Blood Injury and Injection Phobia

 Blood injury injection (BII) phobia is a common psychiatric disorder, with an estimated prevalence of 3% to 4% in the general population . While most patients with blood injury phobia will not look for medical assistance and refuse medical appointments because of anxiety symptoms emerging with exposure, do not present to clinics or hospitals, and generally refuse hospital appointments because these things act as a phobic stimulus to them which increase their anxiety. BII phobia is a condition in which people are likely to faint at the sight of blood, the anticipation of physical injury, or the anticipation of an injection, characterised by avoidance behaviour and intense, irrational fear in response to seeing blood, injections, injuries, disability, or exposure to these or other similar medical procedures . It is often called a blood-injury-injection (BII) phobia because often blood, injury, and injection are the cues that can trigger a faint as is generally represented in the literature as BII phobia. As modern medicine mostly depends on injections, BII phobia has become an increasingly important issue. “Blood-injury phobia” is a curious type of specific phobia with distinct clinical features.

Symptoms of Blood Injury and Injection Phobia

At the sight or prospect of blood, a blood-inducing injury, or an injection, BII phobic individuals may experience:

  • Decreased blood pressure leading to fainting
  • Anxiety and intense, irrational fear of seeing blood, being injured or disabled, or receiving an injection
  • Avoidance behaviours

How to Overcome a Blood Injury and Injection Phobia with Applied Tension (AT)

If your fear of blood, an injury, or injection is so intense that you find yourself avoiding doctor appointments, routine tests, or vaccines, talk to your doctor or seek treatment by a certified mental health care provider. A common treatment for BII phobia is Applied Tension (AT), a technique to help BII phobic individuals prevent fainting or recover more quickly if they faint. AT involves tensing your muscles, which raises your blood pressure, making you less likely to faint.

If you would like to learn about AT as a viable method for coping with your BII phobia, talk to your doctor or a mental health care provider to determine if AT is right for you and for assistance in learning how to apply the methodology to the situations in which you find yourself fearful.

In general, to apply AT, you may be directed to follow steps such as those outlined below:

  • Sit comfortably and tense your arms, legs, and core muscles for 10 – 15 seconds or until you feel a warm sensation in your head
  • Relax your body for 20 to 30 seconds and return to a normal state; avoid allowing yourself to be overcome with feelings of relaxation, which may cause your blood pressure to drop
  • Repeat the cycle five times

If your care provider advises that AT may be a viable technique to help you cope with BII phobia, your care provider may encourage you to practice your AT technique a few times a day for at least a week before you expect to be exposed to blood or an injection to help you mindfully master the technique so that you can use it effectively when needed.


REFERENCES- 

https://www.novahealth.com/how-to-overcome-blood-injury-and-injection-bii-phobia/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4094700/#:~:text=BII%20phobia%20is%20a%20condition,exposure%20to%20these%20or%20other


~Tanvi Meena



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