Blood phobia

Blood phobia (also, AE: Hemophobia, BE: Haemophobia, from Greek αἷμα - haima, "blood"[1] and φόβος - phobos, "fear"[2]) is the extreme and irrational fear of blood. Acute cases of this fear can cause physical reactions that are uncommon in most other fears, specifically vasovagal syncope (fainting).[3] Similar reactions can also occur with trypanophobia and traumatophobia. For this reason, these phobias are categorized as "blood-injection-injury phobia" by the DSM-IV.[4] Some early texts refer to this category as "blood-injury-illness phobia."[5]

Contents

Etiology

Blood phobia is often caused by direct or vicarious trauma in childhood or adolescence.[5] Though some have suggested a possible genetic link, a study of twins suggests that social learning and traumatic events, rather than genetics, is the primary problem.[6]

Treatment

The standard approach to treatment is the same as with other phobias - cognitive-behavioral therapy, desensitization, and possibly medications to help with the anxiety and discomfort.  In recent years, the technique known as applied tension, applying tension to the muscles in an effort to increase blood pressure, has increasingly gained favor as an often effective treatment for blood phobia associated with drops in blood pressure and fainting.[7][8][9] [10]

See also

References

  1. ^ αἷμα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  2. ^ φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  3. ^ The Merck Manual, http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec15/ch196/ch196e.html, retrieved 2007-05-19 
  4. ^ Lipsitz, JD; Barlow, DH; Mannuzza, S; Hofmann, SG; Fyer, AJ (July 2002), "Clinical features of four DSM-IV-specific phobia subtypes", The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 190 (7): 471–8, doi:10.1097/00005053-200207000-00009, PMID 12142850 
  5. ^ a b Thyer, Bruce A.; Himle, Joseph; Curtis, George C. (July 1985), "Blood-Injury-Illness Phobia: A Review", Journal of Clinical Psychology 41 (4): 451–9, doi:10.1002/1097-4679(198507)41:4<451::AID-JCLP2270410402>3.0.CO;2-O, PMID 4031083 
  6. ^ Neale, MC; Walters, EE; Eaves, LJ; Kessler, RC; Heath, AC; Kendler, KS (December 15, 1994), "Genetics of blood-injury fears and phobias: a population-based twin study", American Journal of Medical Genetics 54 (4): 326–34, doi:10.1002/ajmg.1320540411, PMID 7726205 
  7. ^ Ost, L.G.; et al. (1991), "Applied tension, exposure in vivo, and tension-only in the treatment of blood phobia", Behaviour Research and Therapy 29 (6): 561–574, doi:10.1016/0005-7967(91)90006-O, PMID 1684704. 
  8. ^ Ditto, B.; et al. (2009), "Physiological correlates of applied tension may contribute to reduced fainting during medical procedures", Annals of Behavioral Medicine 37 (3): 306–314, doi:10.1007/s12160-009-9114-7, PMID 19730965. 
  9. ^ Ayala, E.S.; et al. (2009), "Treatments for blood-injury-injection phobia: a critical review of current evidence", Journal of Psychiatric Research 43 (15): 1235–1242 REVIEW, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.04.008, PMID 19464700. 
  10. ^ Peterson, Alan L. (Lt. Col.); Isler III, William C. (Capt.) (September 2004), "Applied tension treatment of vasovagal syncope during pregnancy", Military Medicine 169 (9): 751–3, PMID 15495734