Blood phobia

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Classification according to ICD-10
F40.2 specific (isolated) phobias
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

The blood phobia (also Hämatophobie , Hämaphobie , morbid fear of blood ) is an anxiety disorder . They can to the group of blood, injury and syringe phobias (English blood-injury phobia-injection are counted) and is in the ICD-10 classification (insulated) in the specific phobias. Characteristic is the pronounced fear of seeing blood and the avoidance of such situations (e.g. blood donation).

In contrast to other anxiety disorders, blood phobias often lead to fainting attacks . In contrast to panic patients , those affected show a typical biphasic autonomic reaction : After a very short phase with an increase in blood pressure and heart rate , these functions decrease dramatically, i.e. that is, hypotension and bradycardia occur . It is assumed that the parasympathetic nervous system overreacts , which leads to vasovagal syncope . In panic disorder, on the other hand, there is an overreaction of the sympathetic nervous system .

therapy

To counteract the powerlessness of Aus and colleagues specifically for Blutphobiker the method was tension applied (Applied tension) developed. In this situation, those affected should repeatedly tense their large skeletal muscles (arms, chest, legs) briefly in order to raise their blood pressure.

From the experience of those affected, the medical staff should be expressly advised of this phobia beforehand in the event of inevitable injections and / or blood withdrawals. Even a shock positioning actively carried out by the patient can prevent fainting.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Duden online , accessed on March 21, 2013.
  2. ^ BH Friedman, JF Thayer, TD Borcovec, RA Tyrrell, B.-H. Johnson, R. Columbo: Autonomic Characteristics of Nonclinical Panic and Blood Phobia. Biol. Psychiatry, 1993, Vol. 34, pp. 298-310.

literature

  • Lars-Göran Öst: Specific Phobias . In: Jürgen Margraf (Ed.): Textbook of behavior therapy. Volume 2. 3rd ed., 2009, ISBN 978-3-540-79542-1 , pp. 37-38.