Help! Betrayal of my Unconscious Mind

[rn_squared]

Hey everyone!

I just graduated in May, passed my NCLEX and have accepted my dream job in an ED training program. Emergency medicine has been my passion since day one. One issue... I get extremely lightheaded and feel like I am going to pass out every time I see something "unnatural" going on with the body. I say unnatural because the times I've noticed this happening were during surgeries, or lacerations, or I&Ds. I have no issue with smells, vomit, stool, urine, any of the usual nasty stuff. I titled this betrayal of my unconscious mind because I have never been squeamish or anything like that. I first noticed this when I was a dental assistant and was assisting with a full mouth extraction. I started feeling nauseous and dizzy and could not figure out what was happening. I noticed it was an issue when I sat in on a C-Section and the same thing happened. Felt light headed and dizzy and had to talk myself through not passing out. I was excited to watch the procedure and was really disappointed that this was happening again. Like I said I get super excited about all kinds of medicine. I spent two clinicals in the ED and loved every second of it, but I had to work hard, focus on my breathing, and talk myself through certain situations in order to not pass out. Any suggestions on how I can re-train my brain to not freak out and betray me in situations like this? It's been such a struggle! Any help would be appreciated!

[caliotter3]

Few sessions with a psychologist, hypnosis? Perhaps just exposure will do the trick. You know how they desensitize people who are afraid of spiders and such? Enough shifts where you learn to control your brain and it should get easier to the point of extinction. Just throwing out some thoughts here. Would hate for you to lose out on what you want to do. Good luck.

[nursel56]

Welcome and congrats on landing the job! I agree with caliotter with the suggestion that some sort of desensitization therapy with someone who has experience in this area would be well worth your time to explore. You may get over it yourself in time due to repeated exposure to the types of injuries or procedures that cause your symptoms, but I suspect some specific professional help would help your confidence level as a new grad in the environment you work in.

All the best to you.

[Duranie]

I know this post is several months old... but if you are still struggling, look into Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It is useful for situational behaviors, whether they are by conscious choice, or things that happen without thinking. It seeks to replace an unwanted behavior with a better one through conditioned response. Due to its frequent use among those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, there are experienced therapists in most areas of the US.

Good luck.

[offlabel]

This is a common response that happens to observers. As soon as the individual has an active role (and a little experience) there is no time for fixating on troubling sights. No reason to over think this.

[Lane Therrell FNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I would be very interested to hear how you are progressing in the time since your initial post. Have you resolved the issue? Have you spent time with a psychologist, tried hypnosis, or explored CBT? Your description of your trigger events as "unnatural" is significant. Your word choice suggests that when you witness surgeries like C-Sections, I&D's, and dental extractions, your subconscious mind is responding to what it perceives as an assault-trauma inflicted by one human being upon another. All of the procedures you listed as triggers in your post involve removing something from the patient's body. Do you respond the same way during surgical procedures that are designed to restore, repair, replace, or enhance biological functions?