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Passing Out/ My blood phobia problem - I just don't get it
Today I saw posters advertising a blood donating session at my Uni. I was feeling a bit down and I thought giving blood and having the knowledge that I could really help save someone's life through a transfusion would lift my spirits. I was a bit nervous as I'd never done it before and was fearful that I hadn't gotten over an earlier incident of passing out when I was 15/16 (I will explain the circumstances of that later). I put all that to the back of my mind.
So I filled out all the relevant forms. Have you had anal sex with a HIV guy? No. Do you think you have HIV yourself? No. Hepatitis? No etc
I go see a nurse who goes over my questions and asks to take a drop of blood for an anemia test. No problem. Didn't hesitate. So the drop of blood comes and it really wasn't that much. I've probably bled more from biting my bottom lip (bad habit). However I start to feel a little funny. I try to ignore it.
Surely nothing's going to happen. I am told to return to my seat and wait to be called to give blood. I go back to my seat. I'm starting to get warmer and warmer. I do know what's happening but I try to convince myself that I'm nervous and that I'm also wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and jacket (which is wollen and of medium thickness) and that explains the rise in body temperature. I'm starting to sweat and as I sit down (for about a minute) I know I'm in trouble. I go ask a nurse for a glass of water. I have to get up to do this. I'm starting to feel really dizzy now and really hot. As I return this is when I know I've lost it. My vision is really starting to go. I panic trying to looK for a nurse to help. Within seconds two nurses miraculaoulsy come up to me and hold me down to the ground and put me in the recovery position. How did they know? I hear one say to the other that she saw me swaying. It doesn't take me that long to recover (1/2 minutes) and the nurses suggest that I don't donate today (I obviously agree). So after another 20 minutes of needless observation (as far as I'm concerned as I feel right as rain again) by the kind nurses, who want to make sure I'm fine, I leave feeling very embarrased.
So what's wrong with me? I'm sure that you, kind reader, will probably say that I'm not good with blood. That it's nothing to be ashamed of. That some people are built like that. That the association with blood and death is very strong and understandably causes people to pass out.
But here's the deal. I've done dissections before. A dissection of a sheep's kidney when i was about 14/15. I was fine. I saw a demonstration of inspiration/exparation using an animal lung when I was 15/16. Again fine. When I was 17 I dissecetd a cow's heart. I even held it in my bare hands and simulated the beating of it (childish I know). At 18 I dissected a fish's gills. On all these ocassions I guess that there wasn't too much blood but these were actual organs from once living creatures. I've also watched the higly informative channel 4 series 'Anatomy for beginners' which contains live human dissection and didn't dream of passing out whilst watching it. I suppose the cadavers weren't exactly dripping with blood but I wa looking at human organs. So why is it that I seem to have a problem only with my blood. What can i do about this. Can I get over it? My mind wants to do things like blood donation but my body just refuses to let me.
I passed out when i was 15/16 duirng a health ed class on the topic of: yep that's right losing consciousness and what a person should do. I was stunned that I did and just assumed beforehand, like i did today, that iInwas having a fleeting headache.
This is a very long post I know but Ihope people are entertained by the first two paragraphs. Does anyone have a similar problem?
Can you deal with other people's blood but not your own?
What should I do? I'm 19 years old and thinking of grad medicine so this
is a BIG problem? Should I just prick myself daily until I can learn to
condition myself in some way.
replies are greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lot of really nice and friendly people on these forums so I'll just throw this out there.
So I filled out all the relevant forms. Have you had anal sex with a HIV guy? No. Do you think you have HIV yourself? No. Hepatitis? No etc
I go see a nurse who goes over my questions and asks to take a drop of blood for an anemia test. No problem. Didn't hesitate. So the drop of blood comes and it really wasn't that much. I've probably bled more from biting my bottom lip (bad habit). However I start to feel a little funny. I try to ignore it.
Surely nothing's going to happen. I am told to return to my seat and wait to be called to give blood. I go back to my seat. I'm starting to get warmer and warmer. I do know what's happening but I try to convince myself that I'm nervous and that I'm also wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and jacket (which is wollen and of medium thickness) and that explains the rise in body temperature. I'm starting to sweat and as I sit down (for about a minute) I know I'm in trouble. I go ask a nurse for a glass of water. I have to get up to do this. I'm starting to feel really dizzy now and really hot. As I return this is when I know I've lost it. My vision is really starting to go. I panic trying to looK for a nurse to help. Within seconds two nurses miraculaoulsy come up to me and hold me down to the ground and put me in the recovery position. How did they know? I hear one say to the other that she saw me swaying. It doesn't take me that long to recover (1/2 minutes) and the nurses suggest that I don't donate today (I obviously agree). So after another 20 minutes of needless observation (as far as I'm concerned as I feel right as rain again) by the kind nurses, who want to make sure I'm fine, I leave feeling very embarrased.
So what's wrong with me? I'm sure that you, kind reader, will probably say that I'm not good with blood. That it's nothing to be ashamed of. That some people are built like that. That the association with blood and death is very strong and understandably causes people to pass out.
But here's the deal. I've done dissections before. A dissection of a sheep's kidney when i was about 14/15. I was fine. I saw a demonstration of inspiration/exparation using an animal lung when I was 15/16. Again fine. When I was 17 I dissecetd a cow's heart. I even held it in my bare hands and simulated the beating of it (childish I know). At 18 I dissected a fish's gills. On all these ocassions I guess that there wasn't too much blood but these were actual organs from once living creatures. I've also watched the higly informative channel 4 series 'Anatomy for beginners' which contains live human dissection and didn't dream of passing out whilst watching it. I suppose the cadavers weren't exactly dripping with blood but I wa looking at human organs. So why is it that I seem to have a problem only with my blood. What can i do about this. Can I get over it? My mind wants to do things like blood donation but my body just refuses to let me.
I passed out when i was 15/16 duirng a health ed class on the topic of: yep that's right losing consciousness and what a person should do. I was stunned that I did and just assumed beforehand, like i did today, that iInwas having a fleeting headache.
This is a very long post I know but Ihope people are entertained by the first two paragraphs. Does anyone have a similar problem?
Can you deal with other people's blood but not your own?
What should I do? I'm 19 years old and thinking of grad medicine so this
is a BIG problem? Should I just prick myself daily until I can learn to
condition myself in some way.
replies are greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lot of really nice and friendly people on these forums so I'll just throw this out there.
Reply 2
Heh, your situation is almost the exact same to mine - I also seem to get faint around blood even though I've also done dissections and been fine with it and what not.
The mind seems to be fine, interested in a lot of cases with what is going on, but the body rejects it. Maybe the fact that stuff is happening to us instead of being abstract is the underlying cause of the problem. I've also found that decent meals and drinks before anything that could be stressful helps in preventing getting faint, low glucose levels contribute to the problem I think.
If like Dan said your fine with being around other people who are bleeding etc you should be ok with doing medicine, but if not, you may just have to condition yourself to get used to it.
Good luck with it all!
The mind seems to be fine, interested in a lot of cases with what is going on, but the body rejects it. Maybe the fact that stuff is happening to us instead of being abstract is the underlying cause of the problem. I've also found that decent meals and drinks before anything that could be stressful helps in preventing getting faint, low glucose levels contribute to the problem I think.
If like Dan said your fine with being around other people who are bleeding etc you should be ok with doing medicine, but if not, you may just have to condition yourself to get used to it.
Good luck with it all!
Reply 3
I'm fine with blood/gore etc, though I do begin to feel faint when I see other people pass out!
Reply 4
Artemidoros
I'm fine with blood/gore etc, though I do begin to feel faint when I see other people pass out!
When I passed out in class at 16 I cause a girl in my class to pass out also. It's an interesting phenomenon.
Reply 5
I have a friend who was phobic of blood (though it was worse than what you describe) and he's been seeing a councellor or therapist or someone like that about it and has become much better with it.
Reply 6
I wonder if it was the circumstances you were i.e it was warm in the room and you were nervous about giving blood rather than seeing the blood.
Reply 7
I'm a nightmare when it comes to needles. Even watching someone getting an injection on TV sends me a bit off. I usually become light-headed/pass out when I have a blood test.
Reply 8
Nah, it's not weird - I'm fine with gory horror films and seeing other people's blood but freak out if I see my own. I think it is just a case of getting used to it. In situations like that a good technique to distract yourself is to think of a 3 digit number and count backwards in sevens. Sounds silly but it works.
It's odd the way the body acts sometimes. I'm someone who can faint quite easily over these kind of things.. it started at my 7th year of primary school when we were due to have injections later in the afternoon and a bunch of my friends were talking about feeling sick afterwards and how it happens to some people. I hadn't had an injection since I was about 5 years old and I couldn't remember it much but I know I didn't feel faint. I think I just though of it as 'ouch that's sore I don't like it'. Anyway, on this occasion in school when it came time to have the injection I went and got it, the woman put a small plaster on me as I bled a bit and then I left the room and returned to class.. a few minutes later and I was feeling light headed and told my friends who took me to the teacher and I was taken back to nearby where the injections were happening to sit with a few others who were also feeling ill. I never properly fainted that day but I felt sweaty, light headed and dehydrated. I asked the school nurse for a drink but she said it would only make me feel worse.. I beleived her but later found out it was what I really needed hence the sweating and feeling thirsty! After 15 minutes I was 100% and returned to class like any normal day.
Ever since this occasion I've been prone to fainting easily at things involving blood, and needles etc. I'm not scared of needles and I can go and get injections done no bother but for some reason I always feel faint afterwards. Blood doesn't bother me in small amounts and only effects me on occasions where it is a great amount and can be on myself or others.
The next occasion I had anything done after school was when I had my ears peirced. I went to the shop, got them pierced, left and then again walking down the road I told my mum and friend I wasn't feeling good. About 10 minutes of sitting on a railing and having a bottle of water and I was ok.
I returned to that piercing shop to have them checked and taken out to put new ones in some time after and the woman who tried to remove them nipped my ear and for some reason my nody decided this was even more worthy of fainting than the piercing itself. I woke up on the floor with my mum and two shop woman around me asking if I was ok. I just felt so embarrassed. I left and went home and my dad removed my earrings without hurting me and I didn't feel ill.
The next time I got a jag was the BCG jag in school years later which involved a skin test (6 small needle things pressed onto the arm) and I got that done and it didn't bother me at all not the slightest faint feeling. I thought I was cured and returned for the actual jag only to feel a little dizzy. Again, this was after leaving as I walked back to class. I just sat in an empty corridor for 5 minutes and it passed and I went into class like nothing happened.
One time I got a jag at the doctors a few years after and I got the jag and didn't feel faint at all. The next time I went was a few years later again and I did feel faint but not enough to actually faint. It seems like my body differs a lot. I got my belly peirced last year and just felt a bit light headed for 15 minutes afterwards and then I was fine and left.
I wish I knew a way to stop it happening I just find it really embarrassing more than anything and it's stupid because there's nothing to worry about, you're body does it to shut down from something really bad and I know deep down that it's only a little injection and it'll be over in moments and I'm going to be totally fine.
Ever since this occasion I've been prone to fainting easily at things involving blood, and needles etc. I'm not scared of needles and I can go and get injections done no bother but for some reason I always feel faint afterwards. Blood doesn't bother me in small amounts and only effects me on occasions where it is a great amount and can be on myself or others.
The next occasion I had anything done after school was when I had my ears peirced. I went to the shop, got them pierced, left and then again walking down the road I told my mum and friend I wasn't feeling good. About 10 minutes of sitting on a railing and having a bottle of water and I was ok.
I returned to that piercing shop to have them checked and taken out to put new ones in some time after and the woman who tried to remove them nipped my ear and for some reason my nody decided this was even more worthy of fainting than the piercing itself. I woke up on the floor with my mum and two shop woman around me asking if I was ok. I just felt so embarrassed. I left and went home and my dad removed my earrings without hurting me and I didn't feel ill.
The next time I got a jag was the BCG jag in school years later which involved a skin test (6 small needle things pressed onto the arm) and I got that done and it didn't bother me at all not the slightest faint feeling. I thought I was cured and returned for the actual jag only to feel a little dizzy. Again, this was after leaving as I walked back to class. I just sat in an empty corridor for 5 minutes and it passed and I went into class like nothing happened.
One time I got a jag at the doctors a few years after and I got the jag and didn't feel faint at all. The next time I went was a few years later again and I did feel faint but not enough to actually faint. It seems like my body differs a lot. I got my belly peirced last year and just felt a bit light headed for 15 minutes afterwards and then I was fine and left.
I wish I knew a way to stop it happening I just find it really embarrassing more than anything and it's stupid because there's nothing to worry about, you're body does it to shut down from something really bad and I know deep down that it's only a little injection and it'll be over in moments and I'm going to be totally fine.
Anonymous
Today I saw posters advertising a blood donating session at my Uni. I was feeling a bit down and I thought giving blood and having the knowledge that I could really help save someone's life through a transfusion would lift my spirits. I was a bit nervous as I'd never done it before and was fearful that I hadn't gotten over an earlier incident of passing out when I was 15/16 (I will explain the circumstances of that later). I put all that to the back of my mind.
So I filled out all the relevant forms. Have you had anal sex with a HIV guy? No. Do you think you have HIV yourself? No. Hepatitis? No etc
I go see a nurse who goes over my questions and asks to take a drop of blood for an anemia test. No problem. Didn't hesitate. So the drop of blood comes and it really wasn't that much. I've probably bled more from biting my bottom lip (bad habit). However I start to feel a little funny. I try to ignore it.
Surely nothing's going to happen. I am told to return to my seat and wait to be called to give blood. I go back to my seat. I'm starting to get warmer and warmer. I do know what's happening but I try to convince myself that I'm nervous and that I'm also wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and jacket (which is wollen and of medium thickness) and that explains the rise in body temperature. I'm starting to sweat and as I sit down (for about a minute) I know I'm in trouble. I go ask a nurse for a glass of water. I have to get up to do this. I'm starting to feel really dizzy now and really hot. As I return this is when I know I've lost it. My vision is really starting to go. I panic trying to looK for a nurse to help. Within seconds two nurses miraculaoulsy come up to me and hold me down to the ground and put me in the recovery position. How did they know? I hear one say to the other that she saw me swaying. It doesn't take me that long to recover (1/2 minutes) and the nurses suggest that I don't donate today (I obviously agree). So after another 20 minutes of needless observation (as far as I'm concerned as I feel right as rain again) by the kind nurses, who want to make sure I'm fine, I leave feeling very embarrased.
So what's wrong with me? I'm sure that you, kind reader, will probably say that I'm not good with blood. That it's nothing to be ashamed of. That some people are built like that. That the association with blood and death is very strong and understandably causes people to pass out.
But here's the deal. I've done dissections before. A dissection of a sheep's kidney when i was about 14/15. I was fine. I saw a demonstration of inspiration/exparation using an animal lung when I was 15/16. Again fine. When I was 17 I dissecetd a cow's heart. I even held it in my bare hands and simulated the beating of it (childish I know). At 18 I dissected a fish's gills. On all these ocassions I guess that there wasn't too much blood but these were actual organs from once living creatures. I've also watched the higly informative channel 4 series 'Anatomy for beginners' which contains live human dissection and didn't dream of passing out whilst watching it. I suppose the cadavers weren't exactly dripping with blood but I wa looking at human organs. So why is it that I seem to have a problem only with my blood. What can i do about this. Can I get over it? My mind wants to do things like blood donation but my body just refuses to let me.
I passed out when i was 15/16 duirng a health ed class on the topic of: yep that's right losing consciousness and what a person should do. I was stunned that I did and just assumed beforehand, like i did today, that iInwas having a fleeting headache.
This is a very long post I know but Ihope people are entertained by the first two paragraphs. Does anyone have a similar problem?
Can you deal with other people's blood but not your own?
What should I do? I'm 19 years old and thinking of grad medicine so this
is a BIG problem? Should I just prick myself daily until I can learn to
condition myself in some way.
replies are greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lot of really nice and friendly people on these forums so I'll just throw this out there.
So I filled out all the relevant forms. Have you had anal sex with a HIV guy? No. Do you think you have HIV yourself? No. Hepatitis? No etc
I go see a nurse who goes over my questions and asks to take a drop of blood for an anemia test. No problem. Didn't hesitate. So the drop of blood comes and it really wasn't that much. I've probably bled more from biting my bottom lip (bad habit). However I start to feel a little funny. I try to ignore it.
Surely nothing's going to happen. I am told to return to my seat and wait to be called to give blood. I go back to my seat. I'm starting to get warmer and warmer. I do know what's happening but I try to convince myself that I'm nervous and that I'm also wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and jacket (which is wollen and of medium thickness) and that explains the rise in body temperature. I'm starting to sweat and as I sit down (for about a minute) I know I'm in trouble. I go ask a nurse for a glass of water. I have to get up to do this. I'm starting to feel really dizzy now and really hot. As I return this is when I know I've lost it. My vision is really starting to go. I panic trying to looK for a nurse to help. Within seconds two nurses miraculaoulsy come up to me and hold me down to the ground and put me in the recovery position. How did they know? I hear one say to the other that she saw me swaying. It doesn't take me that long to recover (1/2 minutes) and the nurses suggest that I don't donate today (I obviously agree). So after another 20 minutes of needless observation (as far as I'm concerned as I feel right as rain again) by the kind nurses, who want to make sure I'm fine, I leave feeling very embarrased.
So what's wrong with me? I'm sure that you, kind reader, will probably say that I'm not good with blood. That it's nothing to be ashamed of. That some people are built like that. That the association with blood and death is very strong and understandably causes people to pass out.
But here's the deal. I've done dissections before. A dissection of a sheep's kidney when i was about 14/15. I was fine. I saw a demonstration of inspiration/exparation using an animal lung when I was 15/16. Again fine. When I was 17 I dissecetd a cow's heart. I even held it in my bare hands and simulated the beating of it (childish I know). At 18 I dissected a fish's gills. On all these ocassions I guess that there wasn't too much blood but these were actual organs from once living creatures. I've also watched the higly informative channel 4 series 'Anatomy for beginners' which contains live human dissection and didn't dream of passing out whilst watching it. I suppose the cadavers weren't exactly dripping with blood but I wa looking at human organs. So why is it that I seem to have a problem only with my blood. What can i do about this. Can I get over it? My mind wants to do things like blood donation but my body just refuses to let me.
I passed out when i was 15/16 duirng a health ed class on the topic of: yep that's right losing consciousness and what a person should do. I was stunned that I did and just assumed beforehand, like i did today, that iInwas having a fleeting headache.
This is a very long post I know but Ihope people are entertained by the first two paragraphs. Does anyone have a similar problem?
Can you deal with other people's blood but not your own?
What should I do? I'm 19 years old and thinking of grad medicine so this
is a BIG problem? Should I just prick myself daily until I can learn to
condition myself in some way.
replies are greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lot of really nice and friendly people on these forums so I'll just throw this out there.
I don't really think pricking yourself daily is a very good idea.
I am sorry I can't offer much advice as I have never been phased by anything like this and really enjoyed seeing a PM recently. If you get to the stage of actually having the blood taken, you can explain your phobia and they might suggest you lie down etc for safety.
Reply 11
I've got basically the same thing. I dont mind watching anyone bleed or anything, I dont even feel faint when I bleed after a bruise or whatever. I also dont faint when I get an injection, alltho I do feel a bit dizzy. But when it comes blood samples, I faint.
Reply 12
lol, sorry op it just reminds me of something that I would do. I fainted on my first day of work (had similar sensations to you) I was on a conveyor belt putting carrot pieces on pots and felt scared, worked up and weird for 15 minutes and then just passed out and woke up on the floor surrounded by people. The employers did more for me than I did for them, I had 2 cups of chocolate and some food and never went back again. It was horrible and Ive fainted 4 times other than this. Im scared of it happening again but I can also laugh about it at the same time.
I can't figure out why it happens as I get scared a lot yet sometimes it makes me faint. Just get on with life and if it happens again then it happens again. If you find it hard to accept then see your gp which I haven't done yet.
From the sounds of it you might just have some sort of phobia of your own blood, as you can watch operations etc but that is someone elses blood.
I can't figure out why it happens as I get scared a lot yet sometimes it makes me faint. Just get on with life and if it happens again then it happens again. If you find it hard to accept then see your gp which I haven't done yet.
From the sounds of it you might just have some sort of phobia of your own blood, as you can watch operations etc but that is someone elses blood.
Reply 13
I have almost exactly the same problem - I agree with other posters who say that it's more embarrassing than anything else. I'm fine with 'gory' stuff that isn't actually bleeding, for example I also watched that channel 4 dissection thing and have cut up organs and whatnot in biology and was fine. But all it takes is for me or even someone near me to get a paper cut or something - it can be the tiniest speck of blood - and I hit the deck. By the way, without wanting to be too graphic, periods don't affect me at all, maybe because I know that they're ok and nothing's wrong?
OP, I can't really offer much advice obviously lol, but my phobia started when I cracked my head open ten years ago. I was quite young and found the whole hospital experience very scary, and because it was a head injury and it happened at a swimming pool where the floor was wet so it kinda spread out, there was a LOT of blood. Heh, I feel a bit weird just thinking about it lol. Have you had a bad experience which has made you associate blood with something awful?
Btw if anyone knows why the actual fainting happens (is it something to do with shock?) or how to help it, there'd be lots of +ve rep
OP, I can't really offer much advice obviously lol, but my phobia started when I cracked my head open ten years ago. I was quite young and found the whole hospital experience very scary, and because it was a head injury and it happened at a swimming pool where the floor was wet so it kinda spread out, there was a LOT of blood. Heh, I feel a bit weird just thinking about it lol. Have you had a bad experience which has made you associate blood with something awful?
Btw if anyone knows why the actual fainting happens (is it something to do with shock?) or how to help it, there'd be lots of +ve rep
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