I’ve tried everything, even taking benzodiazepines before hand. Taking a blood sample is always a nightmare. They always stick me at least half a dozen times before they’re successful and that only makes me panic more. I can’t even watch some content that shows needles or blood in normal-ish contexts. That happens a crazy amount on TV and movies. I can handle stuff like John Wick or Evil Dead but a nosebleed or someone cutting their hand while chopping vegetables and I’m done for.
My doctor and therapist both know I’m that averse, and we don’t do blood work or injections because of it. We agreed on trying the auto-pen method of zepbound eventually to try and exposure therapy my way to not freaking myself out just with the thought of it. Discussing it in text form like this has also been somewhat helpful because I can like, run away and distract myself for a few minutes if I feel the panic coming and then come back to continue.
It’s good to hear your doctor is taking it seriously and cool that you’re working so hard on this, and the auto-pen solution is a good middle step. It would be cool if you could use that for vaccines too, I guess. Alas.
![[CW] Comrades, this is a reminder to get your shingles vaccine](https://hexbear.net/pictrs/image/2708b778-7514-4313-8c2f-7ca6b20d1271.jpeg){kind=link}
I’ve tried everything, even taking benzodiazepines before hand. Taking a blood sample is always a nightmare. They always stick me at least half a dozen times before they’re successful and that only makes me panic more. I can’t even watch some content that shows needles or blood in normal-ish contexts. That happens a crazy amount on TV and movies. I can handle stuff like John Wick or Evil Dead but a nosebleed or someone cutting their hand while chopping vegetables and I’m done for.
My doctor and therapist both know I’m that averse, and we don’t do blood work or injections because of it. We agreed on trying the auto-pen method of zepbound eventually to try and exposure therapy my way to not freaking myself out just with the thought of it. Discussing it in text form like this has also been somewhat helpful because I can like, run away and distract myself for a few minutes if I feel the panic coming and then come back to continue.
Also, nah, it didn’t sound condescending.
It’s good to hear your doctor is taking it seriously and cool that you’re working so hard on this, and the auto-pen solution is a good middle step. It would be cool if you could use that for vaccines too, I guess. Alas.