This is a question for people like doctors I guess I could say....?

Question

How do you deal with blood? And sticking people with needles? I mean, I'm ok with a needle as long as it's not coming towards me. I'm not the touchy kind of person and don't feel comfortable around doctors. Does anybody else feel that way?

Answer 1

They both relate to phobias those we are accountants by trade. And like all phobias they can be dangerous as outlined below for fear of the phobia prevents, it might seem from seeking necessary treatment.

The American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV - relates to phobic disorders in three different classifications, Agoraphobia, Social Phobia and Specific Phobia.

And there have been many excellent books and other publications on the matter including but not limited to the following:

American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.) (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: Author.

Eckert, E. D., Heston, L. L., & Bouchard, T. J. (1981). MZ twins reared apart. Preliminary findings of psychiatric disturbances and trait. In L. Gedda, P. Paris, & W. D. Nance (Eds.) Twin research (Vol. 1). New York: Alan Liss.

Gray, P. (1994) Psychology, 2nd ed. New York: Worth.

Kirmayer, L. J. (1991). The place of culture in psychiatric nosology: Taijin kyofusho and DSM-III-R. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 179, 19-28.

Kleinknecht, R. A. (1982). The origins and remission of fear in a group of tarantula enthusiasts. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 20, 437-443.

Kleinman, A. (1988). Rethinking psychiatry. New York: Macmillian.

Lefton, L.A. (1997) Psychology, 6th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

McNally, R. J. (1987). Preparedness and phobias: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 283-303.

McNally, R. J. (1990). Psychological approaches to panic disorder: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 403-419.

Mineka, S. (1985). The frightful complexity of the origin of fears. In F.R. Brush & J. B. Overmier (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of behavior therapy (pp. 81-111). New York: Plenum.

Mineka, S., Cook, M., & Miller, S. (1984). Fear conditioned with escapable and inescapable shock: The effects of a feedback stimulus. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 10, 307-323.

Ost, L.-G. & Hugdahl, K. (1981). Acquisition of phobias and anxiety response patterns in clinical patients. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 19, 439-447.

Seligman, Martin E. P. (1971). Phobias and preparedness. Behavior Therapy, 2, 307-320.

Webb, K., & Davey, Graham C. L. (1993). Disgust sensitivity and fear of animals: Effect of exposure to violent or revulsive material. Anxiety, Coping and Stress, 5 329-335.

Williams, S. L., Kinney, P.J., & Falbo, J. (1989). Generalization of therapeutic changes in agoraphobia: The role of perceived self-efficacy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 436-442.
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So we have provided some stuff to assist and the links to which they relate on both needles and blood type phobias. Needlephobia (yes believe it or not they call it this), How brilliant huh? (smiles) and last but not least, fear of blood type phobias. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12350

and just for fun, I have what they call in my office a Fear of Phobias. I wonder if they would add it to the list. No seriously, check out this link, http://www.phobialist.com/ - I fear I did not know there were so many.

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Needles and the Fear of Needles
http://arthritis.about.com/od/needlephobia/Needle_Phobia_The_Fear_Of_Needles_Or_Treatment_Involving_Needles.htm

Needle Phobia - The Fear Of Needles Or Treatment Involving Needles - PS: is really known as Aichmophobia - certainly that is fitting, it most definitely does at times "Aich" to have a needle jabbed in you.

Needlephobia is the fear of needles or treatment involving needles. For some, this fear can turn into avoidance of needed treatment. This issue gains in importance as more arthritis drugs and treatments are reliant on needles.

Needlephobia treatment includes techniques and methods to better understand, unlearn and cope with the anxiety reaction and topical anesthetics that can numb the skin.

A phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of a particular type of object, animal, activity, or situation.
Causes

Specific phobias are a type of anxiety disorder in which exposure to the feared stimulus may provoke extreme anxiety or a panic attack. Specific phobias are among the most common of all psychiatric disorders, affecting up to 10% of the population.

Common phobias include the fear of particular animals (for instance, dogs or snakes), insects or spiders, high places, lightening, flying, and blood. People with specific phobias often realize their fear is irrational, but are unable to prevent it.
Symptoms

* Exposure to the feared object provokes an anxiety reaction.
* The anxiety and discomfort is out of proportion to the real threat of the feared object.
* The person may experience excessive sweating, poor motor control, or rapid heart rate.
* The person avoids situations in which contact with the feared object or animal may occur -- for example, avoiding driving through tunnels, if tunnels are the subject of the specific phobia. This type of avoidance can interfere with job and social functioning.
* The person may feel weak or cowardly and lose self-esteem when avoiding the object of the phobia.

Exams and Tests

* Rapid heart rate
* Elevated blood pressure
* History of phobia
* Description of behavior from family, friends, and affected person

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to help the person function effectively. The success of the treatment usually depends on the severity of the phobia.

Systematic desensitization is a technique used to treat phobias. The person is asked to relax, then imagine the components of the phobia, working from the least fearful to the most fearful. Graded real-life exposure has also been used with success to help people overcome their fears.

Anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications are sometimes used to help relieve the symptoms associated with phobias. Phobia clinics and group therapy are available in some areas to help people deal with common phobias, such as a fear of flying.
Outlook (Prognosis)

Phobias tend to be chronic, but they can respond to treatment.
Possible Complications

Some phobias may have consequences that affect job performance or social functioning. Some anti-anxiety medications used to treat phobias, such as benzodiazepines, may cause physical dependence.
When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call for an appointment with your health care provider or a mental health professional if a simple phobia is interfering with life activities.

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Blood Phobia - includes live help and other resources to help you if you should so need it.

Symptoms of blood phobia:

Seeing blood or only thinking about blood can result in the following symptoms:
breathlessness, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, feeling sick, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality or a full blown anxiety attack.

You are not the only one to suffer from blood phobia. Most sufferers are surprised to learn that they are far from alone in this surprisingly common, although often unspoken, phobia.

Blood phobia is an intense fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. While adults with blood phobia realize that these fears are irrational, they often find that facing, or even thinking about facing, the feared situation brings on a panic attack or severe anxiety.

or check out, http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12350


Definition of Fear of blood

Fear of blood: An abnormal and persistent fear of blood. Sufferers of this very common phobia dread the sight of their own blood, the sight of the blood of another person or an animal, and sometimes printed or filmed images of blood or even thoughts of blood. Blood may remind them of their own vulnerability to injury and of the eventuality of death.

Some sufferers of hemophobia experience an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Other sufferers experience an atypical phobic reaction characterized by a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, causing paleness and weakness. They may even faint. Those with the latter reaction may develop a new fear: the fear of fainting.

Through the ages, writers have done little to calm the fear of blood. In Homer's Iliad, waterways run red with blood as a wrathful Achilles harvests his crop of Trojans. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, blood becomes a terrifying symbol of guilt to Lady Macbeth, and she washes her hands raw to rid them of blood, real or imagined. In Bram Stoker's Dracula blood becomes the nurture of a vampire.

This fear of blood is termed "hemophobia," a word derived from the Greek "haima" (blood) and "phobos" (fear). Other English words derived from "haima" include "hemodialysis" (a procedure that removes impurities from the blood), "hemoglobin" (a blood component that transports oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body) and "hemorrhage" (rapid blood loss). Alternate name for hemophobia: hematophobia.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12350

Wayne Barney
President
BC Business Services, Inc.
http://www.bcbsinc.com - many financial resources to help

Answer 2

I have worked with needles for almost two years now. At first everyone feels a little uncomfortable, but if you don't have any blood phobia, then you should be fine. People don't feel comfortable with doctors because they are scared of getting yelled at. Just remember doctors are people like me and you. Well I will be in medical school in one year then I will eventually become a doctor and I don't want people to be scared of me.

Answer 3

Don't go to med school. On that day, lucky for me I'm not touchy and my pain tolerance is high, we all had to start using needles. I got stuck about ten times, eight by one girl. She left the needle dangling in me because she couldn't "do it" anymore. I had to finish. That's the hard part, doing it to yourself.

Since then, I've had a bone disease and have had surgery about fifteen times over the last few years with more to come. It just doesn't bother me anymore, I'm just tired of it.

Answer 4

It's just a matter of getting used to the idea. It will help you feel at ease around doctors specially if the doctor you meet is single, handsome and well off. Doctors can be very nice people too! Just have an open mind about the whole thing.

Answer 5

Very simple. You have to relaize that you are helping a person. That person may need blood drawn or a shot given to make them better.
In the operating room, you have to deal with blood, beause that person is there, and usually not by choice, and you are going to do everything in your power to make them well.
If they start to die, you are going to do everything in your power to save them.
If they do die, you know you did the best you could.
Same way with needles, etc. you are doing your best to help someone who needs you.

Answer 6

you are able to desire to continuously attempt to get a 2d opion you are able to desire to even ask the well being care provider's for it. yet do no longer enable them to tell you no. and examine out to stay advantageous he desires you to be sturdy for him.

Answer 7

meee! oh i hate doctors. blood=gross.
bleckkk!