Why I fear needles...

Tomorrow morning, I face my biggest fear...a needle stick. Funny right?
But not really. Ever since I was a kid, I  convulse & lose consciousness when a needle penetrates my skin. It is deeply embedded in me, this intensely irrational fear. But it might not be a purely MENTAL phenomenon:

The presence of a genetic trait among a species automatically indicates that the trait must have been selected for during the evolution of that species. The needle phobia trait probably evolved among the human species in response to piercing, stabbing, and cutting injuries. The vast majority of violent deaths in our species' evolutionary history have been caused by skin penetration from teeth, claws, fangs and tusks, and from sticks, stone axes, knives, spears, swords, and arrows. Besides death resulting from direct trauma or hemorrhage, many of these deaths were due to infections secondary to skin penetration. A reflex that promoted the learning of a strong fear of skin puncture had clear selective value in teaching humans to avoid such injuries. Over the 4+ million years of human evolution, surely many genes controlling blood pressure, pulse, cardiac rhythm, and stress hormone release were selected for to create the vasovagal reflex.

Is it any wonder that my mom and cousin used to lose it the same way?

The reflex responsible for vasovagal syncope works like this: A person is exposed to some stimulus (such as a needle stick) that initiates the reflex. The “stimulated” nerves (the nerves of the stuck finger, for instance) send an electrical signal to the vasomotor center in the brainstem. (The vasomotor center determines the body’s vascular “tone.”) The vasomotor center, in turn, signals the blood vessels in the legs to dilate, causing the blood to pool in the legs, and producing syncope. This same reflex also causes a drop in the heart rate, but usually it is the pooling of blood in the legs – and not the slow heart rate – that produces loss of consciousness.

Even though I will most likely suffer through the presyncope phase tomorrow, I am gonna try really hard to breathe through this one while tensing up all my muscles and elevating my legs. I really do not enjoy the afterworks of a syncope spell. It sucks. And Hopefully, my needle will come as a butterfly like this one. Maybe I should picture that in my mind's eye.

Technorati Tags: needle phobia, phobia, irrational, defense mechanism, brain, disEase, disOrder, fainting, syncope, vasovagal reflex, presyncope, meditation

Comments

[flutter]

oh, honey girl...talk about needing some tea! breathe and hum you are safe and well.

xo
C

[zee]

Ew.. tat sounds bad. gd luck to ye! *finger crossed*

[Lora]

I hope all goes well...
Here this quote by Maya Angelou will help!
"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass."

LOL

Be safe...

[Sean]

A teacher recently told me that the path to enlightenment is through your biggest fear. Good luck!

[JulioC]

Hello from a fellow needlephobiac, I must be the lone sod in Brazil´s capital that hasnt been vaccinated nor had his blood taken, so I cant tell ya, it sucks.

BTW, your blog is giving some issues with Opera 7.01, keeps on reloading endlessly.

[Buffy]

I convulse & lose consciousness when a needle penetrates my skin as well. I do it whenever i get scared. That covers everything from starting a new job to riding on the tube for the first time after the London attacks...to flying. Which isn't too convenient considering I have to fly or tube it nearly every day of my life. I've been diagnosed with epilepsy, vasovagal syncope, severe migraines and a handful of inconclusives (I also go out whenever I see little tiny circles...apparently I'm afraid of honeycombs as well....so this has thrown some docs). I cope. It's all about the breathing. I think.

[Briana Franco]

Wow Buffy! I feel you! Now I dont feel so bad saying that even talking about needles or any other stomach turning medical condition makes me want to go.

When I was a kid they told my mom I was most likely an epileptic. She wouldn't hear it and said we'd (I) get through it without meds. I think I did well. BE tough out there, chin to chest. And breathing...Yes! O and at least you are not flying the plane. I passed out at the wheel once. Very very scary!

[Becky]

I am the same way. One time as a kid we were getting ready to go to the pediatrican. I knew I would be getting a shot and refused to go. Mom asked if I would rather have a spanking. I said sure.

I ended up getting the spanking and the shot:)

~Becky

[rai]

thank you very very much for your article. I suffer from this since early childhood, and now being seventeen i stuuggle against my every instinct just to be healthy. I don't want to hurt someone else or myself because of my phobia, usually displayed as mild panic attacks. I have been quoted saying i would rather dir then take a needle, and it is the same for everything that penetrates my skin, like ticks or mosquitos or other parasites. I have no other phobias, so this one kinda gets me. Usually I hyperventalate or stop breathing, then i will tense and sometimes start shaking uncontrollably. I feel horrified like im going to die if my skin is broken. after a needle or a tick or even something as simple as an ear piercing i have to lay down for a long time to keep from fainting as my heart rate returns to normal. thanks for helping me understand why.

[Bri]

I am so sorry that you experience this too!! Let me know if you have any other questions. The last time I passed out was for a freakin TB shot!! I don't like when I tell a nurse..."look, i'm gonna pass out on you" and then they like laugh and roll their eyes because I DO NOT THINK IT"S FUNNY (not in that moment anyway)

Let's get over it...as impossible as that seems.