FEAR OF BLOOD - Symptoms and Treatment for the Fear of Blood - Hemophobia, or fear of blood, is a common specific phobia. 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. 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.

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Fear of Blood

Symptoms and Treatment for the Fear of Blood

The fear of blood 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. Hemophobia is often related to other phobias - some people with a fear of blood also have other medical phobias, such as fears of medical needles, doctors and dentists. 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 some cases, the fear of blood may be related to the fear of death

By Lisa Fritscher 

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD 

Hemophobia, or fear of blood, is a common specific phobia.

The fear is categorized by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 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 paradox — 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.

Lisa Fritscher

Writer

Expertise

Phobias

Education

University of South Florida, Polk State College

Highlights

Experienced in community mental health

Case management and hands-on care at various mental health facilities

Experience

Lisa Fritscher is a former writer for Verywell Mind covering phobias. Lisa first became interested in mental health during her childhood, when she frequently accompanied her mother, a therapist, to work at the Winter Haven Hospital Community Mental Health Center. With years of familiarity in the field, it was only natural that Lisa would follow in her mother's footsteps. Her diverse experiences include both case management and hands-on patient care at a variety of residential and outpatient facilities.

Education

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Florida.

Verywell Mind Editorial Process

Verywell Mind is an award-winning, trusted, and compassionate online resource that provides the guidance you need to improve your mental health and find balance. We take a human approach to health and wellness content and reach more than 150 million readers annually.

Our editorial team includes writers, editors, and fact checkers who are all focused on making sure our information is clear, accurate, and actually useful so you can make confident choices about your mental health.

Our writers are notable voices in their respective disciplines, including board-certified physicians, therapists, health journalists, and other mental health experts. These individuals are specifically selected for both their extensive knowledge and real-world experience, as well as their ability to communicate complex information in a clear, helpful, and unbiased way.

Our team of qualified and experienced fact checkers provide a critical step in our commitment to content integrity. Fact checkers rigorously review articles for accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We use only the most current and reputable primary references, including peer-reviewed medical journals, government organizations, academic institutions, and advocacy associations.

Steven Gans, MD

Review Board Member

 Psychiatrist

Expertise

Psychiatry, Psychotherapy

Education

Harvard Medical School, Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Rush University Medical College, Massachusetts General Hospital

Highlights

Assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

Attending psychiatrist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, where he leads a team-based approach to the management and recovery of patients with serious mental illnesses

Board-certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

I am thrilled to be involved with Verywell in their mission to bring accurate and accessible information regarding health issues to everyone. This is an especially crucial time that the information available to the public in understanding their health is factual, clear, and contextually useful.”

— STEVEN GANS, MD

Experience

Dr. Gans is passionately involved in the practice and teaching of psychotherapy. He is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program and in their Program in Psychodynamics (PIP). A graduate of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, he is a supervisor and mentor in their Advanced Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Training Program.

He serves as a psychotherapist attending to the Pavilion program at McLean Hospital. Dr. Gans was a psychiatric consultant for the Laurel Hill Inn eating disorders treatment program, and served as the Clinical Challenges editor for the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. He has previously been named to “Best Doctors” by Boston Magazine.

Education

Dr. Gans received a Bachelor in Science degree from Loyola University of Chicago. He earned his medical degree from Rush University Medical College. Dr. Gans did his residency in psychiatry at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He is a graduate of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

https://www.verywellmind.com/fear-of-blood-hemophobia-causes-and-symptoms-2671861

HIGHWAY HYPNOSIS - Highway hypnosis or white line fever is a trance-like state under which a person drives a motor vehicle in a normal, safe manner yet has no recollection of having done so. Drivers experiencing highway hypnosis may zone out for short distances or hundreds of miles. There is a difference between driving while tired and automatic driving. Highway hypnosis occurs when a person zones out while driving a motor vehicle, often driving a significant distance with no memory of having done so. Highway hypnosis is also known as automatic driving. It is not the same as fatigued driving, as a person may engage in automatic driving safely. Safety and reaction times are negatively affected by driving when tired.

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Understanding Highway Hypnosis

What Highway Hypnosis Is and How to Beat It

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. 

Have you ever driven home and arrived at your destination without remembering how you got there?

No, you weren't abducted by aliens or taken over by your alternate persona. You simply experienced highway hypnosis.

Highway hypnosis or white line fever is a trance-like state under which a person drives a motor vehicle in a normal, safe manner yet has no recollection of having done so.

Drivers experiencing highway hypnosis may zone out for short distances or hundreds of miles.

The idea of highway hypnosis was first introduced in an 1921 article as "road hypnotism," while the term "highway hypnosis" was introduced in 1963 by G.W. Williams.

In the 1920s, researchers observed motorists appeared to fall asleep with their eyes open and continue to steer vehicles normally.

In the 1950s, some psychologists suggested otherwise unexplained automobile accidents might be due to highway hypnosis.

However, modern studies suggest there is a difference between driving while tired and automatic driving.

Key Takeaways: Highway Hypnosis

·     Highway hypnosis occurs when a person zones out while driving a motor vehicle, often driving a significant distance with no memory of having done so.

·    Highway hypnosis is also known as automatic driving. It is not the same as fatigued driving, as a person may engage in automatic driving safely. Safety and reaction times are negatively affected by driving when tired.

·    Ways to avoid highway hypnosis include driving during daytime, drinking a caffeinated beverage, keeping the interior of the vehicle cool, and engaging in conversation with a passenger.

Highway Hypnosis Versus Fatigued Driving

Highway hypnosis is an example of the phenomenon of automaticity.

Automaticity is the ability to perform actions without consciously thinking about them.

People perform daily activities automatically all the time, such as walking, riding a bike, or performing a learned and practiced skill, such as knitting.

Once a skill is mastered, it's possible to perform it while focusing on other tasks. For example, a person skilled at driving a car can plan a grocery list while driving.

Because the stream of consciousness is directed at the other task, partial or complete amnesia of the time spent driving can occur.

While driving "on automatic" may seem hazardous, automaticity may actually be superior to conscious driving for professional or skilled drivers.

This is called the "centipede effect" after the fable of the "centipede's dilemma" or "Humphrey's law" after psychologist George Humphrey.

In the fable, a centipede was walking along as usual until another animal asked it how it moved with so many feet.

When the centipede thought about walking, its feet became entangled.

Humphrey described the phenomenon another way, "No man skilled at a trade needs to put his constant attention on the routine work. If he does, the job is apt to be spoiled."

In the context of driving, thinking too hard about the actions being performed may worsen the skill.

For most drivers, the dull trance state they experience is really falling asleep at the wheel rather than hypnosis.

While a person experiencing true highway hypnosis automatically scans the environment for threats and alerts the brain of danger, a tired driver starts to experience tunnel vision and reduced awareness of other drivers and obstacles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatigued driving accounts for over 100,000 collisions per year and about 1550 deaths.

Drowsy driving is extremely dangerous, as it increases reaction time and impairs coordination, judgement, and memory.

Numerous studies have shown sleep-deprived driving is more dangerous than driving under the influence of a 0.05% blood alcohol level.

The distinction between highway hypnosis and fatigue driving is that it's possible to experience automaticity while being wide awake.

Driving when tired, on the other hand, can lead to falling asleep at the wheel.

How to Stay Awake at the Wheel

Whether you're freaked out by the idea of driving on autopilot (highway hypnosis) or are tired and trying to stay awake at the wheel, there are steps you can take to improve your focus and wakefulness.

Drive in Daylight: Driving during daylight hours helps prevent fatigue driving because people are naturally more alert under lighted conditions. Also, the scenery is more interesting/less monotonous, so it's easier to remain aware of surroundings.

Drink Coffee: Drinking coffee or another caffeinated beverage helps keep you awake a few different ways.

First, the caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain, which fights sleepiness. The stimulant increases metabolism and directs the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream, which feeds your brain.

Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, meaning you'll have to stop for a bathroom break more often if you drink a lot while driving.

Finally, consuming either a very hot or very cold drink will command your attention.

If you prefer not to take more bathroom breaks, caffeine pills are available over the counter to provide the benefits without the additional liquid.

Eat Something: Munching on a snack gives you immediate energy and requires just enough attention to keep you on task.

Have Good Posture: Good posture maximizes blood flow throughout the body, helping to keep you in top form.

Crank the A/C: It's harder to fall asleep or into a trance if you're uncomfortable. One way to achieve this is to make the inside of the vehicle uncomfortably cold.

During warm months, you can turn the air conditioner down to some arctic setting. In the winter, cracking a window helps.

Listen to Music You Hate: Music you enjoy may lull you into a relaxed state, while tunes you loathe cause irritation. Think of it as a sort of audio thumbtack, preventing you from getting too comfortable to doze off.

Listen to People Talking: Engaging in a conversation or listening to talk radio requires more concentration than listening to music.

For most people, it's a pleasant way to pass the time while remaining clear-headed. For drivers who seek to get into the zone, the sound may be an unwanted distraction.

Stop and Take a Break: If you're driving tired, you're dangerous to yourself and others. Sometimes the best course of action is to get off the road and get some rest!

Prevent Problems: If you know you'll be driving a long distance, at night, or in poor weather, you can prevent a lot of problems by making certain you're well-rested before starting the trip.

Catch a nap before trips that start later in the day. Avoid taking medications that make you drowsy, such as antihistamines or sedatives.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Science educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

ThoughtCo and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.

Widely-published graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other illustrations used in science.

Experience

Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels. She has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse scientific literature for the Department of Energy.

In addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college professor. 

Education

Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.

ThoughtCo and Dotdash

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site focusing on expert-created education content. We are one of the top-10 information sites in the world as rated by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. Every month, more than 13 million readers seek answers to their questions on ThoughtCo.

For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20 industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.

https://www.thoughtco.com/understanding-highway-hypnosis-4151811

SCHIZOPHRENICS AND PARALLEL UNIVERSES - Schizophrenia comes from the two Greek words that mean ‘to split’ and ‘mind’ because there is a split between what’s going on in their minds and what’s happening in reality. Usually sufferers only have a single personality, but could they, in fact, be living in parallel universes? As we are not physically aware of other universes their existences is purely theoretical and, therefore, open to conjecture. Quantum objects can exist in different states and it can be argued that each different state belongs to a different world. This would imply a multiverse. If the theory is correct then each possible outcome is in a different but parallel universe. String theory proposes that our universe is like a bubble existing alongside similar parallel universes and the parallel universes may come into contact with one another. Many scientists do not believe in multiverses, but others feel that any world that is mathematically coherent can in fact exist and each one is as likely as any other. These would not follow the same fundamental mathematical laws as our universe, but would have equal probability of existence. Life after death could even continue in a parallel universe that infrequently interacts with our own. Strange phenomena have been universally reported from individuals pronounced clinically dead or very close to death. This usually includes first a sense of awareness of being dead, such as viewing one’s body from above.

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Schizophrenics And Parallel Universes

Do Schizophrenics Live In Parallel Universes?

Author: Dr. Joe Valks

Anomalien.com

Schizophrenia comes from the two Greek words that mean ‘to split’ and ‘mind’ because there is a split between what’s going on in their minds and what’s happening in reality.

Usually sufferers only have a single personality, but could they, in fact, be living in parallel universes?

As we are not physically aware of other universes their existences is purely theoretical and, therefore, open to conjecture.

Quantum objects can exist in different states and it can be argued that each different state belongs to a different world. This would imply a multiverse.

This idea has been extended even further to cover actions with more than one possible outcome.

If the theory is correct then each possible outcome is in a different but parallel universe.

So, could schizophrenics actually be spanning more than one reality-state at once?

String theory proposes that our universe is like a bubble existing alongside similar parallel universes and the parallel universes may come into contact with one another.

This results in a big bang similar to the one that started our universe.

Many scientists do not believe in multiverses, but others feel that any world that is mathematically coherent can in fact exist and each one is as likely as any other.

These would not follow the same fundamental mathematical laws as our universe, but would have equal probability of existence.

So, who knows what lies over the rainbow? Perhaps you’re living there in your own paradise.

Life after death could even continue in a parallel universe that infrequently interacts with our own.

Strange phenomena have been universally reported from individuals pronounced clinically dead or very close to death.

This usually includes first a sense of awareness of being dead, such as viewing one’s body from above and watching the doctors and nurses desperately trying to resuscitate.

Then a sense of peaceful removal from the world takes over followed by rapid movement through a tunnel towards a powerful light, representing unconditional love.

They have even reported receiving knowledge about their life and the nature of the universe before making the decision to return to their body.

A new ‘psychological’ idea, from Mind Valley, called quantum jumping involves meeting up with your twin self in a parallel universe.

It entails initially hypnotizing oneself and then passing through a tunnel into a different universe and meeting up with one’s other worldly twin.

This ‘time twin’ lacks the particular complex that desperately needs to be cured.

When you remerge from the tunnel you have picked up their persona and your trauma is now cured. It’s kind of like repairing soul damage from your past.

You can also pick up knew talents from your talented other self before returning through the portal to modern day reality.

Actually, it’s even a bit like, ‘The One’, starring Jet Li, except you don’t have to battle or kill anyone unless you want to learn martial arts!

The complete process only takes about half an hour a day, but I’d think twice before forking out a fortune to Mind Valley for promises of wealth.

(Maybe selling you the CD is how quantum jumping really did help them get rich!)

As for parallel universes, all through high school people were telling me I lived in another universe – perhaps they were right!

Author: Dr. Joe Valks

Daily updated website dedicated to unexplained mysteries. Paranormal news, articles, real ghost stories, UFO, aliens and everything from A to Z of the unexplained, strange & odd.

https://anomalien.com/do-schizophrenics-live-in-parallel-universes/

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