To refuse this blood test?

[BlairWaldorfsHeadband]

My hospital want to do a group and save. I’m a needle phobe, but hadnit done and it was a very upsetting experience.

The hospital then mislabelled the blood. So want me to repeat it.

Here’s the thing - they have my blood group on record. And blood groups don’t change. I know my blood group.

I’ve been treated quite ignorantly about my needle phobia by them and so, I don’t want to redo the test. It’s their fault they put the wrong label on it and they already have the info.

Aibu to just say no?

Sorry if that seems rude but I’m sick of people underestimating how debilitating it is

You’re keen to dismiss other posters with anxiety who have had to manage it though. I’ve had to, other posters have had to.

You have no idea what it takes for me to set foot outside my house, let alone speak to people and get somewhere. That’s before the blood test!

So what I’m saying is, it’s a bit rich to accuse people of dismissing you when you’re doing exactly the same.

Anxiety absolutely is a disability. It might not be for some people, but those of us with severe anxiety are a disabled by it.

So what I’m saying is, it’s a bit rich to accuse people of dismissing you when you’re doing exactly the same.

I’m not dismissing it. But saying “I have anxiety and I did it so stop being a wimp” isn’t very helpful. We are all different, even those of us with the same condition.

I think you've got blood phobia rather than needle phobia OP. Blood phobia can cause blood pressure to drop leading to fainting. If you Google it you can learn a technique to help stop this.

I know you have tried talking therapies without good effect but if you haven't had therapy specifically for your phobia it is worth a try. Phobias are often quite easy to treat unless caused by more complex problems for example trauma.

I never said that though. I said that it was something I had to do, I didn’t say I found it easy, I didn’t say you were a wimp.

And it was something I had to do. Despite my anxiety, despite having serious trouble communicating with and understanding strangers (I have auditory processing disorder as part of being autistic), despite having the mother of all meltdowns which floored me for a whole day afterwards.

Because it had to be done. For my child’s safety.

Because even with recognised yet invisible disabilities I understood that there was no other option.

You can’t just decide something is a disability there is an official criteria

Alices this may be the case as it’s specifically blood tests that do this and not injections. Injections do make me anxious but nowhere near to this level.

If it is blood and it’s the sight of it, could you cover your eyes/ears until it’s over with?

And severe anxiety comes under that. I’m not making it up. I got DLA for it as a child.

I've never had a group & save and I've had blood transfusions during pregnancy and afterwards

Yes of course, I’m some cases, when it stops you working long term. I’m a bit confused as to how needle phobia makes someone anxious to that level, is the root of your anxiety something else then?

Contact them again, when you're feeling ok to do so, and ask if there is some other kind of adjustment they can come up with to help you. They clearly can't let you have it done elsewhere so you need to work together to come up with another solution.

And it was something I had to do. Despite my anxiety, despite having serious trouble communicating with and understanding strangers (I have auditory processing disorder as part of being autistic), despite having the mother of all meltdowns which floored me for a whole day afterwards.

This is quite similar to what happens to me. It literally creates what I can only describe as terror for an entire day afterwards and sends me into a childlike state.

I have ADHD as well which leads to me struggling to control strong emotions which thinking about it, probably contributes to the terror I feel. I probably should have mentioned that earlier but figured as this was about my anxiety there was no point.

Yes of course, I’m some cases, when it stops you working long term. I’m a bit confused as to how needle phobia makes someone anxious to that level, is the root of your anxiety something else then?

Yes.

I have generalised anxiety, OCD, and several other specific anxieties (health anxiety being one) and related issues. The phobia is literally just one manifestation of it. I suffer from severe anxiety over multiple things, it’s never completely eradicated.

Any health condition which prevents you from carrying out your daily life activities can be considered a disability, under the Equality Act of 2010 so the OP is correct.

I had a really bad blood phobia and it got to the stage where I couldn't even look at meat in the supermarket. I used Graded Exposure and relaxation (I am a Clinical Psychologist) to treat it and now I can watch surgery.

I found the panic and lack of control really horrible. I also used to get intrusive images. The physical symptoms are also really unpleasant.

This is quite similar to what happens to me. It literally creates what I can only describe as terror for an entire day afterwards and sends me into a childlike state

That’s it, it’s a physical reaction. I’m wondering if part of my condition is that I didn’t realise I could ask for help or adjustments?

Well it stops me working full time, leaving my house when I want to (sometimes, when it’s bad. Obviously sometimes I can leave the house), it stops me talking to people, talking on the phone, going to places where I think people will stare at me, going to situations where I think I will look stupid...I have rituals I have to observe otherwise I will have a huge anxiety attack, and I have obsessions that pop into my head telling me horrid things will happen and be all my fault. I constantly think I will die, my kids will die, and I can rarely do things without DP with me as j feel vulnerable.

Obviously I have good days where I feel almost normal and bad days where it’s even worse, most days are a mixture.

But I think it’s fair to say it disables me.

I had a really bad blood phobia and it got to the stage where I couldn't even look at meat in the supermarket. I used Graded Exposure and relaxation (I am a Clinical Psychologist) to treat it and now I can watch surgery.

I can’t deal with raw meat. Especially bloody meat. Triggers the lightheadedness. I’ll research that.

That’s it, it’s a physical reaction. I’m wondering if part of my condition is that I didn’t realise I could ask for help or adjustments?

I have always dealt with MH issues and similar so am used to asking for them, although it always makes me feel bad when people don’t understand.

I’ve been under the MH team for 20 years, I didn’t even know it was a disability. The first time anyone mentioned disability was when I discovered I was autistic.

I guess I’m just conditioned not to ask.

OP if I were you I would say you had complex MH difficulties. Unfortunately I think anxiety has become shorthand for people being a bit stressed. Your difficulties sound severe and enduring, they clearly have a profound and negative impact on your functioning. I hope you manage to get things sorted.

Unfortunately I think anxiety has become shorthand for people being a bit stressed.

Absolutely this.

Op, I'd like to point out a different angle that won't help you in the near future but maybe later. There are also people with needle phobia who get diabetes and need to learn to inject 4x a day or they will die. I once read somewhere (20 years ago) that there was a specific method available to help these people overcome the phobia enough to learn how to inject. I do realise that being in control yourself is a bit easier than when it is done to you but maybe it is worth investigating if it could help you. You will have to have bloods taken throughout your life and it must be so stressful for you to feel like this each time.

OP if I were you I would say you had complex MH difficulties. Unfortunately I think anxiety has become shorthand for people being a bit stressed. Your difficulties sound severe and enduring, they clearly have a profound and negative impact on your functioning. I hope you manage to get things sorted.

I think this might be right, and I will do this from now on.

Thank you.

I don’t think YABU at all to expect reasonable adjustments. The problem is what the law would consider reasonable. What you’ve suggestion is not unreasonable but the NHS is under such immense strain, I’m not sure they can give that time. It’s very difficult, I appreciate. I’m not dismissing you at all by the way, just thinking about how the NHS might see things.