AIBU to feel shaken after being criticised for blacking out at the airport?

This. I used to be a blood donor and it wasn't uncommon to see new donors come in, see the stuff going on and go down like ninepins. I remeber seeing a rugby team come in once and about half of them flaked out.
OP there will always be idiots in the world please don't feel bad about what one stupid individual stranger said.

You're not a disgrace.

However this is something you can look to work on.

Ultimately it means you are becoming a casualty every time, and that means people will have to deal with you because unconsciousness is an emergency. They don't know it's a faint if they just see you collapse.

It's no way for you to have to live when there are many different therapies and treatments out therr to help.

My friend used to have a blood phobia before she had therapy for it and she said she would only use tampons and look away. Not sure how she dealt with her period coming early or the very beginning though. I’ve seen black panty liners and always thought they were stupid because you can’t see if you’re still bleeding but I guess they’re probably perfect for the blood-phobic!

Why are you giving so much energy to some pointless opinions of a random stupid woman?

It’s a shame you didn’t tell her to ‘fuck off’ when she stuck her beak in initially, instead of explaining your phobia to her. It was none of her business after all.

Unfortunately, it gave her the confidence to carry on berating you when she saw you again.

Hypnosis will definitely cure your blood phobia and a good hypnotist will help you learn to become more assertive and less of a walkover. I strongly recommend you do some research to find a good practitioner.

I have a very stupid question - how do you deal with periods? I've always wondered how any woman can have a phobia of blood.

What do you mean 'I may not see her again' - why would you expect to see a random stranger you encountered at a foreign airport again?

Surely if you black out at the airport they’re going to give you medical attention and get you to a hospital, not let you on a flight?

Well that's shitty of them, not like you can help blacking out is it

Adrenaline would kick in. I think you’re being unreasonable and your example is pointless.

Do you have health anxiety generally? I only ask because this is a very detailed answer for something very insignificant.

If it is showing up elsewhere please go to your GP now and get help while you're still young enough. Health anxiety is very real and can have a major impact on lives so if you have an inkling that you do have it or anxiety in general, nip it in the bud now so it doesn't become a bigger issue.

Even people used to certain situations can feel "off" at times. I have a job which I didn't think I could cope with. I can but on a couple of occasions have felt sick as a result

Fuck her op. She's a dick...I bet she goes home and screams for someone to take a spider out of the bath

I am still shaking from this woman’s attitude. I may not see her again.

She was rude, people don’t faint deliberately. but you’re also giving this too much headspace, if you’re shaking and dwelling about a woman you will never see again, even if she had been on the same plane you could have ignored her. There’s all sorts of assholes in life, don’t let them occupy your mind for longer than need to.

You’re not a disgrace at all. I’m a midwife and am used to blood no problems. But I go faint if someone has a loose tooth or talks about teeth. Can’t be helped.

What a horrible woman.
She may have assumed wrongly that you were drunk/hungover but you have a go at you twice, including once it was clear you weren't is unpleasant and ridiculous.

"I don't care" when you explained your phobia is just stupid. If she "doesn't care" why is she sticking her beak in? I'd love to say i would have retorted by saying "well I don't care about your opinion" or similar but I probably wouldn't have gathered my thoughts quickly enough!

Do see if you can get some sort of therapy for your phobia though, it would be worth it. My daughter seems to be developing a fear of needles so this has been on my mind recently!

Ask yourself this - if your child was bleeding to death with only you around to save them, would you still black out? If yes then you need help to get over it.

My 6ft son fainted the first time he had a blood test. I fainted the first time the optician put contact lenses in my eyes, in fact I have fainted twice in the optician chair. These things happen. She is a nobody, an ignorant fool.

She’ acted really badly OP. She’s either a horrible person or there’s something wrong with her in that she doesn’t know how to properly behave herself. Honestly, try and forget her, the way she behaved was not normal.

Lots of people faint at the sight or though of blood. DH can faint at the sight of his own blood. His dad too. He’s a big muscly bloke with tattoos. It’s not that he’s scared of blood or gore or gets panicky in stressful situations, quite the opposite but if he has to have bloods taken he has to make sure he is sitting in the chair and will let the nurse know. They’ve said they see it all the time. I have seen him go faint and it’s like he has absolutely no control over it.

She’s a nutter. If it makes you feel any better I got a public bollocking from the priest at church when I was about 8 because I didn’t fuss over my older sister when she fainted (my parents sorted her out). My sister was always fainting over something so it wasn’t a big deal to me. But that bollocking really upset me, I was just a child.

That woman is just an interfering busybody with no manners. You’re probably more annoyed about not telling her to fuck off.

She was awful. People just behave like absolute dicks sometime. I’ve seen it before and if it’s any consolation, we as random strangers thought the person needlessly inserting themselves in someone else’s misfortune was a total dickhead and loads of people thought he was an absolute bellend and were rolling their eyes at him every time he made a needless comment. They show themselves up when they are stressed about something.

I had blood taken when I was 4 and fainted. Since then, I can't see blood or I'll pass out, like you. I'd be inclined to not care what people thought but that's how I am, anyway, for everything in life. Nothing anyone thinks changes your reality so don't let it phase you. Glad everyone eventually ok.

The words you need in such a situation are "piss off and mind your own business".

Such people get a lift out of upsetting and intimidating others. You did nothing wrong, you can't control a faint, but maybe need a thicker skin.

What a horrible person
I have had fainting episodes. It is the most horrible, vulnerable experience ever and nothing to be ashamed of.
Hope DM is ok and glad you got home safely

What an utter cow. I might have been tempted to accidentally brush some of the blood on to her.

Fainting at the sight of blood is a physiological reaction that can't be controlled. DH faints at such things.

Once, DD was recovering from an operation and had drains in her neck, and every time she coughed a little blood came out. We were in PACU and DH was sat in a rocking chair and I was bent over the bed with DD when suddenly all the nurses came running across the room to catch DH who had toppled forward and was going to hit his head on the hard floor.

Another time DD was having a blood test and they were struggling to get a vein. DD fainted and so did DH. The nurse caught DD and I caught DH.

This poor excuse of a woman should be ashamed of herself. If I had been near you I would have given her a piece of my mind.

@doorss I hope your mum heals well. What a shock.

She must be very very thick indeed to think you deliberate made yourself lose consciousness. I'm almost embarrassed for her.

Lots of people believe entirely untrue things. Don't let this one bother you. Easier said than done, I know!