Help for a Needle-Phobe....?

OK, so I have SEVERE Belonephobia (fear of needles) but I desperately want to get a few tattoos and peircings. I know I'm definitely not the only one like this, so what have you discovered to have helped you overcome the pain and/or fear?

Any and all suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

 

Piercing needles are far less painful than vaccination needles, and leave you with a nicer decoration. That's all I can really offer haha

I think ya get a lot of comfort from the piercer, like most of the apprehension (for me) was there until the piercer told me about the process, and then I was okay with it. i.e. best way to get over it is to have one shoved through a body part.

 

OK, but I've already had my ears pierced (they closed up though because I was like 6 or 7 and didn't take care of them) and it hurt like BLOODY FUCKIN' HELL! Everytime I've tried to even go have my ears re-done, I have a massive panic attack sitting in the chair when I see the gun they use...*shudders*

Am I just hopeless? LOL

 

its the gun, get them to needle it

 

I don't have any piercings, so I can't help you there, but as far as tattoos go I have a few tips (for pain anyway). First, try to find an artist that is comfortable devolping a rythm, the best being you take deep, regular breaths, while breathing in, the artist should stop, and then work as you slowly breathe out. Also, I found that its best to use the time as meditation, don't think about the pain, relive happy moments (this can become difficult after a couple hours though). I actually tested this, recalling happy times greatly reduced the pain, and I even (albeit very briefly) recounted an unhappy time, which imediatly caused a tremendous rise in discomfort.

 

I have needle-phobia too, but I have learnt over the years that it's not the needle that I am afraid of, its what the needle might do. Meaning, I am afraid of having my blood taken, not the needle itself. Injections don't bother me anymore, but take my blood and I pass out from sheer panic.

I still get a little sweaty and stomach fluttery when getting a piercing, but its just a long learnt, knee jerk reaction to seeing a needle. You need to convince yourself that it's ok... and that the momentary pain is just momentary.

Tattooing... well... the gun they use to tattoo isn't even recognizable was a needle. So it shouldn't visually trigger you. The pain I never found all that intense, as my skin numbed from the vibrations pretty quickly.

Do you know how to meditate? As Swede said, breathing techiques help. If you keep your breathing calm, the body and mind will follow.

 

Hey there,
I don't know if I can offer much other than telling you that, I am scared of needles ( not phobic or anything) but I am very scared of pain. Anyway, I have a labret ( lower lip) piercing and my advice is not to look at the needle unless your fear of the unknown is worse than your fear of needles. Either way, my ear piercings were way more painful than than my labret. Good luck in facing your fears!
Peace, Love, & Blessings
.me.

 

Have your fiance put you under in Hypnosis to get over it.
Any fears we have were created somewhere along the line and can be removed.

 

agreed.. needles are much better.. as far as your skin goes as well

guns force a blunt object through you, needles are sharp. and of course it hurt when you were 6/7, i had my ear gunned when i was 7, and it hurt like fuck. now im 19 with eyebrow, nape, upper ear and lip.. all of em were just a pinch.. well except the nape.. that took slightly longer than a pinch

 

focus on something and dont look if its like on your arm or something. When i have to give blood, i read one of the posters in the room. When i donate plasma,,i read a magazine. just dont THINK about it, read something. and actually, my bestfriend got a tatoo on her back, and she said it was orgasmic. she almost fell out of her chair, she said it felt so good. i watched her and i wanted to just get a tatoo right there too! So, who knows, maybe if your calm and just reading a mag and not thinking about it, you wont freak out, and it could actually feel good..

 

When I got tattooed, I would just close my eyes and listen to the music. Seriously, it's not that bad if you don't watch.

 

find a tat/piercing artist that willl tell you step by step what will happen and show you the equipment they will use beforehand. also make sure you tell them about your fear of needles just in case you begin to have a panic attack while they are working on you. It is also very helpful to watch a few other people get a tat or piercing. if all else fails and you really want to get something just take two valium to calm you down beforehand. thats how i got over my fear of needles to get my tat and my labret pierced...

 

I'd say if you could, take some Xanex before you get anything done.. It'll calm you down and keep you from flipping.

 

LOL!! Rider, I'm in a similar boat. I'm a huuuuuuuuge wuss. Plus the fact that where I want them will be extremely painful. I think I will just make another drawing for my wall.