There are a lot of people in this world with a fear of needles. I’m one of them. You would think though as someone with Diabetes and having to check my blood daily that it wouldn’t be a big deal to me. So very wrong! I have to psyche myself up to check my blood daily. Recently the doctor asked me to give myself a B12 shot from home since I am not absorbing nutrients. I thought, I’ve had to do this once before so this shouldn’t be too bad.
I pickup my prescriptions and needles for my B12 shots and while heading home I begin doing my little mantra, “You can do this, it’s no big deal, just a tiny needle”, but there was nothing tiny about it when I got to view them once home. This needle was huge, over an inch long and rather thick compared to what I was expecting.
I look at this thing and tell myself, no big deal you can do this, so I proceed to remove 1 ml of B12 from the bottle with this needle that was larger than the bottle. I kept envisioning jabbing myself with this huge needle in my hand trying to very carefully get it to go in only enough to get the liquid out of the bottle. Once I finally got it all out I looked at that needle then back at my tushy thinking how am I suppose to control how deep to jab that really long needle into me? So, I enlisted the help of my husband.
Why am I telling you all about this episode with this needle? Here’s why, my fear took hold once I went to him and asked for his help. I got my alcohol swab, I’m standing there waiting and I start to panic while trying to psyche myself up for this shot he was going to give me. I wasn’t in control of the situation any longer it was in his hands. The only problem was he didn’t give me the shot. When he saw how large this needle was he kept saying this has to be the wrong sized needle. I wasn’t thinking about anything but getting this shot done and over with and he wants to keep talking about the needle size. Finally, he calls the doctors office because I’m already an emotional mess to find out these are indeed the wrong needles.
My fear was so great about this one shot that I snapped at my own loving husband that was only trying to help me. I of course apologized and thanked him for having a level head when I didn’t.
Fears can cause people to have all types of reactions. What type of reaction do you have when you are facing a fear? In life there will always be fears to overcome. Some things you could try are:
• Say a prayer and turn it over to God
• Call a friend and express your fear and let them help you get past that moment
• Write in your journal what about this particular aspect is making you feel as you are
• Focus on the baby steps, then the next one, don’t get to far ahead of yourself
• Take that goal and break it down into monthly, weekly and daily steps so you aren’t focused on the giant picture in front of you
• Get involved with a group of like minded individuals that you can be accountable to that will push you past those fears
• Dive right in and ‘do’ that thing you are so afraid of, because once you have overcome it you will wonder why you were so afraid in the first place
Please share this blog with someone you know if you think these insights could be of help to them, or comment below on how you overcome a fear you have. I’d love to hear your techniques to overcome.
Have a blessed day!
P.S. The needles were exchanged for the correct ones and the fear of the shot was overcome.
