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Random side note but feinting at the sight of blood isn't necessarily a squeamish thing. I remember when we were learning to place IV's and the med student a ro
by cloverich 4y ago
Random side note but feinting at the sight of blood isn't necessarily a squeamish thing. I remember when we were learning to place IV's and the med student a row over from me warned he would feint. The nurses teaching us tried to re-assure him but he interrupted -- "Oh I'm not squeamish or scared or anything, its just a reaction to blood specifically".
(TY for sharing your story btw, thought the aside was interesting enough to tangent on)
- rolisz 4y agoAny advice on how to get over that reaction to blood?
- Nux 4y agoSome sort of training I guess. Start with very little exposure then increase quantities. From what I understand the cause is an automatic response to lower the blood pressure, so as to limit the blood loss.
- LanceJones 4y agoPerhaps the brain of the "fainter" is mistakenly interpreting the blood as its own (that of its own body)?
- taskforcegemini 4y agomaybe watching the show "dexter" can help? I am weak to some blood stuff, I fainted once just talking about it. However, donating blood or watching dexter was ok.
- rolisz 4y agoI was not allowed to donate blood because the nurse noticed I started to look pale before I even got stuck with the needle.
- argentinian 4y agoContract some muscle, for example close and contract your hand. That would cause the blood to flow there and increase blood pressure preventing fainting. Blood phobia psychological treatments developed by behaviourists give that indication to patients during the exposure to blood and blood related experiences during the treatment. The name of the therapy is exposure therapy and it's the one with more evidence supporting it for treating phobias. Yes, its about "facing your fears" but it's done in a gradual way. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/exposure-therapy https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/exp... Therapists found ways to prevent the fainting during the blood-phobia treatment, allowing the graded exposure occur.
- at_a_remove 4y agoOh, his squeamishness was legendary. Despised horror films or too-graphic war movies. I saw him stop in his tracks, stagger back, and turn white upon seeing a fake dead rat from a Tom Sawyer costume. (And guess who had to bury the family pets?)
- OJFord 4y agoPhlebotomist insisted I look away while she took my blood for testing, I'm pretty certain I would be fine, but I suppose one can't really know short of experience, and she's had enough people gain a bad experience not to want to let anyone gain any! Surely a med student needs to overcome that though? Even going into say.. radiology, it seems bound to happen from time to time, isn't that just really inconvenient for everyone, embarrassing even for the doctor (by then) himself?
- thomasfedb 4y agoThere are specific courses for blood and needle phobias for medical students. From my understanding they’re mostly exposure therapy. Perhaps also some additional teaching about what be actual (low) risks with exposure are.