How do I get over a fear of needles?

Question:

I HATE needles. I can barely look at them without freaking out. The downside is that I just cannot go through with getting shots or getting blood taken out. I HAD to get a tetnis shot in high school in order to be eligible to play sports and the whole doctor's office had to come in to hold me down to get the shot.

This really wouldn't be an issue except I can't live my life in fear and never get a shot ever again. I also want to donate blood because I do have an uncommon blood type and want to save a life.

I faced my fear of spiders and now I can be around them, but I can't kill them. I've tried facing the fear of needles, but I end up running out of the office and down the street (literally) when they bring in the needles. Any tips on how to face it? I've tried everything. Anyone else have this problem?

Answers:
Most fears involve become a problem when they affect your life and this is now affecting your life negatively. The way to get over fears is to be around the thing that is causing you fear little by little and so I would say that the beginning for you is to be able to look at them and not be, as you said, freaked out. After that you have to start to think that the desire to donate blood and save a life has to be stronger in your mind than the fear. So face things little by little and try to realize too that most modern shots don't hurt like they used to in days past. Plus tetanus shot is one of the shots that you can feel more so since you've had that you have to put it in your mind that you did that once and lived through it so that you can have another shot or donate blood and not have it destroy you. Good luck.

If your fear is really that bad, you have a phobia, maybe you should try and find a phobia expert or something. Or try and accustom yourself to needles by starting bit by bit, first just looking at them until you don't freak out anymore, then hold them or something, until you feel comfortable with somebody sticking one in you. Also, a phobia is always irrational. Try and think about it in a really rational, logical way (needles don't harm you, they can help you, and it only hurts a tiny bit etc.)

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How do I get over a fear of needles?

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