Hemophobia is the fear of blood and, surely due to evolutionary factors, it is a fairly common fear. But, despite being adaptive, the truth is that it can cause many disadvantages and a high level of discomfort in a person’s life.
Not being able to see blood at all, both foreign and your own, can prevent you from going to the doctor or to situations that are necessary, such as the dentist. It is for this reason that many people need to know how to overcome fear of blood and improve their lives a little. Let’s see it below.
Hematophobia is a relatively common fear, which consists of feeling a real fear of blood or even imagining it People who feel this fear fear places where they can see it, such as going to the doctor, dentist or surgeon, having to have a transfusion or, simply, being able to get a wound, no matter how small it may be. It is believed that, to a greater or lesser extent, 40% of the general population is afraid of blood.
It is not very well known what causes the fear of blood. The hypothesis has been considered that it is something vicarious, learned from seeing fear of blood in family or friends. The idea of genetics has also been considered, since, from an evolutionary perspective, it is logical to think that, when we see blood, we flee from there, for fear that our physical integrity will be endangered.
Although you don’t see blood every day, unless you are a doctor or similar professional, the truth is that being afraid of this liquid can have a profound impact on our lives. The hematophobic person may avoid carrying out everyday actions, which, in the long run, will significantly reduce their freedom Additionally, your health may deteriorate by avoiding going to the doctor because, even though you know you may have a serious medical problem, you fear the simple fact that you will have to see your own blood.
As in most phobias, those who fear blood usually present these symptoms: anxiety, panic attack, cold sweat, paleness, dizziness, loss of strength, fainting, tachycardia, fear of having a heart attack, tremors, sensation shortness of breath, hyperventilation, negative and irrational ideas about the event, need to get out of the situation,
However, Hematophobia is differentiated from other phobias by how its response occurs, which is biphasic That is, when faced with the phobic stimulus, in this case blood or situations related to it, a response is given in two phases.
The first phase comes directly after seeing the stimulus. Is the consequence of the immediate impression of the visualization of blood, and represents the typical anxiety response: increased heart rate, nervousness, hyperventilation, sweating…
But then comes the second phase, which is a sudden and abrupt drop in vital signs Our blood, paradoxically, stops circulating through the periphery, giving the sensation of loss of strength in the hands. As blood flow is less, this can cause fainting.
Due to the symptoms that manifest in this second phase, treatments focused on overcoming the fear of blood try to prevent the person from accidentally injuring themselves when the phobic stimulus occurs.
How to overcome the fear of blood, step by step
Among the treatments to overcome the fear of blood, there are two techniques that acquire greater importance and effectiveness for this phobia: the Applied Tension Technique and exposure, within cognitive-behavioral therapies.
Applied Tension Technique
The Applied Tension Technique is especially useful for the treatment of hematophobia. Although It is best to use it in a psychologist’s office who will direct the patient and give instructions. The advantage of this technique is that it can be done at home or anywhere else, since nothing more than a chair is required.
This technique is highly recommended especially to avoid the symptoms of the second phase of the blood response, especially fainting. If fainting cannot be avoided, at least the person will be prevented from being injured, since they will be sitting when this happens. The technique consists of the following steps:
As we were already commenting, the appearance of blood and The beginning of the phobic response can produce, after a while, an abrupt drop in the constants which puts the person at risk of fainting.
It is for this reason that, if the response begins, it is very important that it catches us sitting down.
2. Squeeze hard
It is a simple but very useful action. It consists of clenching your fists by placing them on top of your legs, as if we had something in our hands that we wanted to disappear, compressing it. We will hold for 10 or 15 seconds.
3. Relax
The tension from the previous step is reduced, but without reaching a state of total relaxation. This step takes about 15 or 20 seconds.
4. Tension in the legs
While still sitting, we force the soles of our feet against the ground at the same time pressing the knees together.
5. Loosen
We rest our legs, as if we were loosening them, to remain in a state of relaxation for between 15 and 20 seconds.
6. Prepare to get up
We put ourselves in a position as if we were preparing to get up. We will raise the buttocks of the chair, and avoid exerting force with the soles of the feet. The arms will not be supported.
Although a little strange, this step simply makes us activate but in a normal, adaptive, not tense way.
7. Relax again
We tried to relax again after making the gesture of pretending to get up.
8. Contraction
We contract all the muscles we have used so far, but all at the same time as if we were tense, only this will help us to be in a state of complete relaxation once we finish the exercise.
9. Last relaxation
We relax the whole body.
For the Applied Tension Technique to be useful, it must be practiced frequently. Thus, the technique will be automated in response to the phobic stimulus without having to put too many cognitive resources into its application.
For this reason It is necessary that the technique be first applied in the context of psychological consultation to ensure, with the psychologist’s recommendations, that we are doing it correctly, in addition to internalizing it progressively.
Exposure
As with other phobias, in hematophobia the exposure technique is used, which basically consists of exposing the person to images in which blood is seen videos of surgical operations or injuries or, directly, see real blood.
This technique cannot be applied abruptly. It is necessary that, first of all, a hierarchy of phobic stimuli be established, going from simpler and less phobic to more complex and more phobic. You cannot start treatment with a hematophobic person by having him witness an open heart operation.
The idea is that, going step by step, the person will achieve decrease your anxiety and associated symptoms, such as palpitations, tremors, and excessive sweating progressively.
You can start with images of small wounds, videos showing simulations of cuts, drawings with very schematic people in red puddles… Very simple things that pave the way for more phobic things.
Then, as the therapy progresses, and depending on whether the psychologist considers it appropriate or not, You can accompany the patient to go to the doctor’s office to have a transfusion or blood test or even see if you can witness a serious surgical operation.
If you are going to try to get the person to have a blood test, since the arm needs to be relaxed when venipuncture (puncturing the vein) is done, this is an ideal time to perform the venipuncture technique. applied tension.
