The problem of how to stop being afraid of blood worries many modern people today. This is a special phobia that belongs to obsessive states and is characterized by a terrible fear of seeing blood not only on one’s own body, but also on other people. As a rule, it is accompanied by trembling, pallor, rapid heartbeat, and even loss of consciousness. Moreover, not only weak people, but also quite strong, apparently healthy people are susceptible to hemophobia. It is known that the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II suffered from hemophobia. This was due to his son's illness, who had a bleeding disorder. The causes of the disease are always psychological.
What causes hemophobia?
In order to understand how to stop being afraid of blood, you need to understand the reasons for this phenomenon. People are often afraid of blood, and some are afraid of their own blood flowing from a wound, while others are afraid only of someone else’s.
Psychologists characterize this fear as irrational, that is, there is no real basis for it, but at the same time the individual is seized with panic.
When understanding the question of how to stop being afraid to donate blood, you should distinguish the fear of blood from hostility at the sight of it. In principle, it is unpleasant for a person to look at blood, but most are not afraid, but simply try to avoid such situations. When blood is taken for analysis, many turn away not out of fear, but because they are uncomfortable seeing themselves “wounded.”
In psychology, there is also the opposite disorder, which is associated with a person’s love for the sight of blood. If you like to watch it flow from a wound, then this is also a pathological disorder that needs to be treated, like ordinary fear. Some can even go as far as vampirism when they begin to taste human blood.
How to stop being afraid to donate blood from a finger and vein by controlling the process
Patient safety is in the hands of the patient himself. Especially if you had to go to a regular clinic, where the flow of visitors is very dense. It is necessary to observe the behavior of the specialist, in particular:
Ensure that new, sterile instruments are used. There is no need to be embarrassed to ask to change gloves or, especially, to open another scarifier. This way, the patient will not be afraid of potential infection (in addition, he will also reduce the likelihood of this to zero). If the specialist refuses to comply with a reasonable and legal request, it is better to take the test on another day or in another place.- Ask to draw blood in a lying position. Some people faint or experience severe dizziness during the test. It is easier for them to endure the procedure while lying on the couch. And there is nothing strange in such a request: a good specialist will meet you halfway.
- Don't be afraid to report discomfort. If a person is in great pain and discomfort, he should inform the nurse about this and ask her to act more carefully, softly, and more carefully. In this way, the person will not only reduce discomfort, but will also feel more confident, because he also takes part in the process.
There is no need to be afraid of doctors and nurses. These are people just like everyone else. And in the same way they can make mistakes, be lazy, break the rules. Therefore, the patient needs to control what is happening to the best of his ability and express his opinion if necessary.
Hemophobia concept
Many people encounter this problem during a regular visit to the doctor; a visit to the office for testing can cause the problem, so you have to figure out how to stop being afraid of donating blood. With hemophobia, the patient has a panic attack, all his actions are aimed only at not seeing more blood, by any means to avoid a situation in which this could happen.
Like any phobia, it must be overcome. Fear fetters actions and thoughts. Women and children are especially susceptible to it. If you encounter this problem, you must immediately contact a specialist who can provide qualified assistance. After all, hemophobia brings a lot of inconvenience in everyday life; people cannot understand how to stop being afraid of blood from a finger and will not be able to pass a basic test.
HOW NOT TO WORRY BEFORE DONATING BLOOD
Red is the color of life, passion. The color of blood is one of the most important fluids in the human body. It brings oxygen to every cell of the body, allowing it to breathe. Delivers nutrients to organs and removes toxic waste products. Parts of the body deprived of access to this life-giving substance cease to function and die if blood flow is not restored in time. A loss of more than one and a half liters of blood is considered fatal.
Therefore, it is not surprising that all situations that could hypothetically lead us to the loss of this precious fluid are subconsciously perceived as dangerous and bring psychological and sometimes physical discomfort. Even such an innocent and necessary procedure as donating blood in a medical facility can become a real nightmare. Why this happens, how to avoid this and how to deal with this condition will be discussed in our article.
WHAT IS EXCITATION BEFORE DONATING BLOOD
Discomfort before this medical procedure can occur for several reasons:
- The first is the so-called hemophobia or hematophobia, in other words - fear of blood. A fairly common mental disorder, occurring in mild form in 10% of the world's population. There are several variants of this condition, from intolerance to the sight of blood as such to rejection of the sight of only one’s own or only someone else’s blood. The severity of hemophobia can vary from a slight feeling of fear to uncontrollable panic attacks, with a sharp drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.
- The second is the fear of physical discomfort and pain that may accompany the blood collection procedure. The latter option is often found when donating blood from a finger prick, since this particular method of conducting medical tests is quite painful.
Dislike or fear?
Hemophobia can develop in especially impressionable people who, like most people, do not like the sight of blood. But because of their impressionability and emotionality, they begin to imagine in their imagination everything that may be associated with blood.
Many fears and concerns of modern people are simply fictitious. Fear itself is a natural reaction of a person to something that can threaten him with death; it arises at a moment when you are in real danger. This is a normal reaction. The nature of many of the strange fears of modern man is associated with experiences that arose as a result of films, books or someone else's stories. Another person may be afraid of what will happen to him in the future.
Types of hemophobia
Previously, it was believed that hemophobia was a hereditary disease, but experiments conducted on identical twins proved that this is not so; one of them could have such fear, but the other could not.
Therefore, the researchers came to the conclusion that the matter is solely in the human psyche. It is psychological factors that have a decisive influence on the appearance of this fear. Only an experienced psychotherapist can help you cope with it and tell you how to stop being afraid of blood.
Hemophobia itself comes in several types. Scientists distinguish:
- fear of seeing one's own blood;
- fear of seeing someone else's blood;
- fear of blood in animals;
- fear of blood in general.
Because of their phobia, some people refuse to eat meat, because they always remember that it contains blood. Others prefer to be treated with herbs and folk remedies instead of seeking help from a doctor. And this can lead to dire consequences.
Causes of fear
The causes of this disease are varied:
- negative experience from the past, for example, once a person donated blood, he felt bad, now he doesn’t know how to stop being afraid to donate blood from a finger;
- childhood trauma (blood flowed from the wound, and the mother was very scared or scolded the child);
- the belief that blood loss always poses a threat to life, because large blood loss leads to death;
- impressionability from a large number of seen cruel and realistic films;
- the influence of the media, which regularly demonstrate the consequences of wars, disasters, accidents, people lying in blood.
It is noteworthy that hemophobia can manifest itself even in cases where no one’s blood is shed. This phobia is largely based on our imagination; a person can imagine too vividly and realistically the pain that he or someone else whose blood will be shed can only hypothetically experience. Moreover, in this case, he is afraid not of the sight of blood itself, but of the pain, the state that a person experiences when losing blood.
How to prepare yourself for donating blood?
On the eve of the analysis, try to think about something good or just distract yourself. Don't stress yourself out about the fact that you might get hurt. This definitely won’t happen, because any analysis is carried out quite quickly and painlessly. Before the procedure, you can take a walk with friends in a good place or just in the park. Reading an interesting book is also ideal.
If, nevertheless, thoughts about a blood test do not leave you, think that it will be useful for your body, and then you will be able to recover faster if you are sick with something. Then you can definitely make sure that you are not a carrier of a terrible infection. This is like an option for a positive outcome after a painful event for you. This is especially important when planning or during pregnancy. In this case, there is no escape and you definitely need to take tests from your finger and vein. In such an interesting situation, it will be useful not only for you, but also for the baby, to make sure that nothing threatens his normal growth and development.
It will be no less useful if your relatives come with you, because most often it is this kind of motivation and support that is lacking. With close people you always feel more confident and calm. This will give you the opportunity to take a little break from what you have to do. Arriving at the laboratory early is also no less important, because then you will have time to calm down in advance, put yourself in order and tune in to a positive wave.
It is better to choose a time for delivery when there is no long queue, so as not to overthink it again, because then the time will drag on even longer, and bad thoughts will definitely creep into your head. It is better to arrive at the test room at least 15 - 20 minutes in advance, since during this time you will calm down and be able to reconfigure yourself for courage. When entering the office, smile. This will help you maintain a positive attitude and maintain inner peace. You can talk a little with the nurse about the weather, rising prices, or some other problem that worries you besides the tests.
Don’t think that you will be considered a chatterbox, because in this case the main thing is to set yourself up for positive emotions. You can even study the walls of the office while taking an analysis, so you will be distracted from the events taking place. Your fear will become less, and the thought that all this is almost over will become greater.
After the test, do not leave the clinic immediately to recover a little. In 10 minutes you will be able to go outside, then the rush of fresh air will help you relax as quickly as possible and everything will be fine. Moreover, the thought that everything is already behind you will definitely give you vigor and strength.
Symptoms of the disease
To figure out how to stop being afraid of blood, you need to determine whether you have all the symptoms inherent in this disease. After all, hemophobia is accompanied not only by panic attacks, but also by other symptoms that are caused by psychosomatics. These are trembling, paleness, horror manifested in the eyes, pressure surges, loss of consciousness, a sharp change in heart rate.
In some cases, a patient with hemophobia may complain of chills, suffocation, clouding of consciousness, numbness of the limbs, nausea, and decreased thinking.
Most often, a panic attack that occurs to a person takes little time and passes quickly. The short duration of this state is a positive property, because a person cannot constantly remain in fear for a long time.
Symptoms of the disease
Many people are not even aware of their phobia, perceiving their condition as the norm. This approach to the problem is categorically wrong. Without awareness of your fear, you will never be able to get rid of it.
People with this phobia experience the following reactions when undergoing testing:
- dizziness;
- fainting;
- nausea;
- chills;
- numbness of the limb;
- sudden sweating;
- panic attacks.
If a child suffers from the disease, he usually experiences increased agitation, screaming, crying, and hysterics. If the above symptoms are present, a routine examination will be a real test for the patient.
The psychological side of fear
Fears often prevent us from living, which is why it is so important to understand them in order to step over them. For example, the fear of again breaking up with a loved one can make you refuse to start dating someone; the fear of being misunderstood prevents you from making new friends or acquaintances, or showing your best side in company. The main inconvenience of hemophobia, in addition to the unpleasant symptoms themselves, is the inability to donate blood for analysis, which is often necessary when making a diagnosis.
Therefore, it is important to figure out how to stop being afraid of a blood test from a vein or from a finger in order to move on with your life comfortably. The fear that binds you with phobias forces you to give up desires and fetters your thinking. You begin to fear that something in life may happen the same way as other people, while remembering only the worst options. This can really happen if you do not change your actions, your views on the world around you. If you behave the same way as in all previous situations, you will inevitably get a similar result.
At the same time, changing your behavior is often very difficult, because fears often force you to remember that unpleasant negative experience again and again, provoking you to make previous mistakes.
Hemophobia in children and adults
Hemophobia is the fear of the procedure of drawing blood from a finger or from a vein. The body's spontaneous defense reaction is accompanied by an acute reaction from the patient. The internal state of fear is born due to the inevitability of pain: from the first procedure, a negative experience is stored in the child’s memory. He knows that donating blood hurts.
Hemophobia arises against a background of false expectations. Before the procedure, the little patient is told that he will not experience any pain. Deception enhances the negative experience and in adulthood the person continues to be afraid of the procedure and avoid it. Hemophobia is accompanied by other fears: fear of medical institutions or fear of infections.
Why does a phobia occur?
For the development of fear, prerequisites are needed. People with good stress resistance are less likely to suffer from obsessive disorders. Environmental factors worsen personality resilience. Excessive stress on the psyche creates internal tension: problems at work or at home reduce defense mechanisms. As a result, physical and mental stress only intensifies the phobia, and the person experiences weakness, apathy, and becomes depressed.
Negative factors include the pace of life of a modern person. Without timely rest, mental disorders are inevitable.
Pessimism, which is another defensive reaction of the psyche, creates the preconditions for the development of fear. The more a person believes in the negative outcome of any event, the more susceptible he is to phobias.
Treatment of hemophobia
Hemophobia as a serious mental disorder manifests itself quite rarely. Most often, we are talking about exaggerated fear, which is complemented by vivid pictures from the imagination. In order to cope with this problem, to understand how to stop being afraid of blood from a vein, you need the help of a professional psychotherapist. Even if the doctor does not help to completely eliminate fear, he should definitely reduce the level of fear itself.
You should realize that fears by themselves do not disappear. A person can finally defeat them only if he understands the reasons for their occurrence and changes his behavior pattern.
At the same time, one’s own fears are often greatly exaggerated; they may have no basis, and at the same time cause serious discomfort to the person. A psychotherapist will help you sort out all these subtleties.
How to help a hemophobe?
If you see a person having a panic attack, for example, he doesn’t know how to stop being afraid to donate blood from a vein, then you need to know how you can quickly help him. There are several tips to help deal with the problem. First of all, tilt the head of a person with a panic attack towards his knees to manually increase his blood pressure, in this position he should be helped to normalize his breathing.
There are several exercises that will help you quickly come to your senses. Tighten your muscles, actively move your limbs to disperse the blood, this will help you quickly regain consciousness. Breathing exercises help to calm you down.
When is specialist help needed?
Psychiatric help is required only if the fear of blood drives a person to a state of seclusion. If he begins to be afraid to leave the house, he strives to make his home as safe as possible. In this case, mental abnormalities may begin to be traced in him, schizophrenia and manic psychosis may begin to develop. Hemophobia can lead to such consequences.
Sometimes an effective way to help a hemophobe can be to ask him to tell him how and why he is scared. If a person begins to complain and convey his difficulties to a psychotherapist or a close friend, then this is a very good sign, which means the person is on the road to recovery. But it is important at this moment to treat him as sensitively as possible, listen carefully, and support him in every possible way.
Symptoms of hemophobia
An individual with such fear is plagued by a whole “bouquet” of unpleasant physiological and mental symptoms. When a person suffering from a phobia undergoes the “torture” (surrender procedure), he:
- the breath stops, the heart starts to gallop;
- lips are shaking, with hands and veins it’s the same story;
- the legs become weak, and a person suffering from a phobia can easily faint.
Things are also bad mentally. Hemophobe:
- begins to worry terribly, and is seized by wild panic;
- madly wants to run away, hide, “wake up.” To someone suffering from a phobia, what is happening seems like a bad dream.
In children, the symptoms are slightly different. In babies:
- severe hysteria begins. The baby is screaming, crying;
- there is an attempt to hide. The baby clings to his mother and runs away. He asks for protection “from a bad woman with a scary needle.”
Physical manifestations of fear (headaches, indigestion) are also possible in children, but in a less prolonged severe form than in adults.
Getting rid of hemophobia
If you often say to yourself: “I’m afraid of blood,” we will tell you what to do in such a situation in this article. You need to understand what type of fear you are.
It can be instinctive, manifesting itself when human life is in danger. At the same time, your thoughts become automatic and spontaneous, aimed solely at trying to preserve life. Such cases are quite rare. Most often, a far-fetched fear arises. For various reasons, people are often afraid of certain events, the reactions of others, the results of their actions and actions.
There is nothing special about being afraid. Even brave people are afraid; this is a natural reaction of the body. Only a brave person is driven by fear to move forward, helps to concentrate, and quickly find solutions in the most difficult situations.
Be grateful
If fear prevents you from living, you need to find an effective way to overcome it. For example, the opposite of darkness is light; if you find yourself in a dark room, you immediately know what to do: press the switch. It’s the same with fear, in order to overcome it, you need to oppose it with another, stronger quality.
What kind of quality will this be? Many may assume that courage. But in reality, even a brave person is afraid; fear simply does not allow him to stop. Therefore, a more effective quality, the opposite of fear, will be gratitude. Whenever an unwanted fear arises, remember five things you are grateful for. For example, thank the parents who raised you, because it is gratitude to another person that debunks fear.
If you regularly remember that you are grateful to many people around you for what you have in life and what you have achieved, then there will simply be no room left for fear in your life.
Remember, if fear is stopping you from living a happy and fulfilling life, you need to do something about it. The sooner you start turning to specialists and finding out the causes of the phobia, the faster you will cope with it.
