The fear of blood is a relatively unknown and unspoken condition called hemophobia. Patients with this condition receive exposure therapy to help them deal with their phobia. It is a difficult condition to study and understand because it actively prevents people from going to clinics, offices, and places where they can be treated.
This podcast episode discusses the mystery behind blood injection phobias and the theory that it may have been conferred genetically with an evolutionary aspect to it instead of making sense through natural selection.
In ancient times, playing dead could be a viable tactic in battles where enemies would overlook those lying on the ground. This theory applies to modern humans who existed about 18,000 years ago, prior to the advent of agriculture and who had not given themselves a name.
Many people suffer from a fear or phobia of getting medical procedures done, resulting in avoidance of doctor's offices and clinics, leading to a lack of accurate data and treatment. Exposure therapy can help, starting from imagining the procedure to slowly working up to actually experiencing it.
The therapist shares their anxiety-reducing dressing technique by dressing up as Nurse Ratchet or the main character of Promising Young Woman during sessions, increasing patient's anxieties and making them open up.