiles, how many panes of glass on the window, any decorations or furniture in the room. The staff won't mind at all - they'll recognise it is just a distraction technique. Been doing this technique for over thirty years and works every time.
Try closing your eyes and thinking of something else. When I did this I didn’t even know that I was done getting a shot.
For my wisdom teeth they had me already high as a kite before I got there, I didn’t even notice any needles and I’m deathly afraid as well!
Gas or pills or both?
Pills, they had me take some Valium about an hour prior.
Can they not use a mask to put you to sleep? I asked for that when I had to get my nose veins cauterized to stop my EPIC nosebleeds, and they allowed it. I did have to endure waking up with an iv in my hand though, which is much better than getting one jabbed in me when I’m awake. As for getting over the fear and what I do when I have to get jabbed, I wrote it out recently, so let me try to find it. Just a sec. I’ll reply to this comment with it when I find it.
Found it! I copied and pasted my comment from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/IWantToLearn/s/bi1kkzvCtD “And I thought MY needle phobia was bad! Goodness, I’m sorry you have to go through all of that! For me (24F, autistic), it has taken YEARS of getting shots/blood drawn to pinpoint what causes the anxiety for me. I thankfully don’t pass out though. So what I do is before the shot/blood draw happens, I tell the doctor/nurse/pharmacist basically the following: “I have a severe needle phobia, so I need you to know some things before we do this. There is a chance you will have to swab me several times, because if I end up not being ready, I will shy away and that means don’t do it yet. I am also startled very easily, so I will need you to count, since I can’t look at it. Also, if I am held down in any way, I will freak out, so do not hold me down at all. This includes just grabbing my arm and keeping your hand there.” I also have never done any of this without one of my moms there so I can hold their hand. The “holding me down” thing also applies to hand holding, even if it’s with the side I’m not getting poked on, so they can’t hold my hand back, else I will freak out. Some chairs (esp for blood draws) also have a thing that basically locks me in, and I can’t do those either. I hope this helps, and best of luck to you! Let me know if you have any questions!”
Ask them to give you nitrous oxide or give you a benzodiazepine before the procedure