Scared of needles?
I'm not a big fan of needles, but I realised that this is pathetic. I needed to cure myself of the aversion. I became a blood donor. This would be a sort of therapy by familiarisation, and be virtuous to boot.

It has been educational. I learned that I can actually bear to look at the needle as it's in my arm. I learned that I can even force myself to watch as it's inserted. Bizarrely, the latter was less disturbing than the former.

The third thing I learned was that nurses have a language of their own - a language in which the words "You'll feel a sharp scratch" can be translated into standard English as "I'm about to attack your arm with a chisel."
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 14:59, 8 replies)

Aaaaw, well done you
I gave plasma for a while - that was weird! They take out the blood, put it through a centrifuge, and put back into the vein the stuff they don't want.

Much better coffee than the Dracula-mobile!
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Thu 7 Aug 2008, 15:02, closed)

I can't give blood anymore
and I miss the biscuits.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 15:25, closed)

.
I also overcame my fear of needles this way. Have a click.

@CHCB:
Is that because you've been to Mongolia? When I gave blood, I remember them asking you if you had been to any disease-ridden countries lately.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 16:17, closed)

^nah
it's cos I'm on a whole cocktail of psychopharmacological drugs. Probably the Mongolia thing would just add to the problem, though.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 16:35, closed)

aye im another donor
up to 8 now I think. Hate needles, once its in its fine, but last time the nurse punctured the skin and then dug around for about 20 seconds looking for a vein while I started going all tourettes on her.
(Halfy By light alone, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 17:23, closed)

I
gave blood twice, but went to the donor centre about 5 times - each time the imbecile with the needle would stick it into my arm, waggle it around until I passed out, then say 'oops, now you've fainted you can't donate', and i'd go home. And bruise like a Glaswegian junkie. luckily I can't donate anymore (due to my work, which involves lovely little bloodborne parasites), but I give blood to the malaria lab in the next building, which is taken by a well trained phlebotomist.
( ascorbate, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 18:11, closed)

I did that too
but I find the worst thing is when they go to take the needle out and press down really hard on it with some cotton wool "to stop it spurting". What lies, they're clearly sadists who like to inflict pain!
( El Lazarus is calm now, Ish,, Thu 7 Aug 2008, 19:16, closed)

I'm a wuss
I can't and don't watch the needle going in - I ask them to pop a napkin over it. Then I look the other way for fifteen minutes.
(Emily Bruce-Dickinson http://jovialfellow.blogspot.com/, Sat 9 Aug 2008, 2:34, closed)