Understanding and Overcoming the Fear of Blood

Hemophobia (also called hematophobia) is the fear of blood, wounds, and injuries. Hemophobia is categorized by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as a “blood-injection-injury” (BII) phobia. This subtype, which also includes trypanophobia or fear of needles can cause symptoms that are not frequently seen in other types of specific phobias.

This article explores the symptoms, diagnosis, and causes of hemophobia. It also covers the treatments and coping strategies that can be helpful.

Symptoms of Hemophobia

Hemophobia can cause physical symptoms like:

• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Increased heart rate initially, followed by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure
• Nausea and gastrointestinal upset
• Rapid breathing
• Shaking
• Sweating

It can also cause emotional symptoms, including:

• Anticipatory anxiety ahead of medical procedures
• Extreme fear and anxiety at the sight or thought of blood
• Feeling of intense disgust at the sight of blood
• Panic attacks
• Persistent avoidance of medical procedures that might involve the sight of blood
• Problems functioning in other areas of your life
• Shock

Children can also show signs of hemophobia by clinging, crying, freezing, and throwing tantrums as a response to their fear of blood.

While most types of phobia lead to an increase in cardiac activity, BII phobias such as hemophobia can cause an abrupt and sometimes dangerous reduction in blood pressure and heart rate. This sudden drop can lead to fainting at the sight of blood, which is relatively common for people with hemophobia.

Diagnosis of Hemophobia

When diagnosing a phobia, your doctor will look for signs that show your fear of blood is extreme, has lasted for at least six months, and causes significant problems in other areas of your life.

Your doctor will also check to see if you have symptoms of a related phobia, like the fear of hospitals (nosocomephobia) or needles (trypanophobia), or if you show signs of a common comorbid condition, like:

• Agoraphobia
• Animal-based phobia
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Causes of Hemophobia

Hemophobia affects around 3% to 4% of people. While it's hard to determine an exact cause, BII phobias may have a genetic component. Many people with this type of fear have multiple family members with the same condition. It's also possible to have developed this phobia during childhood if a caregiver or another adult showed extreme discomfort around blood.

Hemophobia can also be related to trauma. If you have experienced or witnessed a severe injury involving significant blood loss, you may develop a phobia.

Your phobia may also be rooted in another underlying fear, like:

• Dentophobia, or fear of dentists
• Iatrophobia, or fear of doctors
• Illness anxiety disorder, or fear of severe health conditions
• Mysophobia, or fear of germs
• Nosophobia, or fear of a specific disease

Types of Hemophobia

Hemophobia symptoms can occur in a variety of situations; you don't necessarily need to be in sight of blood to experience discomfort and anxiety. While phobias may begin as a fear of a specific stimulus, they can become generalized over time.

That means you may experience symptoms by encountering fake blood in images, movies, television shows, or video games.

Impact of Hemophobia

Hemophobia can cause a wide range of difficulties that may prove life-limiting or even dangerous. If you are afraid of blood, you may be reluctant to seek medical treatment. You might postpone or avoid annual physicals and needed medical tests. You may refuse surgery or dental treatments.

Parents with hemophobia may find it difficult or impossible to bandage their children’s wounds. You might pass these tasks off to your spouse whenever possible. You may also overreact to minor injuries in your children as well as yourself, frequenting emergency rooms or walk-in clinics when home treatment would suffice.

Over time, such avoidant behaviors can lead to isolation. You might develop a social phobia or, in extreme cases, agoraphobia. Your relationships might suffer, and you might find it difficult to participate in even the normal activities of daily living. Feeling depressed is not unusual.

Treatment for Hemophobia

Hemophobia responds very well to many treatment methods. Therapy is generally the first-line treatment option, and medication may also prove helpful.

Medication

If your phobia is severe, medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs may help. These may be prescribed to control the anxiety and allow you to focus on your treatment, or they may be useful in situations where you have to undergo a medical procedure or otherwise face your fear of blood.

Psychotherapy

One of the most common psychotherapy options for phobias is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In CBT, you learn to replace your fearful self-talk with healthier responses to the sight of blood. You also learn new behaviors and coping strategies.

Your therapist may also try exposure therapy, where you are gradually exposed to things that trigger your fear. In exposure therapy, your therapist provides you with guidance and a safe environment to help you learn how to calm yourself down at the sight of blood.

A skilled therapist can guide you through the process of recovery, which can be difficult or impossible on your own. With help, though, there is no reason for hemophobia to control your life.

Coping With Hemophobia

You can learn to manage your hemophobia, and seeking professional treatment is an important part of that process.

Taking other steps can also help, like:

• Learning more about your condition and understanding what triggers your fear
• Incorporating stress-management techniques into your daily routine
• Leaning on friends and family for support

If you experience fainting at the sight of blood, familiarizing yourself with the symptoms that typically precede a fainting spell may help you reduce your chance of injury. If you feel faint, try to:

• Get to a safe area to prevent a fall
• Practice breathing exercises to combat any hyperventilation
• Tense the muscles in your arms, legs, and core to try to prevent yourself from fainting

Summary

While it is natural to feel uncomfortable at the sight of blood, if your fear is keeping you from undergoing regular medical check-ups and necessary procedures, it may be time to consult with a mental healthcare professional who understands how to treat phobias. Treatment can alleviate the anxiety associated with hemophobia and help you recover from your symptoms.