Coping With the Fear of Blood

Coping With the Fear of Blood Phobias Types Print Symptoms and Treatment for the Fear of Blood By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on August 13, 2019 Martin Barraud/OJO Images/Getty Images More in Phobias Types Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment In This Article Table of Contents Expand Symptoms Causes Hemophobia in Popular Culture Consequences Treatment View All Back To Top Hemophobia, or fear of blood, is a common specific phobia. The fear is categorized by the DSM-5  (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Ed.) as part of the subtype “blood-injection-injury” phobias. This subtype, which also includes needle phobia, can cause symptoms that are not frequently seen in other types of specific phobias. Symptoms Most types of specific phobia cause heart rate and blood pressure to rise. Hemophobia and other blood-injection-injury phobias frequently cause a drop in blood pressure and heart rate. The sudden drop can lead to fainting, a relatively common response to the sight of blood. Anticipatory anxiety, in which you may experience a racing heart, shaking, and gastrointestinal distress, is common in the hours and days before an upcoming encounter with blood. Causes Hemophobia is often related to other phobias. Trypanophobia, or fear of medical needles, is sometimes associated with hemophobia. Some people with a fear of blood also have other medical phobias, such as fears of doctors and dentists. The field of medicine is popularly associated with gruesome images of spilled blood, particularly in television and movies, which may help to perpetuate such phobias. Hemophobia may also be associated with health phobias including hypochondriasis and nosophobia. Bleeding is an indication that something is wrong with the body, and the sight of one’s own blood can be enough to trigger? health anxiety. In those who experience  mysophobia  or fear of germs, the sight of someone else’s blood can trigger fears of catching a disease. In some cases, the fear of blood may be related to the fear of death. Hemophobia may be caused by a previous negative experience with blood. Those who have been through a traumatic injury or illness that caused a major loss of blood may be at increased risk. However, hemophobia may be inherited or even be rooted in evolutionary factors. Hemophobia in Popular Culture Because the fear of blood is extremely common, it is frequently exploited in popular culture. Horror movies and Halloween events prey on our natural aversion to blood, often featuring large quantities of fake blood in full Technicolor glory. Of course, as the 1980s slasher genre proved, it is easy to become emotionally numb to such images, particularly for those who have a fear, but not a full-blown phobia. Part of the reason that the shower scene in 1960s Psycho is still considered a masterpiece is the relative lack of gore. The scene was shot in black and white, and the knife never actually pierces the skin. Yet the mind fills in all of the details of a gruesome knife attack. Spilled blood sometimes creates a paradoxâ€"we can’t bear to look, yet we can’t bring ourselves to look away. Consequences 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. A fear of blood may also cause you to limit activities that carry a risk of injury. You might be unable to participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, camping or running. You may avoid sports, carnival rides and other activities that you perceive as dangerous. 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 Hemophobia responds very well to many treatment methods. One of the most common is cognitive-behavioral therapy. You will learn to replace your fearful self-talk with healthier responses to the sight of blood. You will also learn new behaviors and coping strategies. If your phobia is severe, medications can help control the anxiety, allowing you to focus on treatment strategies. Other forms of talk therapy, hypnosis, and even alternative treatments may also be helpful. 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.