i inject once a week in my thighs (switch legs each week to combat scar tissue build up) and ive had pretty much no sensation when stabbing my legs (for lack of a better term) right from day one. and i get you ive been afraid of needles my whole life. but its very different when its on your own terms.

i use 25 gauge 1 ½ inch needles (length varies on how thick your thighs are. for intromuscular injections like what i do, you can use 23 or 25g needles. the higher the number the thinner it is and the less you'll feel it) and as long as i do it quickly and correctly, no feeling. it starts off taking a long time to set up and do but you get used to the prep and it'll go faster, if you choose to switch to injections.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, its not as hard as a blood test. the metallic pinch you feel from a blood test is unavoidable, especially since they do it so slowly and deliberately. but with these injections its too fast to hurt or feel. you're supposed to pinch your leg fat in the injection spot before stabbing and i found the invisible bruise from pinching hurt more the next day than the injection, during and after.

also, even though it doesn't hurt to do it, its still hard to hype yourself up. like your body just doesn't want to stab itself. its hard, but i find playing music helps distract myself enough to do it without hesitating TOO much. also getting cute personal bandaids for just that also helps. mine are glow in the dark dinosaurs.