The capital's psychologist told how not to be afraid to become a donor

• Hemophobia in children and adults
• Why does a phobia occur?
• Causes
• Main symptoms
• Treatment of hemophobia
• Correct installation
• Drug treatment
• Exercises to calm down
• Meditation to treat hemophobia

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.

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.

Misconceptions related to HIV and AIDS

The fear of getting tested is usually caused not by the procedure itself, but by the fear of contracting an incurable disease. Very often on specialized forums you can read the following statements: “... I’m terribly afraid to donate blood for HIV...”, “... I took an HIV test, and now I’m waiting and I’m terribly afraid of the result...”, “... I’m afraid I’ve become infected with HIV...”, “ ...I'm afraid that I have HIV...” Such thoughts arise because many myths have been created around the human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS. Among them, the most common are:

• HIV is an inevitable death. A person infected with the virus can live a long and happy life. To do this, you need to start treatment as quickly as possible and follow the prescribed antiretroviral therapy regimen;
• If the tests reveal HIV, then the person has AIDS. In fact, HIV and AIDS are not the same condition at all. The syndrome develops as the final stage of HIV in the absence of proper treatment for the infection;
• A pregnant woman with HIV will definitely give birth to a sick child. The risk of a baby becoming infected from the mother in the womb is reduced to 50%. But if the woman was under the supervision of a doctor and underwent treatment, then it becomes minimal;
• a person with HIV becomes an outcast because he is dangerous to others. It is impossible to become infected with this infection through everyday life or through communication with a sick person. As mentioned above, the virus can only enter the body through blood, semen or other biological fluid. But if a sick person receives proper treatment, then the risk of infection even during unprotected sex is reduced to 1%. Being in a large group is more dangerous for the patient himself than for the people around him, since his weakened immune system will be under great strain.

Recently, much attention has been paid to preventing the development of HIV infection. One of its directions is explanatory work with the population regarding the characteristics of the disease. If people are less afraid of HIV infection, then taking a test for it or an AIDS test will not be so scary.

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.

A child is afraid of blood: what to do and who to contact?

If time is lost or serious mistakes are made in raising a child, the recommendations listed may be ineffective. In this case, you should contact a qualified specialist as soon as possible. It will help you cope with the problem in a short time, clarifying the causes of fear and unobtrusively correcting negative behavior.

You can make an appointment with experienced children's psychological specialists by phone or by filling out an application on the website. Timely assistance will help preserve the child’s mental health and restore his confidence.

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.

Blood Center

Whole blood collection collects 450 ml of blood, which is approximately ten percent of an adult's total blood volume. This does not pose any danger to the donor's health and does not cause deterioration in health. In very rare cases (in our Blood Center in approximately 1% of all blood donation procedures), during the blood collection process or after completion of the procedure, the donor may experience the following side effects, or so-called. donor reactions: weakness, dizziness, cold sweat, fainting, etc.

Possible risk factors for donor reaction:

• fasting blood donation
• lack of sleep
• emotional stress (fear of the upcoming procedure, the sight of blood or donor reaction of another person)
• overwork
• severe pain during venipuncture

The appearance of precursors of loss of consciousness (weakness, headache) is facilitated by a drop in the donor’s blood pressure.

To ensure that the process of donating blood does not pose a danger to your health, you must be healthy, rested and well-fed.

We remind you that:

• the day before donating blood and the day after donating, it is advisable to drink as much water or juice as possible;
• Eat more low-fat, iron-rich foods (red meat, liver, dark green leafy vegetables, etc.);
• the most suitable time to donate blood is 2-3 hours after a meal;
• if you usually have low blood pressure, then to increase it, eat more salty foods, both before and after donating blood;
• After the procedure, also drink liquid - the Blood Center offers tea, coffee and juice for this. To go with this, snacks are also offered - sweet and salty cookies;
• rest after donating blood and allow your body to get used to the smaller volume of blood before starting your daily activities;
• both on the day of blood donation and the next day, it is advisable to avoid serious physical activity (training, competitions), visiting the bathhouse and swimming.

Fainting during blood sampling is often due to psychological reasons (emotions).

To prevent fainting:

• do not look towards the needle and blood bag;
• try to think about something else, provide yourself with a positive attitude - after all, by donating blood, you are saving someone’s life
• Remember that a Blood Center employee is next to you during the entire blood draw and is ready to help you if necessary.

Muscle tension also helps prevent a drop in blood pressure: squeezing a rubber ball, periodically tensing the gluteal muscles and leg muscles.

Standing up suddenly after the procedure and standing for a long time can also provoke loss of consciousness.

If you feel weak, to avoid fainting you should:

• make any movements: cross your legs, tense your gluteal muscles or muscles of the whole body - this will help you avoid a drop in pressure;
• if you feel clouded consciousness, immediately squat down;
• if possible, take a horizontal position with your legs raised;
• eat something salty (we have salty cookies at the Blood Center, salty food after leaving us);
• drink liquid.

If you feel weak, tense your muscles; If you feel faint, immediately squat down

We wish you that the blood donation procedure leaves a pleasant impression and passes without side effects! Blood Center

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