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From: sandy
Date: 4/10/00
Time: 3:34:20 PM
Remote Name: 216.14.0.177
From: M.E.
I was 3 years old the first time I fainted; I had cut my finger with a tape measure. Since then, every time I scraped my knee, had to get a shot or blood drawn, or witnessed another persons bleeding or injured (including animals) I fainted. I fainted from a graphic passage in a book, listening to a classmate describe her spinal tap, getting fitted for contact lenses. First there is the anxiety and shallow breathing. Next my throat "feels funny" and I start to desperately look around (I guess instinctively looking for an escape). I start telling whoever is around that I'm going to faint (they usually don't take me seriously) Then the tunnel vision sets in. If I'm not sitting down at this point I'm in trouble. Witnesses have said they could see the color run from my face. Next I'm waking up, very disoriented, usually already crying. I ask where I am, then have to go to the restroom. I'm very depressed for the next 24 hours or so. I've suffered a lacerated lip, numerous concussions, many bruises, and total humiliation. Once, I hit my head so hard when I woke up I could only see in black and white. This freaked me out so bad, I fainted again (I got my color vision back). I learned more about this phobia when I wrote a research paper about it in college. I found very little information about the condition. It is very difficult to treat compared to other phobias, for obvious reasons.