Psychological Fainting

[MareGrove]

I am a 25 year old woman who has been a fainter since 2nd grade.  My fainting has always been caused by blood or medical situations (which I have learned is called psychogenic syncope).  I was told as a child that I would eventually "grow out of this".  Well here I am at 25, still fainting and now my symptoms have only gotten worse.  About a year ago I went to the dermatologist and had to have moles removed. During the procedure after I fainted (multiple times) I started vomitting. I figured this was a one time thing due to the length of my time in their office.  But when I went to my gynecologist and had to get a lump biopsy I fainted and threw up all over again!  Now I am so stressed out about going to the doctor I am refusing to make appointments.  I was prescribed Ativan to help with the stress of fainting but haven't been able to get up the nerve to try this. My question is: Will I ever stop fainting?  I am thinking no and that leads me to think that I should never have children because I won't be able to take care of them if they get hurt. Is there anything I can do to stop this??
Sorry for the novel! Thanks for any advice!

[Dellyboy]

Hi I am now 60 years old and have had this problem all my life. I can't even watch a TV program on medical oppertions, I will faint. I now have a big problem I have had a heart attack and an operation, every time doctors talk to me about it I pass out. They keep thinking I'm having another heart attack. I came round today in room with all the gear in it and was worried they were going to start giving me electric shock. I'm glad I found this post I'll let my doctor know. On having babies, to girl who wrote post. I found in bad accidents if someone else I'm OK

[aaronbanks]

I have heard of this and I would love to learn more about it. Should I talk to some psychologists in Edmonton? I figure the best people to talk to would be the people who study them.

[A_non]

Hi I also suffer from this problem, in year 4 I began to faint during health and sport lessons, my teachers even excussed me from answering this type of question in tests, I would over think situations and find my self worried and overwhelmed. I would then get cold sweats and pass out. Since year 6 I did not faint for three years, I had to be sent outside occasionally but I would just try to distract myself, doodle and talk etc. but today I am now in year 9 and we were watching a medical doccumebtry. I didn't feel the symptoms coming on as well this time, I went oustsie to get a drink and found myself blacking out. It was unexpected and I don't understand why after 3 years of enduring the lessons that I passed out again, it's frustrating trying to clear your mind from playing the thing that triggered the nausea. Please help me fainting isnt a pleasant experience and I don't what it to affect my schooling any longer.

[mandax89]

Hi, reading this has been of some comfort to me, as i thought there was no one else out there who suffered with this as much as me.  People don't seem to understand how you just can't do anything about it when i takes hold.  Anything sets me off.  I've fainted in school, college, church, doctors, chemist, hospital etc. Asking for a medication in the chemist, I fainted and was left lying on the floor by the staff who clearly thought I was attention seeking.  Truth is, this really affects my life badly and i wouldn't put it on, in fact i would do anything to make it stop.

[haloboy]

hello

im 13 and ive fainted since year 2 in primary school when talking about the body, i am in year 7 now and i still faint, my mum & dad now about it but dont seem to want to do anything about it, they just say: " you`ll be alright" how do i stop fainting, i dont think there are any  psychologist  in my area,  

thanks

[husbuzz]

Gosh, thanks so much for your advice. i am interested in taking my son to talk to someone, but i thought a psycologist or a psychiatrist would be more helpful than a counsellor. i'll have to investigate biofeedback.  I am glad you told me about your experience in being removed from 'trigger subjects' and forced to take study hall.  i guess i will talk to the principal about that next year. good idea.  i still cannot bring myself to go to an optomotrist and i am 45 years old.  i took my son there once and almost passed out just sitting in the waiting room.  i will never go there.. i'd have to be going blind. i guess i too still have problems, just like my son. sad part about all this is that not too many people out there understand how disabilitating this can be.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

How are you now ? Any improvement in the fainting ?

I know it takes time.

Regards

[MareGrove]

have you tried talking to the high school principal about his situation? I know that once I started fainting I became a liability to the school and I was forced to take study halls during certain "trigger subjects".  Obviously this is a temporary solution but until he can control the fainting it would be in his best interest to make the teachers aware of this.

Hope everything turns out ok!

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

It is difficult to handle such situations. Your son does not seem to have any physical problem. His mind has developed this conditioned reflex. He will not benefit from any medicines. What will help him is a lot of hard work on your part and a counselor who can talk to him once a week. Right now, his mind is affecting his body. You will have to work the other way round. Perhaps a biofeedback can help him know how to control the thoughts and reactions to them.

Regards

[husbuzz]

my son has a serious fainting problem. he is 12 years old now, and since he was 4 or 5 he would faint upon hearing or thinking thoughts about his body. for example, he used to believe his toenails would fall off and just the thought of that made him faint. one time, i thought he might have lice (ended up being just dandruff) but while looking in his hair and making the comment that i thought he may have lice, he collapsed.. his eyes rolled back into his head. very scary. yesterday, i told him that he must watch out at school because some meth was being disguised in the form of candies. fortunately he was already sitting on the floor, but he went white and had to lay down with his feet up.  he will be entering high school next year and i am worried about what will happen there as in science and p.e. classes, they talk about the human body and how it functions. i always tell him to leave the room when discussions like this take place, but he doesn't seem to beable to get out of the room in time. who can he turn to for help? are there other people out there like this?  by the way, i was very much like him as a child, and although i am still somewhat squeemish at these thoughts, i can handle them much better.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

You will have to train your mind. Some behavioral techniques will have to be used to be able to achieve this.

Can you consult a psychologist for these techniques ? Is there a psychologist in your area ?

These techniques help change the way your body responds to certain stimuli.

Regards

[MareGrove]

The first incident occured in 2nd grade when I was in health class and was learning about red/white blood cells. Out of nowhere I just collapsed in my chair.   The next time it happened was when I went to the vet with my dad and my dog got blood taken and I fainted watching it.  Since those two times anytime blood or needles were involved I fainted. It was so bad by middle school that they excused me from health class during certain subjects.  Everything from just being in a doctor's office to watching a video on something medical makes me faint.  I have tried to overcome it and tell myself it's not a big deal but no matter what I do I still end up fainting. Oh, and I even fainted when I got my ears pierced!  I am at a loss on why this all started and how to prevent/stop it. I would love to hear your thoughts!

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

Please do not get discouraged about your future. You can be a very good mother.

Now, it is difficult for me to give you a quick solution. Let me start by asking you how all this started in the second grade. Is it that you remember as far as the second grade only ? Do you remember a syncope free period before that also ?

If this is really a psychogenic syncope, it has to be removed from the root.

Do you have any other thoughts to share? Fainting is just an outward symptom.

Regards