Phobia....Definition "An extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something."
A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος phóbos, "fear, morbid fear") is, when used in the context of clinical psychology, a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely, the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities.
I have a phobia about blood, or I suffer from Haemophobia, to give it it's official name..... but only in specific situations.
If you came to me with your leg torn apart in an accident, that wouldn't bother me! I could quite happily clean it for you, I would even be comfortable stopping the bleeding for you. I could watch you having open heart surgery without flinching.
However, if you pricked your finger on a needle I would pass out! Nose bleeds are another thing that I just can't cope with! If you sliced the end of your finger open with a sharp knife that would be me, gone, lying on the floor in hot sweats!
So in short it's droplets of, or dripping blood that bother me.....and needles!!
And of course blood tests are my BIGGEST and DEEPEST fear!!
It's not the needle, I could quite happily have an injection....it's something about the BLOOD that's going in the needle! It's something about that tiny little droplet escaping from the tip of the needle as it's taken out of my arm.
I know it's totally irrational! I know it's dumb!!
The first time I passed out I was 9 years old, a boy in my class at school had kissed me! I was horrified so I went to punch him (like you do! lol) He moved out of the way and I punched the wall instead causing a tiny cut on my knuckle, with tiny droplets of that horrid red stuff dripping out of it....I fainted!
Back then people said that I would outgrow it once I went through puberty and started my periods....I DIDN'T!
Menstrual blood never bothered me, I might add.
People tend to say things to me like..."You'll be ok, It doesn't hurt"
I REALLY DON'T CARE WHETHER IT HURTS OR NOT! That really isn't the issue.....Please feel free to hit me on the head with a blunt instrument and use the blood that comes out of that instead, just don't take it out of me with that damn needle!!
Or they say...."You will get used to it"
I DON'T WANT TO GET USED TO IT! Besides I know I won't, because after 2 pregnancies and regular blood tests I never did get used to it and passed out every time, so why will I get used to it now?!
After giving birth to my second baby, I was found hiding and crying in the toilets because I saw them coming round with the blood test trolly! Which amused them greatly and they said "You've just given birth!! How can a little thing like a blood test bother you?"
I wish I could answer that, but I can't....
Or people just look at me as though I am daft!
I KNOW IT'S DAFT! But that doesn't help me get over it!
According to experts phobias like this go back to some event that happened in your childhood.
I have a very vivid memory of being 4 years old. I had made a Father Christmas at school, I was soooo proud of it and I wanted my Dad to pin it up on the wall immediately!
If you came to me with your leg torn apart in an accident, that wouldn't bother me! I could quite happily clean it for you, I would even be comfortable stopping the bleeding for you. I could watch you having open heart surgery without flinching.
However, if you pricked your finger on a needle I would pass out! Nose bleeds are another thing that I just can't cope with! If you sliced the end of your finger open with a sharp knife that would be me, gone, lying on the floor in hot sweats!
So in short it's droplets of, or dripping blood that bother me.....and needles!!
And of course blood tests are my BIGGEST and DEEPEST fear!!
It's not the needle, I could quite happily have an injection....it's something about the BLOOD that's going in the needle! It's something about that tiny little droplet escaping from the tip of the needle as it's taken out of my arm.
I know it's totally irrational! I know it's dumb!!
The first time I passed out I was 9 years old, a boy in my class at school had kissed me! I was horrified so I went to punch him (like you do! lol) He moved out of the way and I punched the wall instead causing a tiny cut on my knuckle, with tiny droplets of that horrid red stuff dripping out of it....I fainted!
Back then people said that I would outgrow it once I went through puberty and started my periods....I DIDN'T!
Menstrual blood never bothered me, I might add.
People tend to say things to me like..."You'll be ok, It doesn't hurt"
I REALLY DON'T CARE WHETHER IT HURTS OR NOT! That really isn't the issue.....Please feel free to hit me on the head with a blunt instrument and use the blood that comes out of that instead, just don't take it out of me with that damn needle!!
Or they say...."You will get used to it"
I DON'T WANT TO GET USED TO IT! Besides I know I won't, because after 2 pregnancies and regular blood tests I never did get used to it and passed out every time, so why will I get used to it now?!
After giving birth to my second baby, I was found hiding and crying in the toilets because I saw them coming round with the blood test trolly! Which amused them greatly and they said "You've just given birth!! How can a little thing like a blood test bother you?"
I wish I could answer that, but I can't....
Or people just look at me as though I am daft!
I KNOW IT'S DAFT! But that doesn't help me get over it!
According to experts phobias like this go back to some event that happened in your childhood.
I have a very vivid memory of being 4 years old. I had made a Father Christmas at school, I was soooo proud of it and I wanted my Dad to pin it up on the wall immediately!
I pestered him and pestered him, I knew that I was irritating him! Eventually he started to pin it up on the wall...as he pressed the drawing pin hard with his thumb, his strength combined with the slight irritation he was feeling towards this pesky 4 year old, resulted in the large head of the drawing pin piercing his skin and getting stuck in his thumb...and hey! He's a man! So he made a big fuss!! (Then again, so would I! lol)
My Mum had to pull it out with tweezers and kept telling him to calm down.....And yes! There was blood!
To this day I still feel guilty when I recall that memory. It was my fault, I should have waited until after he had eaten his evening meal!.......And I can still see the droplets of blood!!
I am fairly certain that this is where my phobia originated from.
So now at 51 years old and having avoided the need to have a blood test for over 20 years, (there have been many times throughout the years that I know I should have visited the doctors, but haven't in case they needed to do a blood test to find out what was wrong with me) I am faced with the hideous situation of having a little form and a little bag given to me by my doctor to take to the hospital to have a blood test as soon as possible....today I have managed to avoid going..................
My Mum had to pull it out with tweezers and kept telling him to calm down.....And yes! There was blood!
To this day I still feel guilty when I recall that memory. It was my fault, I should have waited until after he had eaten his evening meal!.......And I can still see the droplets of blood!!
I am fairly certain that this is where my phobia originated from.
So now at 51 years old and having avoided the need to have a blood test for over 20 years, (there have been many times throughout the years that I know I should have visited the doctors, but haven't in case they needed to do a blood test to find out what was wrong with me) I am faced with the hideous situation of having a little form and a little bag given to me by my doctor to take to the hospital to have a blood test as soon as possible....today I have managed to avoid going..................
DO YOU HAVE A PHOBIA?
I would love to hear about it!
OMG!!! A FB friend just sent me the link to your blog, and this post in particular... It's not the blood for me. It's the darned needles I'm phobic about. 22 years in with RA, so, really, you'd think I'd had MORE than enough needles to get over it, and these days, I'm having to inject myself with my current medication... Believe me, that has NOT helped... I know exactly where my phobia came from - and the second one - free school dentists, where they sent all the rookie dentists, who did all sorts of unnecessary things in order to get the practice, and made a HUGE deal out of the needles... Needless to say, I'm LONG overdue for the dentist as well... Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Kaz,
ReplyDeleteI really feel for you having to give yourself an injection! That would be like me having to give myself a blood test...I just wouldn't be able to stay conscious long enough to do it!!
And yeah....I'm not too keen on the dentist either....but then, that's mainly because I might bleed whilst I am there!!