Fight or flight vs medical treatment

[cheapthrillseaker]

So I got five stitches last night. I gashed my thumb. I called an ambulance and got brought to the hospital, and a friend was good to me and met me at the hospital.

I ended up needing freezing done on my thumb before I got the stitches put in. I also needed a shot afterwards.

I freaked out. My fight or flight kicked in and I wanted to flee. In the end, I fought the flight mode and took control of my fear. It took some calming down, and I got it done.

It's embarrassing, confusing and altogether baffling to me, how my brain said 'Oh, HELL no' to the needle, that would allow my healing process to be easier and less risky. The rational side of my brain said 'What are you saying?! NO? No! Say yes! What is wrong with you?'.

In my research, I found that it has an evolutionary basis. Paraphrased, ancient humans avoided stab wounds, and according to Dr. James G. Hamilton, it is considered to be a form of needle phobia that is genetically passed on by these ancestors.

So my form of needle phobia is resistive, which is triggered for me by the flight. I wasn't restrained, but my mind needed to be restrained by my own self - getting over it, before it actually happened.

Here's the link: Wiki's info on fear of needles

I don't really know if there's a point to this thread, but I just wanted to pass the information on.

[aurora]

Oh dear, the old trypanophobia rears it's ugly head. I sympathize with that.

My son has a full blown medical fear which includes passing out upon seeing a needle or up-chucking in the dentist chair.
Today he has his first appointment at the psychologists for some CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Hopefully it may help reduce the anxiety.
I feel for people with this type of fear.

[Anjele]

I have a son with the same fear...it's really bad.

I certainly don't love needles and have crappy, uncooperative veins but finally learned to deal...I used to do the sweating, ready to pass out thing myself.

Don't be so hard on yourself, and heal fast!

[Bucky Ball]

Fortunately, habituation works well for needles. You can handle a bunch, and touch them, and see they don't bite.

Sedation dentistry, is available in most places, for dental phobia. Usually just having a nice dentist takes care of that. If not, sedation works.

I'm on the opposite end. "Oh let me see" .. I had an IV once, and I said to the nurse, "Ok, you probably want to use my right ante-cubital, and it dips after you insert the needle, so just head straight down with the needle". She looked at me like I was from Mars. She kept saying, "now this might hurt", and I kept saying back "no it won't, don't worry". What else would you expect from an insufferable know-it-all ?

[aurora]

(11-09-2012 07:46 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:  Fortunately, habituation works well for needles. You can handle a bunch, and touch them, and see they don't bite.

Sedation dentistry, is available in most places, for dental phobia. Usually just having a nice dentist takes care of that. If not, sedation works.

I'm on the opposite end. "Oh let me see" .. I had an IV once, and I said to the nurse, "Ok, you probably want to use my right ante-cubital, and it dips after you insert the needle, so just head straight down with the needle". She looked at me like I was from Mars. She kept saying, "now this might hurt", and I kept saying back "no it won't, don't worry". What else would you expect from an insufferable know-it-all ?

Yes, but unfortunately he has avoided the dentist so long that he now has to have 2 wisdom and one molar removed under anaesthetic and it will cost $2100 and if he doesn't respond to the CBT he'll have to be 'put under' every time he visits the goddamn dentist. I'm so glad that I'm the opposite to this as I've had a few procedures over the years and can't imagine the torment I would've gone through having a condition like that...

[Bucky Ball]

(11-09-2012 07:54 PM)aurora Wrote:  

(11-09-2012 07:46 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:  Fortunately, habituation works well for needles. You can handle a bunch, and touch them, and see they don't bite.

Sedation dentistry, is available in most places, for dental phobia. Usually just having a nice dentist takes care of that. If not, sedation works.

I'm on the opposite end. "Oh let me see" .. I had an IV once, and I said to the nurse, "Ok, you probably want to use my right ante-cubital, and it dips after you insert the needle, so just head straight down with the needle". She looked at me like I was from Mars. She kept saying, "now this might hurt", and I kept saying back "no it won't, don't worry". What else would you expect from an insufferable know-it-all ?

Yes, but unfortunately he has avoided the dentist so long that he now has to have 2 wisdom and one molar removed under anaesthetic and it will cost $2100 and if he doesn't respond to the CBT he'll have to be 'put under' every time he visits the goddamn dentist. I'm so glad that I'm the opposite to this as I've had a few procedures over the years and can't imagine the torment I would've gone through having a condition like that...

Yeah. That's too bad. That happens a lot, actually. A whole lot. Many people just deny their teeth's health. I do keep hearing of new sealant thingies. In the near future, there will be no more cavities, if that's not already the case for kids, and Dentistry will be far different. I am amazed that humans ever lived as long as they did, in the past without Dentistry. I'm sure a VERY large number of early humans, (until very late in history), died from dental sepsis.

[Erxomai]

Are you sure fear of needles isn't a phallic phobia? At least that's what all my girlfriends have told me.

[Bucky Ball]

(11-09-2012 08:20 PM)Erxomai Wrote:  Are you sure fear of needles isn't a phallic phobia? At least that's what all my girlfriends have told me.

ALL you many girlfriends discuss phallic phobia with you ?
How fortunate your female friends discuss phallic phobia.
Did they find any fixes for phallic phobia ?

[Erxomai]

(11-09-2012 08:26 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:  

(11-09-2012 08:20 PM)Erxomai Wrote:  Are you sure fear of needles isn't a phallic phobia? At least that's what all my girlfriends have told me.

ALL you many girlfriends discuss phallic phobia with you ?
How fortunate your female friends discuss phallic phobia.
Did they find any fixes for phallic phobia ?

No, they all compared me to needles.

[aurora]

(11-09-2012 08:17 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:  

(11-09-2012 07:54 PM)aurora Wrote:  Yes, but unfortunately he has avoided the dentist so long that he now has to have 2 wisdom and one molar removed under anaesthetic and it will cost $2100 and if he doesn't respond to the CBT he'll have to be 'put under' every time he visits the goddamn dentist. I'm so glad that I'm the opposite to this as I've had a few procedures over the years and can't imagine the torment I would've gone through having a condition like that...

Yeah. That's too bad. That happens a lot, actually. A whole lot. Many people just deny their teeth's health. I do keep hearing of new sealant thingies. In the near future, there will be no more cavities, if that's not already the case for kids, and Dentistry will be far different. I am amazed that humans ever lived as long as they did, in the past without Dentistry. I'm sure a VERY large number of early humans, (until very late in history), died from dental sepsis.

Yep, a lot of medical problems can stem from poor dental health.

It would be great if cavities were a thing of the past but I'm not so certain that will happen as surely the dental associations will somehow stop this advancement. They would suffer huge losses of revenue throughout the industry.
You gotta love large, greedy corporations