What is a blood phobia?
Blood phobia or needle phobia is an excessive or irrational fear associated with situations involving blood, injury, or injections. Blood or needle phobia typically leads to avoiding situations and, by definition, must cause significant distress or impairment in functioning. For example, if someone is afraid of needles but has no reason to come into contact with them, their fear wouldn’t be labeled as a phobia.
On the other hand, a medical student who fears the sight of blood could receive a phobia diagnosis because it may interfere with their learning in the medical profession. Similarly, avoiding dentists despite tooth pain could be a symptom of dental phobia.
People with blood and needle phobia tend to avoid various situations where most individuals feel comfortable. Some of these situations include watching TV shows or movies depicting violence or medical procedures, visiting hospitals, donating blood, and going to doctors or dentists.
Additionally, individuals with blood phobia are less likely to pursue medical careers such as nursing or dentistry or participate in activities related to blood contact (e.g., high school biology classes).
Like those afraid of blood, individuals with needle phobia often avoid visits to doctors and dentists. Furthermore, they may delay vaccinations and tests requiring injections (e.g., blood tests). People with needle phobia may choose medical procedures (e.g., childbirth) without anesthesia to avoid getting an injection and even avoid life changes that require blood tests (e.g., starting a new job).
In addition to the fear of blood and needles, other reasons for avoiding visits to doctors and dentists include fear of finding out about a serious illness (e.g., cancer), fear of pain, fear of negative judgment by the doctor or dentist (e.g., embarrassment about undressing in front of the doctor, discomfort due to poor oral hygiene), and fear of blood pressure or pulse measurements.
Like other phobias, blood and needle phobias are associated with intense fear. However, individuals with this type of phobia often also experience feelings of disgust in the face of blood, surgery, injury, or related situations (or images depicting them). In fact, for some individuals, disgust may be even stronger than fear.
English-speaking psychologists and cognitive-behavioral therapists based in Cracow, Poland. We also offer online psychotherapy and counseling.
Consulta psicológica y terapia en español en Cracovia u online.
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