How to stop being afraid of a finger blood test

You can often hear from a child: I’m afraid to donate blood from my finger. Such irrational fear of a medical procedure is accompanied by hysteria. Hemophobia, the fear of donating blood, affects adults who did not cope with the phobia in childhood.

Hemophobia - fear of donating blood

A progressive mental disorder harms a person: against the background of one phobia, other fears develop, and new symptoms appear. Treatment of fear involves correcting the thinking and behavior of the victim of the phobia.

Fear of donating blood

Hemophobia - fear of donating blood

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.

Causes

The causes of hemophobia are always psychological in nature. If a person is afraid of pain, the reason for the fear is an exaggeration of the pain syndrome that the patient once experienced. It is common for a victim of a phobia to make a tragedy out of the procedure and exaggerate the discomfort during blood donation. Reasons why the patient is afraid of the procedure:

fear of blood;
negative experience;
incorrect attitudes and associations;
associated phobias.

A person is afraid to see his own or someone else’s blood - these are different phobias. Fear of the sight of your blood is a defensive reaction. Fear of the sight of someone else's blood is expressed in disgust towards people or fear of becoming infected. You need to understand the causes of fear by studying possible and additional causes of irrational fear.

The phobia is intensified by obsessive states: if the patient is afraid of needles, unsterile objects, or the smells of medical institutions, the future procedure causes panic fear. Over time, the phobia develops, and the patient avoids the test procedure to the detriment of his own health.

The reasons for the phobia may lie in the negative experience of donating blood.

Main symptoms

A child and an adult perceive threat differently. The baby's first defensive reaction is hysteria. In adult patients, the phobia manifests itself differently: he deliberately ignores the procedure. A person stocks up with a whole arsenal of excuses why he won’t be able to undergo the procedure. Manifestations of hemophobia:

uncontrollable panic attacks;
loss of consciousness;
confusion of thoughts;
shortness of breath (a person is suffocating and cannot take a deep breath);
cardiopalmus;
tremor of the upper and lower extremities.

Manifestations of hemophobia cannot be controlled; spontaneous reactions occur when there is a need to take blood. The fear of blood makes you nervous.

A panic attack is accompanied by increased anxiety. This condition may last for several hours after the procedure.

Hemophobia causes increased sweating, chills and chest pain. During an attack, a person poses a danger to himself and others.

A progressive phobia affects the perception of reality: dizziness and headaches, temporary clouding of reason. An obsessive condition needs urgent treatment.

Treatment of hemophobia

Fear is a normal protective reaction of the body. The psyche senses a threat and immediately reacts to it. The fear of blood is not fatal, but it does affect human behavior. If the problem is a fear of blood, it is necessary to develop resistance to the sight of it. Habituation occurs along with establishing new affirmations.

Phobia with an acute reaction is less common. In most cases, the manifestation of fear is an anxious state. Psychotherapeutic techniques are used to help the patient: the level of fear is reduced, the true cause of the phobia is determined.

Emergency assistance to the patient if the fear of blood suddenly manifests itself:

the patient sits in a comfortable position, the head tilts towards the knees (in this position, blood rushes to the head and the pressure decreases);
breathing is restored (even breathing helps to calm down and reduce anxiety);
After the exercise, you need to stand up and relieve tension from the muscles.

Such help is needed in cases where a panic attack interferes with diagnosis.

The primary task is to establish control over your own body. If a person cannot control the body's reactions, the phobia will only intensify over time.

Correct installation

Attitudes are internal beliefs that are formed in early childhood. After the first visit to the doctor, the baby forms an impression of the procedures completed. Negative experiences are the main cause of hemophobia in the future.

Impressionable people suffer from hemophobia. They are accustomed to react sharply to any environmental changes. It is difficult for hypochondriacs who are afraid of infection to cope with medical procedures.

Working with a psychoanalyst will help you get rid of the feeling of fear: a person works on his own thinking, gets rid of attitudes embedded in the subconscious.

Drug treatment

Hemophobia is not a dangerous irrational fear. In most cases, treatment is accomplished without drug therapy. A course of sedative tablets is prescribed for increased anxiety. Sedatives provide temporary relief and are not a cure. Tranquilizers are not prescribed in case of hemophobia.

Exercises to calm down

The best option for getting rid of hemophobia is physical exercise, which helps relieve excess stress. Adaptive responses are shaped by self-control skills. Breathing exercises will help you calm down in a short time.

In a comfortable position (sitting or standing), it is necessary to restore breathing. Don't hold your breath. As soon as your breathing calms down, hold your breath for 2-3 seconds for every 5th breath. Then breathing is restored again.

The exercise is repeated at least 3 times.

Meditation to treat hemophobia

Meditation is an effective calming technique. It does not fight the cause of the phobia, but helps to counter the spontaneous reactions of the body. Meditation calms anxiety, relieves stress and muscle tension.

Yoga classes are suitable for preventing the development of additional phobias. In combination with psychoanalysis, the relaxation technique allows you to get rid of the obsessive state.

Meditation is an effective calming technique

Conclusion

Hemophobia is a fear that has no serious basis and needs treatment. To release internal tension, psychoanalysis and work on thinking are used. The causes and factors that strengthen the phobia are eliminated.

To combat the fear of blood, they use meditation, auto-training at home, and work on attitudes. Physical exercise will help overcome fears and get rid of the fear of medical procedures.

Source: https://urazuma.ru/strahi-fobii/boyazn-sdavat-krov.html

Causes

fear of blood,
negative experience,
incorrect attitudes and associations,
associated phobias.

The reasons for the phobia may lie in the negative experience of donating blood.

I'm afraid to donate blood from a vein - what should I do?

“I’m afraid to donate blood”—psychotherapists hear this phrase even from accomplished, outwardly confident people.

If a person feels unwell even at the thought of such manipulation, then he suffers from a specific neurotic fear - hemophobia (from the Greek root hemo, meaning “bloody, bloody”).

This fear is formed in childhood - between 7 and 15 years old. Overcoming fear without the help of specialists is not easy.

Why is there a fear of donating blood?

This fear is caused by traumatic events in childhood associated with blood. For example, a baby breaks his nose, panics greatly, and receives psychological trauma. The traumatic memory of an unpleasant incident eventually turns into a phobia.

Fear of analysis:

It affects not just any person, but impressionable people who tend to exaggerate possible troubles. In the minds of sensitive babies, a slight pain from a harmless medical procedure turns into true torture;
appears in children with overly protective parents who are trying to protect their own child from the “cruel world.”

A similar phobia also occurs in people with a low pain threshold. In such individuals, even a minor scratch causes severe pain.

Hemophobia is “hereditary” and “contagious.” If the mother suffers from it, then soon you can hear the phrase “I’m afraid to donate blood from my finger” from the baby.

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:

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.

How not to be afraid to donate blood from a vein or finger - effective techniques for overcoming fear

Psychotherapeutic techniques help you to approach analysis calmly.

Technique “Imagine: there is no fear”

Blood can be made “not scary” by doing the following simple but effective mental therapy. Let's imagine that we are going for analysis. Everything goes as smoothly as possible. A friendly nurse gets the job done quickly. And the “terrible unbearable” pain is weaker than a mosquito bite.

“Measured portions” of blood donation videos also help. The videos will gradually instill “immunity” to “bloody” spectacles, and hemophobia will begin to disappear.

Technique "Utility"

Is as follows:

We instill the idea of the usefulness of surrender. We visualize the laboratory, imagine how doctors study the analysis and examine it under a microscope.
We bring to the subconscious: the procedure is a great benefit, the test helps prevent and detect diseases.

To make auto-training more effective, we need the help of a specialist. During the sessions of the experienced hypnologist Nikita Valeryevich Baturin, it will be possible to gradually dispel the phobia and remove fear from consciousness forever.

Relaxing breathing technique

Techniques related to breathing control are effective for the treatment of hemobophyia. A simple deep exhalation exercise will help bring panic under control. The main thing in the exercise is that the exhalation is longer than the inhalation.

When a person exhales, the body relaxes, when inhales, it tenses. Therefore, if you “stretch” your exhalation, the hemophobe will relax and become calmer.

Tension technique

This specific technique works well in combating fainting, the most unpleasant symptom of hemophobia, accompanied by a sharp drop in blood pressure.

The technique is as follows: we strongly strain the muscles of the chest, arms, and legs so that the face becomes flushed and the blood pressure quickly rises. We use hardware. At the same time, we watch a video where blood is taken from a finger and vein.

Behavioral cognitive therapy

In addition to the techniques described above, behavioral-cognitive therapy helps well against hemophobia. Together with a behavioral psychotherapist, a person changes his attitude towards analysis and begins to understand that there is nothing wrong with the procedure. The specialist gradually helps the person suffering from a phobia to “replace” panicky thoughts associated with analysis with more “realistic” ones.

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is also effective. Together with the psychoanalyst, the client searches for the cause of the appearance of fear, clears the mind of the attitude to be afraid, realizes it, and overcomes it. Many useful exercises are posted on YouTube.

Remember! Medications (antidepressants, tranquilizers) are rarely prescribed for hemophobia. Pathology is considered a problem that can be effectively dealt with through psychotherapy alone.

How not to be afraid to give up - useful tips

To be bold:

Before going to the procedure, drink plenty of water. It will be easier for the nurse to “extract” blood from a vein or finger. Things will go much faster;
we explain to the nurse about the problem so that she can carry out the procedure quickly and carefully;
When we sit on the chair during the fence, we relax as much as possible. We think about something soothing and pleasant. We mentally repeat a mantra, for example this: “Relaxed, good, relaxed, good.” We take deep breaths and exhale slowly.

It is unwise to develop complexes because of a phobia. Fear will go away faster if you honestly admit to the medical staff: “I’m afraid to donate blood from a vein (or finger).”

How not to be afraid to go get your baby tested?

To reduce your baby’s fear before the procedure:

Let's try to tell the truth. We avoid stories that blood from a finger or vein is “like a mosquito bite.” Sometimes the analysis is done carelessly, the baby may jerk his hand, causing him pain. If the parents before the procedure convinced the baby that the manipulation was painless, then the baby will become terribly afraid to go and take the test again. And he will begin to trust the words of loved ones less;
in very gentle terms we explain to our child how everything will happen, so that the baby knows what to expect and is less afraid;
We say that after surrendering, the baby will receive something as a reward for his courage;
We explain to the child why the analysis is needed. We tell you that this protects you from unpleasant illnesses, because of which you have to lie in bed for a long time and drink bitter pills;
as a last resort, we can also donate blood, because parents are the main role models for children.

And we make sure to be close to the baby during the analysis. We try to distract, talk about something pleasant. We retell the plot of the cartoon and describe the gift for courage.

The fear of donating blood is irrational and pathological. To overcome a phobia, you need to learn to control your thoughts. Experienced psychologists and various simple therapeutic techniques will help you do this. Then the problem of how to stop being afraid to donate blood from a vein or finger will go away forever.

Source: https://ProPanika.ru/strahi/boyus-sdavat-krov-iz-veny-chto-delat/

Fear of donating blood: from a finger and a vein, what to do

Under the influence of time and with the development of our society, people are increasingly having inexplicable fears. Today, it is becoming normal and commonplace for a person to have phobias. No one will be surprised if you say that you are terribly afraid of spiders or confined spaces.

For some, this fear is mild stress, but for others it causes panic attacks, which makes life much more difficult. Don't put up with your fears and take them for granted.

One of the most common fears that people often face in modern life is the fear of donating blood.

Description of the phobia

This reaction to tests is caused by hemophobia, or fear at the sight of blood. People with this disease are seized with fear just at the thought of having to visit hospitals, not to mention the fact that they will have to donate blood from a finger, and even more so from a vein.

Hemophobes often turn to traditional medicine or ignore their diseases, thereby incurring a greater likelihood of irreparable consequences.

The situation becomes especially complicated if a child is afraid of blood, which is also not a rare occurrence. This type of phobia does not have deep roots, which means you have a chance to overcome it on your own. Fear of taking tests can also be caused by other factors, such as fear of the hospital, doctors, or sharp objects. It is necessary to first eliminate the primary phobia, and then its consequences.

Causes of fear

Phobias never arise on their own. Often this is a consequence of experienced stress. Understanding what triggered your fear is already a big step towards overcoming it. The factors that caused the phobia can be divided into two groups: direct and indirect.

Direct (related to the type of blood, painful sensations during or after the analysis):

low pain threshold: each person perceives pain differently (what is mild discomfort for one, unbearable torment for another);
fear of consequences is associated with the same pain threshold (when donating blood from a finger, a person, due to his high sensitivity, loses consciousness, and then fear is caused not by the pain from the procedure, but by fainting);
instinctive fear is genetic (when we see blood, we believe that this is a potential threat to our health).

Indirect (related to the tension of the modern rhythm of life):

frequent stress;
fatigue;
lack of proper rest;
information about negative events that often appears in the media.

Such factors become an ideal environment for the development of old fears and the emergence of new ones.

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.

Treatment of fear

In the modern world, it is almost impossible to avoid donating blood. The fear associated with this procedure not only brings discomfort, but also becomes a real problem. Such fear is rarely found in complex forms; it can be overcome without the additional intervention of psychologists or medications. In this case, it is worth dividing the methods of struggle according to age criteria.

For adults

If an adult is afraid of donating blood, there are a number of measures that will help him solve this problem.

Divert your attention. The easiest way: do not look, close your eyes during the procedure.
Don’t be afraid to warn health care workers about your fear. You will not worry about the staff's reaction to your phobia, and more comfortable conditions will be created for you to reduce stress.
Don't give yourself time to panic. There is no need to come to the hospital in advance, giving yourself time to get ready.
Learn to relax. Try closing your eyes, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Imagine yourself on the seashore, feel complete relaxation. Remember this feeling and try to repeat this exercise when taking the test.
Control your breathing. Focus on normalizing your rhythm, this will distract you from what is happening.

For children

If a child is afraid to donate blood from a vein or finger, experts also highlight a number of ways to help him with this problem.

Children begin to panic when they see the negative reaction of their peers.

Try to switch your attention, read your favorite book, watch a cartoon.
Come up with a reward. Promise your child that after the procedure he will receive his favorite sweet or a long-awaited toy. If this trick doesn’t work the first time, over time he will stop associating going to the hospital with negative emotions.
Set an example. Children often try to be like their parents. Take the test yourself and demonstrate an example of adequate behavior.
Eliminate surprise. Play out the entire course of events at home.
Tell us why the blood draw is needed.
Talk to your child. You can try to distract him with your favorite fairy tale.
Do not deceive, the effect of surprise will contribute to the aggravation of fear.
Do not show your child your feelings, this will only make the situation worse.

Main symptoms

uncontrollable panic attacks,
loss of consciousness,
confusion of thoughts,
shortness of breath (the person is suffocating and cannot take a deep breath),
cardiopalmus,
tremor of the upper and lower extremities.

Manifestations of hemophobia cannot be controlled; spontaneous reactions occur when there is a need to take blood. The fear of blood makes you nervous.

A panic attack is accompanied by increased anxiety. This condition may last for several hours after the procedure.

Hemophobia causes increased sweating, chills and chest pain. During an attack, a person poses a danger to himself and others.

A progressive phobia affects the perception of reality: dizziness and headaches, temporary clouding of reason. An obsessive condition needs urgent treatment.

Fear of donating blood

In principle, few people like medical procedures. But when a person refuses to undergo the necessary tests only because of fear of donating blood, then we are talking about a full-fledged phobia. How to get rid of it?

Hematophobia and fear of donating blood

A fairly common pathological fear is hemophobia (hematophobia). It is associated with a strong fear of blood: a person only needs to see a small drop of it to fall into panic. Naturally, in such a situation, the reluctance to get tested is quite understandable.

But the fear of donating blood is not necessarily caused by hematophobia. The reasons may be more obvious:

fear of pain (although the blood test does not imply serious interference with the integrity of the body, a certain discomfort is still present);
fear of contracting HIV or hepatitis if using unsterile/contaminated instruments;
the fear of one’s own helplessness, which grips many in hospitals and clinics (a person, due to lack of medical education, does not fully understand what he needs to do and is forced to blindly obey doctors).

As a rule, the fear of donating blood develops in childhood.

Almost every child has a memory of how a strict nurse frantically squeezed out the treasured red drop from a numb finger or spent hours looking for inconspicuous veins, painfully sticking her hand with a needle in the process.

The reasons for fear are always psychological and have no basis in reality. But this does not prevent even established adults from trembling in front of that “creepy” office.

How to stop being afraid to donate blood by finding a good clinic

Specialists in public clinics, hospitals, and laboratories are not very client-oriented. Why this happens is unnecessary to discuss. But there is always a choice: patients who are afraid of donating blood can go to a good private clinic. In this case, the person expects:

polite welcome;
a patient specialist who will help you overcome fear and try to make the procedure as comfortable as possible;
high-quality and sterile instruments.

It is possible that after the first visit to such a clinic, the fear will disappear. A person will understand the groundlessness of fear: after all, when the blood sampling procedure is approached carefully and diligently, then there are no inconveniences. An ordinary injection.

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.

How to stop being afraid to donate blood from a vein or finger while being distracted

Many people find distraction methods helpful. During the procedure you should:

look out the window, at your feet, to the side;
count from ten to zero;
mentally repeat the words of the song;
fiddle with the handkerchief in your free hand;
listen to music on headphones;
talk to the “support service” (a relative or friend - provided that he is allowed to be in the office).

In this case, you should not take any sedatives, as they can distort the result and cause an incorrect diagnosis. In addition, you will then have to donate blood again, which will force you to experience unpleasant sensations again.

If independent attempts to cope with the problem have led nowhere, you should think about seeking psychotherapeutic help. Sometimes two or three sessions are enough to get rid of a disturbing phobia forever.

Source: https://fobia.su/boyazn-sdavat-krov-kak-ot-nee-izbavitsya.html