The blood phobia also known as hematophobiais one of the phobias that generate the most interest, possibly for a fairly simple reason: there are many people who do not like seeing blood, and therefore may wonder whether they experience hematophobia or not.
However, the fact that there are not many fans of blood and wounds does not mean that blood phobia is widespread, far from it. The very definition of what is meant by phobia indicates that they only occur in cases in which the levels of stress and discomfort associated with a type of stimulus damage the person’s quality of life and prevent them from carrying out daily activities naturally. That’s why hematophobia has much more serious implications than simply trying not to hurt yourself.
Ultimately, blood phobia is a psychological disorder that is sometimes a reason for psychological intervention. These types of phobias can be a problem, but in most cases the symptoms can be mitigated to a point where they hardly interfere with daily life. But to know through what mechanisms it can be “cure” blood phobia First you have to understand what it is and what psychological processes it is based on.
Hematophobia consists of a fear of blood (and situations that are perceived as directly or indirectly related to it) that is incapacitating to lead a normal life. Thus, the phobia of blood can appear when seeing this substance, but also when seeing or imagining a vaccination prick or a wound in which a scab has formed, among many other situations. In short, the symptoms of blood phobia have to do both with the most basic and “crude” perceptions related to blood and with the somewhat more abstract ideas that are related to it.
But in addition to being associated with the fear of one’s own or someone else’s blood, hematophobia is based on another aspect of panic: the fear of the very symptoms that generate these crises. That is why blood phobia is based in part on the phenomenon of fear of feara characteristic it shares with phenomena such as agoraphobia.
Therefore, the fear behind blood phobia has nothing to do with physical pain itself, but with the idea of blood flowing and spilling. It is about aterror more irrational than practical since what we flee from is not the situations that endanger our life or that of someone, but rather the signs of these potentially dangerous situations.
Symptoms of hematophobia
What makes blood phobia unique is that The crises it produces end up leading to fainting quite frequently. something that does not occur in other types of phobias. Although fainting is related to panic attacks, the truth is that this is not a typical symptom of most phobias, which manifest themselves from a sudden rise in tension, the appearance of extraordinarily high levels of stress and the feeling of needing to leave the place and get away from the stimulus that triggered the episode.
The phobia of blood, however, The phobic episode has two phases, instead of just one. After the heart beats and the person enters a state of alert, there is a sudden drop in blood pressure that sometimes causes fainting as not enough oxygen reaches the brain. In this way, the second phase of hematophobia cancels out the effects of the first and even causes blood pressure to plummet.
Thus, the symptoms of blood phobia reflect the diphasic functioning of this phenomenon. Typical symptoms of hematophobia include dizziness and fainting, panic attacks, nausea, and a feeling of deep disgust.
What are the causes of blood phobia?
The reasons why blood phobia appears are not exactly known. although it has been proven that whether or not you are descended from a family in which someone experiences hematophobia is a very powerful factor when estimating the chances of having phobic episodes of this type; Blood phobia is partly explained by genetics.
It is also considered that hematophobia can develop as a result of past experiences, that is, from learning and memories. It is not strange to consider that hematophobia can arise as a consequence of experiences, taking into account that this substance usually appears on painful or unpleasant occasions. Thus, from the behavioral perspective, blood phobia can be caused by associating this stimulus with the pain generated by an accident, health treatments, etc.
Can blood phobia be useful?
Also It has been proposed that blood phobia could be based on a survival mechanism which can be useful on certain occasions. Ultimately, the sudden drop in blood pressure means that less of this substance is lost if this substance erupts from one’s own wounds. However, this hypothesis based on the adaptive potential of the reduction in voltage remains a speculation that is difficult to verify.
In any case, it must be made clear that the main defining characteristic of blood phobia is that it is not useful at all, quite the opposite. Although evolution may have favored the spread of certain genes related to hematophobia, the living conditions of modern humans are very different from those of hundreds of thousands of years ago. Nowadays blood tests and vaccines are of utmost importance, and the fact that every day we interact with many people and expose ourselves to all types of activities (including seeing real or fictitious images in which blood appears) turns blood phobia into a problem that, depending on its intensity, can become very disabling.
Fighting blood phobia
Can blood phobia be “cured”? There are multiple treatments and strategies to deal with hematophobia, but none are based on reading texts; Putting a stop to blood phobia requires a live approach to the subject and the performance of certain exercises under the supervision and personalized treatment of an expert.
Among the most useful tools when it comes to making hematophobia disappear are those that are usually used in the course of cognitive-behavioral therapies, which are based on the behavioral approach and emphasize desensitization so that we get used to blood. .
One of the most used techniques in this and many other phobias is gradual exposure to the phobic stimulus. in this case blood. Over several sessions, a person with a diagnosed phobia is gradually exposed to situations that cause anxiety, going from the mildest to those that involve more direct and close contact with blood.
Another useful tool is learning instructions that must be followed mentally sequentially and that have to do with the implementation of relaxation techniques and routines for approaching what causes fear.
It is worth looking for a solution
Experiencing dizziness when blood is drawn is relatively common, but it does not have to be synonymous with hematophobia. Blood phobia can be more or less serious and can present in a more or less severe and annoying way, but always entails problems related to everyday life and not so much to specific experiences.
Experiencing blood phobia means going through problems related to avoiding medical treatments and vaccines, denying help to injured people, avoiding performing tasks in which there is a minimal possibility of causing injury (cooking, hiking, etc.). ) or, in the case of women, not being able to consider the possibility of giving birth. That is why it is worth going to certified specialists and receiving personalized attention and a diagnosis that allows you to plan treatments.
