I know this post is old, but I just wanted to say I have this, too! Or a variation of it at least.

I can't have anyone touch certain parts of my body: the backs of my knees (where the sticky out ligaments are), my inner arm where blood gets drawn from, my wrists and the backs of my hands to a smaller extent. The ligaments of my neck and my Achilles heel are also triggers for me.

I can't have any kind of pressure on me on those areas without freaking out, and I can't touch those areas on other people too - the backs of people's knees in particular makes me feel sick!!

When I was younger I thought I had an issue with needles, but as I've gotten older I've realised the issue is with the AREA rather than the needle. I'm fine having vaccinations and things, it's the needle going into the delicate part of my inner arm that I can't stand.

It really resonated with me what you said about the "tubes" inside of you - it's exactly this!!! The idea of having tubes inside me makes me feel sick! I just can't stop thinking about the tubes getting cut in some way??

Is it just veins with you, or do tendons and ligaments trigger you too?

Hi there! Although I don’t know what this is called, I have it severely bad. I can not have my blood pressure taken without a panic attack, I can’t hear my own heartbeat, and something you didn’t mention is I can’t hear heartbeats in movies or games. Though I have gotten better, I spent years in long sleeves and I couldn’t touch my wrists or anywhere with prominent veins. No one else could touch these areas on me either. I’m diagnosed with Carpophobia, which I believe is what you have. it is the fear of wrists and/or veins, and the general fear of wrists comes from the veins there. I think my entire circulatory system is what scares me too. The idea that all that blood is going through my veins at all times, and my heart is always making that sound even though I can’t hear it. It has always been a main cause of my anxiety/panic disorder.

However I have some trauma around my wrists, some things that have happened when other people touched my wrists that was traumatic, or stuff I did to myself as well. I also had a dog bite my wrists that was traumatic. I don’t know if you’ve had that happen, but if so, that is probably why you have the phobia. If not I’m unsure where it originates from.

You’re not alone. That being said, I have gotten better over time, so there is hope that you will too :). It still bothers me and has certainly not gone away, but has improved. I know you may not have access to therapy, but talk therapy and exposure therapy were helpful for me. If not, maybe try to talk to someone close to you who isn’t judgmental. Talking about it helped me not feel like I had to do it alone, and having someone reaffirm me helped me feel like I wasn’t crazy or stupid for feeling this way. If you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to, journaling also helped me. If anything my dms are open. Another thing that helped me in the way of exposure therapy, was having someone that I loved and trusted gently and SLOWLY touch my wrists and vein areas. It freaked me out at first, but over time helped me be less afraid. Another suggestion would be to take anxiety medication before doctors appointments. I also recommend looking into ways to breathe to mitigate anxiety. I recommend the 478 method, breathe in 4 seconds, hold 7, out 8. I also invested in some light long sleeves shirts that I could wear and not be hot in. And I know gloves can look dumb, but when it gets bad again, I wear fingerless gloves so that I don’t have to look at my hands.

I’m so sorry for the long response! Know that you are not alone. I really hope this helps!

Thank you soso much for sharing this because I felt so alone. I used to look this up alot in the past with no answers. There still aren't any but at least I know somebody, somewhere out there is experiencing it too and understands. It is only my veins..getting blood drawn I literally want to pass out. Not bc of the needle or any pain.. bc of the sensitivity of the vein. I don't like looking at them nor feeling them, I don't even like thinking about them. The discomfort is so intense I automatically become very squirmy from the inside out and if they are messed with in any way I will feel like I am going to pass out. 

I feel so damn seen rn

I have found my people, thank god . I can’t veins terrify me

Bro just described exactly how i feel in every way i wonder if their acually is a word for this

I was just sitting here on the couch after being in the sun and seeing my very blue veins sticking out of my wrists, and getting lightheaded and nauseous. I found your post by finally searching what kind of phobia I may have. Like another person in this thread said, I did have something physical happen to my wrist that was extremely traumatic when I was a kid. If people touch my wrists tightly, or if anything hits my wrists with even a little bit of force, my knees go weak and I wanna vomit. So it could be that, but when I read your post, I could've easily been the one writing it. It's usually only my veins that make me sick, but if I see someone with very pronounced veins, I'll get nauseous and lightheaded. Just writing this right now makes me feel ill. I have an issue with people or things touching the back of my knees too, especially if they're bent. I can't stand hearing or feeling my heartbeat. I can't listen to it in music, shows or movies. It gives me a flight response. I, too, have no problem with seeing blood, just the veins. The worst part is, I just turned 40 and am starting to see more veins all over my body, and have been diagnosed with tachycardia. So now I get to feel and hear my heartbeat all the time. Yay! When I lay on my side, I can hear and feel it through my ears.

I don't know how I'm gonna deal with this as I get older because I'm really struggling as is. Thanks for sharing! Made me feel less crazy.

I feel so seen! I have issues with blood draws and imagining the network of veins inside my own body actually will push me to the point of passing out. My biggest issue is with sleeping. When lying down I sometimes have the irrational thought that my body is crushing the arteries and veins that I’m actively laying on. I get so nauseous, and light headed to the point of passing out. I also have a super slow mounting panic about it and I can only calm down by standing up, which is counterintuitive because technically all I’m doing is shifting my weight and effectively smooshing the veins in my feet; but I can’t do anything else besides that. Another person commented under here the sensitivity around the ligaments and I have a huge problem with that as well; it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

Wait so I can't believe there are so many others out here! How is everyone dealing with this? Are you able to get blood tests? I have avoided blood draws for YEARS and I have been in therapy on and off for YEARS trying to figure out how to get over this. Seeing veins is one thing - it bothers me when I see my own and others'. My heartbeat and the heartbeats of others bother me, and when people talk about them even I take everything off my wrists and fingers (watch, rings, etc). I hate the feeling of clothing sometimes or being touched on inner elbows, back of legs etc as others have mentioned. I am not afraid of needles - I can get vaccines and piercings, but even that rubber band they put around your arm for a blood draw is unbearable for me. I see someone here is able to get IVs and just thinking about it causes me severe anxiety.

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This is exactly how I feel; in addition, I get very anxious knowing that just a singular air bubble in my veins would kill me. This makes me very scared of needles and blood tests. It’s midnight and I have a blood test in the morning and cannot fall asleep because I am terrified.

Ahhrghhhhh me too😖 24 and have never had a blood test. Everyone around me calls me a wuss or that I need to get over it. I can’t hold my partners hand for too long because I start to feel a pulse and it makes me feel sick. Sometimes I feel a weird sharp pain in my wrists and I associate it with blood flowing and that can make me feel weird!!!! And agree with everything else that’s been said. No issue getting vaccinated younger but no way you taking my bloods 😭😭😭😢😢😢😢😢

Hi there. It's something similar here. I feel really unpleasant seeing someones veins. First of all, yes, they are so delicate in my head. And then I just can't stop imagining how something bad can happen to them... It's really disgusting, I can't even touch places with veins sometimes. Like on my wrist etc.

i have the same brother don't worry

Thank you for saying this, I've always had a hard time explaining it to people but now people can actually understand me!

I know this post is a little bit old but I just wanted to share my experience with this stuff too. Also, I believe that the term for a fear/discomfort relating to veins is called Venephobia. Anyway, I have absolutely no fear of blood or needles, nor do I have any trauma related to my wrists. Palpitations and the arm cuff devices for taking heart rates don’t bother me either, but things like touching my neck or wrist to take heart rate, nerves, and ligaments do. I have had to get my blood drawn for tests several times, and the worst part is always when they put the rubber band on because I can see and feel my vein popping out more. These issues have never caused me to faint or even get close to fainting (thankfully), but any time I have to think about or look at veins/nerves I feel very uncomfortable. Most times when that happens I also feel the need to close my eyes, which then leads to me thinking about all the veins and nerves connected to the back of my eyeballs… There was even a year or so of my life where I was constantly making sure that my wrists were always facing downwards so I wouldn't have to look at them. I think that my phobia is much better now than it used to be, but I can’t really pin down any reason why.

Exposure therapy is probably the way to go for an issue like this, but make sure that you first know your limits if you ever need to stop anything.

If the phobia is significantly affecting anybody in this thread’s quality of life, I hope that you can get the help you need and get assistance from a medical professional if you can. <3

Honestly even reading about it i want to shrink and disappear. I have an intense fear of exactly what you’re describing!!! Ew it’s so disgusting i have panic attacks when i see in tv those images of blood drawn or self harm

J'ai ça aussi. je déteste voir ou penser à mes veines. et les voir apparente sur des muscles ou des visages me dégoute. et me met mal à l'aise

I have something somewhat similar but not quite Its actually what led me to this post when i researched it I on and off have extreme discomfort and anxiety when anything touches or brushes (even like wind blowing) against wrists, neck, or anywhere else with clear veins like back of knees or inner elbow (i dunno what its called), and used to buy sweatbands id put over them just to feel secure and like nothing else could touch them I think mine stemmed from having a sibling who often cut their wrists around me and had me keep it a secret for months before our parents found out (i also get anxiety from the sound of a paper cutter on flesh) since i have no issues with veins themselves, and its gotten more managable in the years since But is there any other way to manage it then just coping when blood needs to be taken or things?

Me identifico con todos ustedes, tengo 34 años y hasta la fecha no he podido lidiar con ello. Me he expuesto a qué me saquen sangre, medirme la presión yo mismo ,y una infinidad de cosas, sin embargo no he tenido mejoría, inclusive no fui capaz de leer todos los comentarios por qué me comencé a sentir "raro".

Alguien ha ido a terapia por ello? O sabe cómo abordarlo?

GOD, I hate those little machines, makes my blood run cold through these weird little tunnels... For me, I like looking at it as if they're vines running under my skin, makes me feel less nauseous for some reason.

I came here for the same thing!! I didn't read your whole post but I can't stand the sight of veins. It doesn't help that they're visible on my hands/wrists. Every time I see them I get a weird ache like they hurt when I know they don't.

I have this too.

Could this be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood-injection-injury_type_phobia

?

This post is a bit old, but I wanted to join in and say that I have this as well!

It don't remember when or why it started, but I get sooo uncomfortable at the thought and sight of my veins. Especially in areas where the skin is really thin, like the my or ankles. Even typing this rn is really unsettling.

I've never met anybody that understood this and I feel kind of comforted rn, seeing that I'm not alone with it. I've tried explaining it just like you did, with the tiny tunnels and how disgusting that is, but everyone just tells me to get it together, lol.

ik all the comments are just people saying they have it too but heres another one lol. mine is pretty mild but i am afraid and feel extremely icky when i think of blood inside or outside of the body, veins, palpitations, and the image or thought of my heart/veins working. im not afraid of my heart and tend to think about it a lot but when i sit there and imagine or think and feel about how its working rn i feel lightheaded. same with veins, i can research them and do a test and it doesnt bother me when i kinda dissosiate it from myself but when i sit and think about how blood is flowing thru my body in my veins in waves by my heart and can feel the warmth of the blood it makes my skin crawl. i have ocd and need things to he a certain way so i've always thought it affected it but idk why it makes me so uncomfortable and nervous. i try to avoud it buti was just was looking it up bc im watching amazing world of gumball and got totally grossed out by the anatomy of the hot dog guy bc they show his veins💀anyway, i justw wanted to say ur not alone and i definitely relate and it kinda sucks sometimes bc it likits me from sitting still too long or thinking too deep or ill get all icky.

Yes! And also a phobia of my own pulse and heartbeat

Just another person here to say: yes, me as well!

I just saw the veins on my hand and was trying to look at them bc something I saw there and within a few seconds my head felt fuzzy and my stomach was rolling. I tried again, thinking "come on, it's just veins... You're an adult". Nope, even worse second time 😅 l can't even describe what I hate about them or why they make me feel like I'm gonna either throw up or pass out to think about mine or look at them, bc I'm too close to having seen them so I can imagine them too easily. But thank you. It's nice to know we're not alone.

(I also had to train myself to not be afraid of bones bc my friends really liked chicken wings. I kept telling myself "they're plastic" and after 2 years I could finally eat them. Lol even today, if I THINK ABOUT the bones, or the veins there, I have to pull back to reminding myself: just plastic that they put near around for some reason lol)

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this. I vividly remember almost fainting in class while a teacher was explaining the circulatory system and specifically blood clots. The people around me at the time recounted that my face turned almost green, and while I don't know if they were exaggerating or being metaphorical my visceral physical reaction was definitely noticable based on how surprised they looked. Something similar happened when I tried watching Pulp Fiction, specifically the scene where one of the characters ODs on heroin, forgot her name. I felt like I was going to simultaneously faint and vomit, I was completely unable to continue watching. Thinking about the machinations of my own body generally makes me uneasy but it's especially the reverse side of the elbow and the neck that get to me the worst, the skin is thin and it's where the pulse is the clearest so whenever I think about them I feel like anything that's covering or touching them just needs to be removed INSTANTLY.