have you overcome your fear of blood?

[Angels&Airwaves]

well ive decided to follow my fathers footsteps and im now on the long road to becoming an orthopedist. since im still in college...this could change. anyway...i now have a job working as a surgical assistant at our hospital. ive always been horribly afraid to see blood and different kinds of injuries (i even fainted after getting shots in the past! ) ive been training the past few days and have yet to witness some serious operations. i was just wondering if anyone else has overcome such a fear and if so, how? i know after being around different surgeries ill eventually overcome it...just curious about you all.

 

[erickkoch]

How about donating some blood? The sight of seeing a big bag of your own blood might do the trick. You might also try your hand at drawing blood and working as a volunteer at the ER. That should cure you real quick and if it doesn't, medicine may not be the career for you. Hope it works out for you.

 

[0098386]

I've never been able to overcome it, I'm only 22 so hopefully I've still got time
I don't mind little bits of blood, it's when there's a lot of it. And I can't even go near raw meat - it's so bad that I'd be vegetarian if I lived on my own. I've had 2 blood tests (which incidentally cured my fear of needles) which didn't really help, couldn't look at the vial after they finished.

 

[jimN]

I think you should probably seek some sort of professional help before undertaking a career that would depend entirely on you being able to overcome your phobia. Personally I don't see what the issue is. I regularly cut myself playing sports and bleed everywhere and I see blood literally everyday at work. It's just a viscous, red liquid. What's the big deal?

 

[kymac]

i. hate. blood.

i can deal with my own in moderation.. but pictures, video, real life.. it makes me turn snow white.. and dizzy and sweaty i have trouble breathing.. i wanted to be grow up and be a sports medicine doctor.. but had to change my plans due to blood. ugh. its making me sick just writing the word blood. ew

 

[teflon]

I think the only way to overcome fears like this is to embrace it. You might faint for the first couple weeks, have nightmares, and dread going to work. Every time you faint, you just have to get back to work as soon as you wake up. Tell yourself "I have to do this, I have a patient that's depending on me." Even when you want to run out, stay and watch if you're too paralyzed to do anything. I have an aunt who used to work as a nurse. She recalled the first couple weeks were the worst. She would get nightmares after seeing patients comes in with bloody arms or eyes. But after a while, she got used to it and it became normal to her to see blood.
It's good that you're testing this out early, so if you absolutely cannot overcome this fear you still have the time to change careers.
Good luck!

 

[foidulus]

Bloods about the only bodily fluid

that DOESNT bother me .

I cannot stand vomit, I cannot stand poo. I get sick whenever someone around me throws up or if I change a diaper, fortunately I don't have any kids so that doesn't come up too often but blood doesn't bother me in the least. Kind of weird I guess

 

[Mord]

I like blood, I like blood allot.

 

[quagmire]

Blood doesn't scare me. It's the needles that scare me to get to the blood. My veins are very hard to find so they have to dig and dig and dig for my veins and it hurts. I will always request for a butterfly needle when I need blood work.

 

[smokeyrabbit]

Pick a career that you like, not one that is your worst fear. Bat Man is just pretend, you know.