How to Overcome the Fear of Blood

Though most people have at least a slight aversion to blood, some find the sight of it so frightening that the fear interferes with everyday activities. Once it is confirmed that a phobia exists, certain methods can help mitigate the immediate effects of an irrational fear of blood. Therapists use treatments to help clients overcome the causes of the phobia, such as hypnotherapy and exposure therapy, an even more effective option.

Things You'll Need

• Mental health professional

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify whether your fear is a phobia. A phobia is an irrational fear of a thing or situation that goes beyond the mere avoidance of danger. Phobias can impede the regular activities of daily life. A phobia of blood, or hemophobia, may cause the sufferer to recoil, become dizzy or faint at the sight of even the smallest amount of blood.

• 2

  Find the root of your phobia. What might initially seem to be an irrational fear of blood may be linked to a different phobia. If you find yourself feeling unreasonably scared of situations in which blood is drawn with a needle, you may have trypanophobia, a fear of needles. If you feel especially fearful of seeing blood from your own injury, it could be a result of traumatophobia, a fear of injury. Gauge your reaction to different situations involving blood to deduce the trigger for your fear. This can be best identified with the help of a mental health professional.

• 3

  Tense your muscles if you see blood and feel dizzy or begin to faint. This will improve your immediate circulation and may prevent fainting. Though this does not aid you in overcoming your fear, this method reduces the severity of a negative reaction to the sight of blood.

• 4

  Seek professional help. Exposure therapy is a cognitive behavioral therapy that involves exposing the sufferer to the source of fear in controlled amounts. This can begin with something as subtle as a mention of the word "blood," eventually working toward the sight of blood. Most people find this type of therapy highly effective.

• 5

  Many sufferers of hemophobia find hypnotherapy an effective treatment for their fear. This treatment involves putting the patient under hypnosis and attempting to "debug" or isolate and amend the subconscious fear of blood. While this treatment works for some people, many others dispute its effectiveness.