Faint around blood

[Nick1911]

Okay, so this is something that has been bothering me.

I faint around blood.  No idea why.  I can watch action movies, but some movies are too graphic and make me queasy.  I can't look at pictures of someone's deer hanging upside down without feeling queasy.  One time in grade school, one of my substitute teachers talked about open heart surgery, and I passed out.

One of the reasons this bothers me is because I am unable to hunt.

On the other side of things, I can chop up a raw piece of steak from the grocery store, no problem at all.  Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can 'get over' this kind of psychological problem?  I've done it since I was a little kid, so part of me thinks that it is something that I can't get over - that it's 'hardwired' so to speak.

Suggestions?  Advice?

TIA

[Manedwolf]

Watch medical shows?

I work for a medical company, so I'm completely immune. I can edit surgery videos with a sandwich in my mouth. 

[Brad Johnson]

Partial ick.  I remember when one of the guys I hung around with in college was taking gross anatomy.  The smell was, well, it was memorable.  Even right out of a shower and in a fresh change of clothes he still had the peculiar aroma med students are all too familiar with.

Brad

[Thor]

I never liked the smell of formaldehyde. It made me ill. I have a tough time gutting any creature, but I still hunt & fish. I guess it just takes some fortitude to suck it up and "just do it". I don't mind watching surgeries, but watching someone get a shot just gives me the willies. Go figure. I can mend myself, when needed, too.

[Euclidean]

I'm a strange one in that blood from a living thing bothers me, but I can look at a dead animal/person without wincing more than a normal person should even if they're bloody.

[wooderson]

blood doesn't bother me
needles don't bother me (getting shots/tattoos/etc.)

but needles going into veins makes me sick to my stomach - can't even watch the scenes in, say, Trainspotting, where someone's shooting up. Thus I've never given blood (and thankfully never needed an IV).

[jefnvk]

For whatever reason, blood doesn't bother me in the least.  Can't stand the thought of changing a diaper, though.

Becoming diabetic is a good way to get over the fear of needles.  If it is poking yourself or dying, the phobia goes away in a hurry.

[mfree]

"For whatever reason, blood doesn't bother me in the least.  Can't stand the thought of changing a diaper, though."

Ditto.

[charby]

Come deer hunting with me, you'll soon get over it.

I'm quick and dirty when I field dress a deer. The stimulus overload should make you less queasy.

[Paddy]

I have no problem with needles, IV's, giving blood, etc.  Tattoos and piercings creep me out, I always think 'infectious hepatitis.  And squirting blood from an artery makes me nervous.

[JonnyB]

Perhaps I'm weird...

Blood & guts don't bother me. Watching a needle (blood donor) go into my arm is no biggie. Changing diapers and cleaning up poop/pee/vomit is no problem.

Maybe due to all that farm work as a young lad, eh?

jb

[The Viking]

I don't get ill by seeing blood. I've cut myself more times than I can remember, and I butcher pigs for a living. I also got tattoos here and there on my body, and I would get pierced ears, nose and lips if it weren't for the little detail of jewelry being banned at my job, because of hygienic reasons.

Tattoos and piercings creep me out, I always think 'infectious hepatitis. 

I think it is standard to use the needles one time only these days. I know my guy does. Uses them once, sterilizes them, chucks them in a sharps container, when the container is full, he takes it to the local hospital. They send it off with their containers to be incinerated.

[Perd Hapley]

Nick, you are just a queasy little wuss, and there's no cure for that.

And I am too.  When I was a ground-pounder, I had to take the Combat Lifesaver course, which included sticking an IV in a live human arm.  Poor Sergeant Brewer.  I dug around for several minutes, and never did find that vein.      


Nick?  Somebody get the smelling salts. 

[Brad Johnson]

Nick... hmmmm...

Interesting name for a guy who hates the sight of blood.   

Brad

[The Viking]

Nick, you are just a queasy little wuss, and there's no cure for that.

And I am too.  When I was a ground-pounder, I had to take the Combat Lifesaver course, which included sticking an IV in a live human arm.  Poor Sergeant Brewer.  I dug around for several minutes, and never did find that vein.      


Nick?  Somebody get the smelling salts. 

While I've never had to stick an IV into an arm, mine or someone elses, I watched with huge fascination when they put it in my arm when I was in the hospital . I also look when I'm getting tattooed, I always watched when I got vaccinations as a kid as well .

[Perd Hapley]

I usually watch, because I'm so freaked out about it, I just have to know what they're doing to me. 

By the way, if you don't hate needles, you've probably never had them jabbed in between your toes, over and over and over again.   

[The Viking]

I usually watch, because I'm so freaked out about it, I just have to know what they're doing to me. 

By the way, if you don't hate needles, you've probably never had them jabbed in between your toes, over and over and over again.   

Haven't had any needles near my toes, but I do have 25+ hours under the tattoo needle. That friggin hurts. Seems like I've run out of adrenaline/the other "ine" that works as a pain relief. Used to walk in a happy, stupid daze for an hour or two after getting inked, but not anymore .

[wooderson]

I feel safer in a tattoo parlor than I do in most restaurants. Needles are single-use and sterilized (and in many places, the parlors are licensed by the board of health), etc. - whereas I've seen some seriously unappetizing kitchens at dinner rush on a Saturday night.

[onions!]

Dressing an animal never bothers me.

Now the staring,glaring,very white eyeballs-surrounded by a bloody scalp-now that always freaks me out.

Sorry

[roo_ster]

Nick, you are just a queasy little wuss, and there's no cure for that.

And I am too.  When I was a ground-pounder, I had to take the Combat Lifesaver course, which included sticking an IV in a live human arm.  Poor Sergeant Brewer.  I dug around for several minutes, and never did find that vein.      


Nick?  Somebody get the smelling salts. 

I did the same course.  I kinda enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed giving an IV while using PVs-7 & PVS-14 NVGs.  MOre of a challenge.

[Perd Hapley]

jfru, you stay away from me.  Psych eval for that one. 

[RevDisk]

I did the same course.  I kinda enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed giving an IV while using PVs-7 & PVS-14 NVGs.  MOre of a challenge.

I'd shoot anyone trying to stick me while wearing NVG's.  Freakin weirdos, I swear.  Get a freakin poncho and a red light!

Course I once did see someone getting trauma surgery during a helo ride.  Oy.  Probably a good thing the guy wasn't in a position to complain.

[CAnnoneer]

Nick, watch a few CSI episodes. 

[grampster]

Open your mouth wide and concentrate hard on breathing through your mouth while doing what needs to be done, such as gutting, skinning etc etc.

Part of your problem is the smell of blood, even if you don't understand that it is.

Breathing through a wide open mouth cuts down on smell. 

Primary thoughts must be focused on breathing through the mouth.

After awhile you will become desensitized.

[Sindawe]

Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can 'get over' this kind of psychological problem?

Well, I'd suggest working in the Bloodmines of Boulder making huge vats of the stuff, but sadly that technology sorta fell apart round about 2003.

Gradual repeated exposure to the stuff, working to desensitize youself might work.