Needlephobia - 'Junior Doctors'

[ShirlGirl]

Despite being a 49 year-old Man of a "comfortable" build, I confess to being a Needlephobic. It has affected my life to the extent that my teeth are not good and I avoid visiting a Doctor as much as possible. I have improved slightly over the past two years, as I have to inject my Step-father with Insulin twice a day.

I think you're doing marvellously well to be able to do that, PK! I really admire you for doing that for your stepfather in spite of your phobia.

My dental phobia is probably due to having had some dodgy experiences as a child. I am alergic to laughing gas and yet have had two lots of extractions via gas depite the Dentist being aware of my alergy. I also had the permanent stage of a root filling without anaesthsia because I was told that it would be painless. The Dentist proceeded to drill through the tooth and struck the jaw-bone.

No wonder you have a phobia, having had such nasty experiences!

I've always hated having injections into my gums, however, my last couple of visits to the dentist were surprising. I was psyched up for it to hurt, but I hardly felt anything. The equipment they use nowadays and the modern techniques have improved out of sight. I had nothing to fear. The dentist I had was a young Chinese woman and she was fantastic. She applied a topical anaesthetic onto the gum first, was very gentle inserting the needle, and then injected the liquid so slowly that I wasn't even aware of it going in - no unpleasant sensation at all. Her work was brilliant, too. She removed an old grey amalgam filling and matched the new filling to the colour of my teeth. She had to keep building it up bit by bit, then spent time sculpturing it to look like a tooth. She was a perfectionist and a real artist.

I'd never had a female dentist before and besides being highly qualified, sweet and caring, she was able to work easily because her hands were so small. So I didn't end up with an aching jaw! A dentist I went to years ago used to practically break my jaw trying to get his great big fist into my mouth, and would be yelling "open wider!" when I couldn't possibly stretch my jaw any further.


So PK, if you can find a someone like her, it's a piece of cake!

[paul kersey]

Thanks for the understanding !.
I have to admit that 19 years ago, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful Australian dentist called Patrick O'Neill. He was actually able to ease my dental phobia and I attended his clinic for three lots of treatment. He went back down under for his holidays and never returned.

[ShirlGirl]

Thanks for the understanding !.
I have to admit that 19 years ago, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful Australian dentist called Patrick O'Neill. He was actually able to ease my dental phobia and I attended his clinic for three lots of treatment. He went back down under for his holidays and never returned.

It's so disappointing when you find the right one and then they move on.
My Chinese lady has gone, too, and I'm nervous about who I'll get next time.

[Richard_in_wales]

Talk to your dentist and he or she may give you a small dose of Diazepam to calm you a little before starting the dental procedure.

Re junior Doctors, well they often don't have to take blood or put a line in a patient, these procedures are often carried out by a health care assistant or registered nurse so the young doc don't get to practise a lot.

[Moor Larkin]

My [female] dentist has leaflets in the surgery advertising that she also does botox. There is a synergy I suppose.

There's a certain poetic elegance about this idea though...............
BBC News - Acupuncture 'can treat dental phobia'

[jaycad]

I hate watching others getting injections more than getting them myself,I had a bad needle phobia to the point of fainting every time but have had that many injections recently that I have become somewhat used to them-I still have to lie down for five minutes or so after an injection as my legs have usually gone but I no longer fear them,I just find them unpleasant.

[Steve Crook]

I hate watching others getting injections more than getting them myself

The only time I've ever felt at all dodgy in a medical situation was when a friend was badly cut. He stepped onto a broken bottle on the beach with his bare feet! Had it happened to me it wouldn't have bothered me so much. I would have dealt with it. But seeing a friend badly cut and then being stitched up made me feel queasy.

Not a very good survival trait

Steve

[ShirlGirl]

I'm nervous about who I'll get next time.

"Nervous" is the wrong word here. I should have said "a bit apprehensive".
I'd only be nervous if I walked in and saw someone resembling Olivier waiting for me.

[wadsy]

The only injection I cannot stand is the one in the gums. Maybe because it's difficult to look away. Anyway: late last year I had to have loads of work done removing and replacing broken and useless 70s and 80s fillings - 4 visits with masses of work each time. The dentist said I could have all the work done without anesthetic if I liked: I'd just bang the arm of the chair or scream or something if it started to hurt. So I did. And never had to bang the chair, even though at one point I had four hands in my mouth. He said that it shouldn't really hurt (not really hurt), and there's always a warning time for the patient to stop the drill - and obviously it's better for the dentist if you can feel your mouth. So I'd recommend going to the dentist and just putting up with it.
Good luck.

I had treatment without the needle & it was no big deal. I don't really mind the injections if they are necessary either.

When I was very young the dentist I went to gave me gas & I can remember bouncing off the walls on the way out of

the surgery & my dad trying to catch me. One time they put a damp cloth over my face (Chloroform I suppose) to knock me out!

[Mark O]

One way of attempting to cure needlephobia is maybe to see the injection as something that's good and comforting for you, to relieve pain and not suffer it, I think it's the actual prick into the skin that many people are wary of, I always ask for an injection when undergoing dental treatment, I don't want to feel any drilling, give me a numb gum, I've to be injected next week in fact, another costly crown has to fitted after losing a filling through chewing toffees!

[jaycad]

One way of attempting to cure needlephobia is maybe to see the injection as something that's good and comforting for you, to relieve pain and not suffer it, I think it's the actual prick into the skin that many people are wary of, I always ask for an injection when undergoing dental treatment, I don't want to feel any drilling, give me a numb gum, I've to be injected next week in fact, another costly crown has to fitted after losing a filling through chewing toffees!

I only have a problem when the injection is in the inner arm vein strangely enough!

[jaycad]

The only time I've ever felt at all dodgy in a medical situation was when a friend was badly cut. He stepped onto a broken bottle on the beach with his bare feet! Had it happened to me it wouldn't have bothered me so much. I would have dealt with it. But seeing a friend badly cut and then being stitched up made me feel queasy.

Not a very good survival trait

Steve

Well,since the main phobia and the 'wobbly legs' effect has lessened,I fully intend to start giving blood as it's a cause that I have vocally supported without being physically involved.

[Steve Crook]

Well,since the main phobia and the 'wobbly legs' effect has lessened,I fully intend to start giving blood as it's a cause that I have vocally supported without being physically involved.

Good for you

I wear my gold badge for 50 donations with much pride

Steve

[jaycad]

Good for you

I wear my gold badge for 50 donations with much pride

Steve

What's the standard donation? (or is it determined by weight or any other conditions?)

[Steve Crook]

What's the standard donation? (or is it determined by weight or any other conditions?)

"An arm-full"

Or maybe it's just half a litre (about a pint)

Steve

[jaycad]

"An arm-full"

Or maybe it's just half a litre (about a pint)

Steve

Uuuggghhhhh-I shouldn't have asked!! Joking aside,I can now stand the unpleasantness so shall make the effort.

[Steve Crook]

Uuuggghhhhh-I shouldn't have asked!! Joking aside,I can now stand the unpleasantness so shall make the effort.

The nurses are all highly trained and very comforting. Tell them it's your first time and ask them to be gentle with you

Make sure you have had something to eat before you go and maybe a drink - but not tea, coffee or alcohol. Try a glass of OJ

Steve

[ShirlGirl]

Uuuggghhhhh-I shouldn't have asked!! Joking aside,I can now stand the unpleasantness so shall make the effort.

A lot more info here, Jaycad, plus a virual tour!

Give Blood - Giving Blood

[jaycad]

A lot more info here, Jaycad, plus a virual tour!

Give Blood - Giving Blood

Cheers Shirlgirl-are you a regular donor like Steve?

[Steve Crook]

A lot more info here, Jaycad, plus a virual tour!

Give Blood - Giving Blood

Jaycad, you should check out the blood.co.uk site, especially the "Can I give blood" section.

Find a convenient session that's being held near you. Many donor sessions now run an appointment system so that you don't have to wait so long, even at busy times. But if you do make an appointment you may still have to wait a little while if a donor has a problem and needs more attention. There's a bit of paperwork to do the first time you doan so allow about an hour.

After doaning the nurse will tell you to lie down for 10 minutes. Don't skimp on that, especially after a first doan. After those 10 minutes you'll have made up the volume of your blood supply but it'll take a bit longer to make up the full number of corpuscles and other useful things. So don't plan to do any strenuous activity or operate any dangerous machinery immediately after doaning. After your first doan they usually just offer you orange or lemon squash to help make up the fluids. On subsequent visits you get the full tea & biscuits

I first started doaning just to find out what blood group I was. If I was a rare group I wanted to know so that I could let people know when I next injured myself (I was often injuring myself when I was young. I had a season ticket at the local A&E ). As it happens I turned out to be the commonest group - O+ But they always need lots of that because it can be given to almost everyone - I'm the universal donor

Steve