I'm due for a doctor's appointment but they're gonna want to do blood work and I have a phlebotomy phobia (hexbear.net)

submitted 8 months ago by BigHaas@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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I think it's an actual phobia, my earliest memory is being held down by some doctors as they drew my blood. I'm not sure what to do about it:

Continue ignoring doctors
Simply accept the panic attack and get a blood test
Try to get prescribed a single benzo or attempt to self medicate with phenibut before the test
Go to actual therapy and successfuly eliminate the phobia (is this even possible?)

Yeah after typing this out the choice is clear. I will go with number 1.

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[-] PKMKII@hexbear.net 6 points 8 months ago

I’d recommend being honest and communicate this to your doctor. Let them know you’re due but that you’ve got this acute fear and see what they can do, maybe skip that or find some solution. Is it the needle going in that’s the trigger for you (trypanophobia), or is it the sight of the blood itself (hemophobia)? Depending on the nature of it, there might be different methods of dealing with the fear.