Fear of fainting and intrusive thoughts

[Hala37]

Hi everyone, 

I've just joined and looking forward to hearing your responses to this. I think one way or another I have been suffering from OCD for many years and it gets particularly bad when I have more time to think... Like if I book time off work or at times during lockdown. 

I unfortunately have fainted due to illness and panic before and recently I've developed a preoccupation with worrying about fainting in social situations. This morning I had a builder round to give a quote for some work. My boyfriend and I were talking to the builder and I felt like I was going to faint so had to excuse myself. I found this so debilitating and have felt very upset all day. 

Has anyone ever had anything similar? Any tips or advice? 

Thank you so much. 

[snowbear]

Sounds like you hyperventilate (breathe too fast) when you get anxious. That will make you lightheaded and, if you keep it up long enough, can cause you to faint. The good news is if you actually do faint your breathing automatically restores itself to a normal rate which fully resolves the problem. You might find it helpful to have a paper bag in your pocket to breathe in and out of when the symptoms start.

If the fear of fainting has become an obsessive issue for you you could do a form of exposure exercise where you sit quietly and deliberately over breathe until you get lightheaded. You'll then see the symptoms are the same as when you unconsciously hyperventilate from anxiety.

 

[Hala37]

Thanks for your help. I'll try to recreate the anxiety myself. 

I find it hard as I feel like the OCD isn't a complete lie as I can actually faint when I start obsessing about fainting in my head! I find this difficult to overcome and feel like there's no real solution to it. I think that's what keeps me stuck in the anxiety. 

Has anyone got any advice? Thanks a lot . 

[snowbear]

12 hours ago, Hala37 said:

I feel like the OCD isn't a complete lie as I can actually faint when I start obsessing about fainting in my head!

Of course you can. Because obsessing about it makes you anxious, which makes you hyperventilate, which creates the very symptoms you were obsessing about for real.

The faintness symptoms are real, the necessity to worry and avoid it aren't.

[Hala37]

I find it's a really vicious cycle, but not quite sure how I break free from it as it isn't a completely empty threat to think I'm going to faint if I start becoming anxious. 

In this situation do I need to practise feeling anxious and tell myself fainting isn't a big deal? Deep down, I feel like it is a big deal though. 

Thank you

[gingerbreadgirl]

Hi Hala

I have a problem with fainting and I totally get where you're coming from. I have fainted in very inconvenient (and public!) situations and it does worry me, and then the anxiety makes it more likely to happen. 

It's tricky because I have no advice for totally eliminating the problem - it is a massive pain - but I do have ideas for what triggers it (for me) and I tend to put things in place either to avoid or mitigate those triggers. As a result it rarely happens nowadays although it happened a lot when i was younger. And because it now rarely happens, i don't worry as much, which makes it even less likely to happen, etc. 

If I start to get myself in an "I'm going to faint" pickle, i find it helps to just be like "OK maybe I will" and just carry on as best I can. For me, there is definitely warning before the "I might faint" turns into "I will actually faint" - and there are things I can do to fend this off: drink a pint of water (which raises blood pressure), put my head between my knees, lie down. I also find eating/drinking something salty and sugary helps (whether this is placebo or not, i honestly don't care). If I am going into a situation where I know fainting is on the cards, I wear some compression socks and make sure i eat and drink a lot beforehand - again could be largely placebo but for me it's about feeling like i am taking control of the situation. 

I don't believe this is an OCD issue as such but more of a general anxiety issue - anyone would be anxious if they knew fainting was a genuine possibility. It is much like having a panic attack only your body responds in a different way. Much of the advice which applies to panic attacks would apply here - e.g. relaxation, mindfulness, deep breathing, or whatever. Finding a focus for your thoughts - e.g. doing the 12 times tables backwards, or planning a holiday, or thinking of animals beginning with every letter of the alphabet. 

But most importantly I find is just accepting that maybe I will faint, and that would be a bummer, but I will survive if it does happen and it doesn't have to be a massive deal unless I make it one.

hope this helps x

 

 

[gingerbreadgirl]

I've also been advised that clenching and unclenching your hands/feet keeps the blood pumping (and up to your head which prevents fainting). 

[Hala37]

Thank you so much. It means a lot to speak to someone who has had the same experiences . I've never talked to anyone who has anxiety about fainting and faints from anxiety! 

All of that advice is great! I'm worried some of the things that I could do may be like compulsions though. Like eating chocolate before a stressful event, etc? But I suppose as fainting is sometimes a genuine threat I don't know if they would be classed as compulsions? I agree with you that if they make you feel at ease it probably doesn't matter. 

Do you think the most overriding thing in your experience though is just accepting it may happen? Most of the time I think I could accept it but I find it more difficult if I'm with people who might expect me to faint and know my triggers. It puts me more on edge and makes me more anxious. How do you think I should deal with that? I know they would just have my back and try and help, but it unnerves me for some reason. 

Thanks so much! 

[Avo]

Hi Hala,

I have had this worry and do occasionally still have it. I fainted in class at school when I was about 14 ( i am in my 40's now) and it really freaked me out. it set me off on a path of quite a lot of worry and I kept worrying it would happen again. Its happened on and off ever since the worry.

I have been slightly pre-occupied recently by it in relation to the covid jab. I am in the next band due to be called probably in the next 2 weeks and am trying not to go down the rabbit hole of panic if I have a funny turn while getting the Jab. 

I recently read something similar to what GBG said about clenching your hands and feet as this supposedly raises blood pressure which is supposed to help prevent fainting. its called applied tension.  

below is the link, its from the NHS so hopefully will not be breaching any forum rules of putting links on the forum. if you scroll down you will find the applied tension part.

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/resources/patient-information/all-patients/overcoming-your-fear-of-needles.pdf

 

 

[gingerbreadgirl]

1 hour ago, Hala37 said:

Thank you so much. It means a lot to speak to someone who has had the same experiences . I've never talked to anyone who has anxiety about fainting and faints from anxiety! 

All of that advice is great! I'm worried some of the things that I could do may be like compulsions though. Like eating chocolate before a stressful event, etc? But I suppose as fainting is sometimes a genuine threat I don't know if they would be classed as compulsions? I agree with you that if they make you feel at ease it probably doesn't matter. 

Do you think the most overriding thing in your experience though is just accepting it may happen? Most of the time I think I could accept it but I find it more difficult if I'm with people who might expect me to faint and know my triggers. It puts me more on edge and makes me more anxious. How do you think I should deal with that? I know they would just have my back and try and help, but it unnerves me for some reason. 

Thanks so much! 

Ha I could tell you a few stories of embarrassing situations I've fainted in - it's like why body why?!  

I've been thinking about your questions. I have a few thoughts but obviously they may not apply to everyone. 

One thing I do is try to laugh at my fainting incidents - although they are unpleasant at the time, after I can see them as kind of ridiculous and it helps me to see them this way and kind of "own" them by making a funny story out of them. Maybe not for everyone. For me, it doesn't bother me as much if I'm with people I know - it bothers me more if I'm in public, especially if escape is difficult. The worst was probably fainting in the middle of a restaurant - observed by all the diners

In terms of preventative measures being a compulsion - yes I think they can verge on that. For me they are worth it - but this has never been an ocd issue for me, just a general anxiety response. For me it's enough to know that there are some safety measures I can take. But I do understand what you're saying about them potentially becoming a compulsion. 

In answer to your last question yes I think for me the biggest thing has been to accept that fainting might happen and it's not the end of the world if it does. And to try to just relax and focus my attention elsewhere. Fainting is unpleasant but it passes and then it's done. If I faint tomorrow it'll be an unpleasant but small part of my day. Build faith in your ability to cope with whatever comes along - trust your future self to handle it. 

I think when you start to feel yourself thinking that you might faint try to just be quite blase about it and even think yep I'm going to faint but I'm just going to carry on unless/until that happens. And try not to ruminate on it or have a conversation in your head (oh no I'm feeling faint, what do I do etc) - exposure in this case would be just letting it be uncertain and uncomfortable and not doing anything to try to prevent or solve it. 

Hopefully some of that big ramble makes sense! I feel for you as I know it's horrible and people don't always understand x 

[gingerbreadgirl]

2 hours ago, Avo said:

Hi Hala,

I have had this worry and do occasionally still have it. I fainted in class at school when I was about 14 ( i am in my 40's now) and it really freaked me out. it set me off on a path of quite a lot of worry and I kept worrying it would happen again. Its happened on and off ever since the worry.

I have been slightly pre-occupied recently by it in relation to the covid jab. I am in the next band due to be called probably in the next 2 weeks and am trying not to go down the rabbit hole of panic if I have a funny turn while getting the Jab. 

I recently read something similar to what GBG said about clenching your hands and feet as this supposedly raises blood pressure which is supposed to help prevent fainting. its called applied tension.  

below is the link, its from the NHS so hopefully will not be breaching any forum rules of putting links on the forum. if you scroll down you will find the applied tension part.

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/resources/patient-information/all-patients/overcoming-your-fear-of-needles.pdf

 

 

I'm also worried about the jab for this reason avo. try to take some lucozade or something and try necking it just before the jab. I find this helps x 

[Hala37]

15 hours ago, Avo said:

I fainted in class at school when I was about 14 ( i am in my 40's now) and it really freaked me out. it set me off on a path of quite a lot of worry and I kept worrying it would happen again. Its happened on and off ever since the worry.

 

Yes the first time I fainted in school was when I was a teenager and it set me off on a worry path!! 

Thank you for the advice though. I'll check out that link . 

[Hala37]

13 hours ago, gingerbreadgirl said:

One thing I do is try to laugh at my fainting incidents - although they are unpleasant at the time, after I can see them as kind of ridiculous and it helps me to see them this way and kind of "own" them by making a funny story out of them. Maybe not for everyone. For me, it doesn't bother me as much if I'm with people I know - it bothers me more if I'm in public, especially if escape is difficult. The worst was probably fainting in the middle of a restaurant - observed by all the diners 

I think when you start to feel yourself thinking that you might faint try to just be quite blase about it and even think yep I'm going to faint but I'm just going to carry on unless/until that happens. And try not to ruminate on it or have a conversation in your head (oh no I'm feeling faint, what do I do etc) - exposure in this case would be just letting it be uncertain and uncomfortable and not doing anything to try to prevent or solve it.

Hi! Thank you for replying. 

These two points really resonated with me. You are really helping me see fainting in a different way! 

I think quite often when I'm in an anxious state I look back at previous times I've fainted and beat myself up about them in my head. Making funny stories about them might help to change my perspective! I fainted in a horror escape room once and for ages I thought I was so pathetic for doing that. But in a way it was quite funny... In my defence it was hot and I had a bag over my head! 

I think I also tend to suddenly get on edge the moment I start to feel anxious in a 'fainting situation'. I guess I just have to accept it might happen and take steps if it does. Hopefully then anxiety won't play a part in the fainting.