Fear of Fainting

[Graceski]

For the past 10 years I've had this ridiculous fear of fainting. It's made me become agoraphobic and every time I get a "symptom" such as dizziness, blurred vision, ears ringing, shaking ... anything really I convince myself I'm about to pass out.

Just now I was just minding my own business and I got spinning dizziness followed by blurred vision. Completely freaked out, ran indoors and started hysterically crying...and surprise surprise, as usual I never fainted...

Over the years I've done everything I can to help prevent myself from fainting. I drink a lot of water, I take my blood pressure at home, I check my pulse, I stay out of the sun, I don't lock my knees, I take iron supplements. I've done a hell of a lot of googling and it's made me ILL!!!!!

The dizziness might be a symptom of the anti depressants to be fair but my horrible brain puts it down to fainting every time.

I can't understand why I'm scared of fainting, I really don't know why. You feel unwell, you fall asleep, you get up after...that's it! I think it's just that it's so unpleasant, but so are many other things...so why do I fixate on this??

Hoping to overcome this somehow...eventually...

[jojo2316]

Have you ever fainted before?

[Graceski]

I have fainted before, once when I was about 6 years old. I had shut my thumb in the door by accident and as my mum was plastering me up she said to me "your thumb might fall off" (as a joke!) and I took it seriously and the next thing I knew I was on the floor!

I have come close to fainting three times as well. Once when I was about 13 and I had a vomiting bug and decided it would be a good idea to go out even though I was really ill, and obviously not being able to keep in any liquid or food for a few days made me weak. Second time I was probably 15, I went swimming without eating breakfast or drinking very much, stayed in the pool for hours AND I had a nose bleed to top it off. Felt dizzy in the changing rooms afterwards and everything went black for a while. Drunk a can of coke and instantly got better, vision came back, all good. And then the third time I'm not sure why it happened to be honest. I was 17 on holiday eating at a restaurant and just came over feeling bad without warning. Felt instantly better as soon as I got to my room and layed down but had cold chills, vision started going black...horrible.

My friend from school used to pass out regularly because she was anaemic & when I was on a date a long time ago my boyfriend passed out, had a mini fit and had to go into hospital with him. They couldn't find a reason for him passing out though. My mum has almost passed out on me before as well! Between the three of them and my own pass experiences I think it's made me a wreck!!

[ankietyjoe]

There's no such thing as 'close to fainting'. How do you measure the distance from it? You either faint, or you don't.

The fact that you haven't fainted in the ten years you've been worrying about fainting really should tell you all you need to know about the likelihood of it actually happening.

Also, so what if you do? It's a normal bodily reaction to certain stimulus. Unless there's an underlying medical condition, it's not dangerous at all.

The sensations you're feeling when you think you're closing to fainting are incredibly common symptoms of anxiety. The paradox here being the thing you're scared of is causing anxiety that feels like the thing you're scared of.

[Graceski]

By close to fainting I mean the point before you lose consciousness where you experience certain symptoms like lightheadness, vision blacking out, ears ringing etc. and you're right that it has now become the point where the anxiety is causing similar symptoms, I understand that. It wasn't what was causing those symptoms before because I wasn't having panic attacks back then.

It is now!

I know it's not dangerous and I can't understand why I'm so scared of it, I just don't want it to happen!

[Scass]

I had this too!
I was terrified of fainting in a public place - shop/train etc. I also became agoraphobic.

Once I dealt with my anxiety, the fear left. I don’t fear shops or trains or buses etc anymore. I concentrate on all the things I learnt to manage my anxious thoughts - breathing, positive thoughts, distraction, breathing again!

Do you get help with your anxiety?


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[Graceski]

ah it's good to know others go through the same thing. i'm not currently getting help, i am on the waiting list for 1:1 therapy might have to wait a few more weeks for that yet. i am practising meditation and taking meds at the mo

[ankietyjoe]

By close to fainting I mean the point before you lose consciousness where you experience certain symptoms like lightheadness, vision blacking out, ears ringing etc. and you're right that it has now become the point where the anxiety is causing similar symptoms, I understand that. It wasn't what was causing those symptoms before because I wasn't having panic attacks back then.

It is now!

I know it's not dangerous and I can't understand why I'm so scared of it, I just don't want it to happen!

Those symptoms you mentioned as happening before fainting are all common with 'just' anxiety too.

The key here is to focus on the idea that fainting isn't the end of the world. Just accept that it might happen, and if it does it's really not that big a deal. Not pleasant, but just something that might happen, like a migraine etc.

For the record, the fear of fainting was something I dealt with in CBT about 12 years ago. It wasn't a massive fear of mine, but something that came up in therapy. One of the most memorable things my therapist said was 'so what if you faint?'. It made me realise that it might happen, there's nothing I can do about it, and it's not harmful. I then just focused on the here and now (where I'm not fainting) which helped immensely.

You mention that you are doing meditation. This should help a lot if you approach it in the right way. That is to say that meditation is a tool to focus on the present, and to allow yourself the practice of observing all physical and mental sensations without judgement. Over time it helps re-train your brain not to respond to each and every stimulus that you experience.

[Graceski]

Those symptoms you mentioned as happening before fainting are all common with 'just' anxiety too.

The key here is to focus on the idea that fainting isn't the end of the world. Just accept that it might happen, and if it does it's really not that big a deal. Not pleasant, but just something that might happen, like a migraine etc.

For the record, the fear of fainting was something I dealt with in CBT about 12 years ago. It wasn't a massive fear of mine, but something that came up in therapy. One of the most memorable things my therapist said was 'so what if you faint?'. It made me realise that it might happen, there's nothing I can do about it, and it's not harmful. I then just focused on the here and now (where I'm not fainting) which helped immensely.

You mention that you are doing meditation. This should help a lot if you approach it in the right way. That is to say that meditation is a tool to focus on the present, and to allow yourself the practice of observing all physical and mental sensations without judgement. Over time it helps re-train your brain not to respond to each and every stimulus that you experience.

thank you

[sammiej123]

I have this fear too.. although I have never properly fainted - when I have been really ill with a stomach upset I have felt things go black and the symptoms you describe. I have been a lot better with this but it is a constant battle and I do the thing of looking for my exits, not liking being too far from my car, home etc I think it is anxiety based unfortunately - I do feel for you as mine is in overdrive at the moment.. Best wishes..