If you have, why?
I fainted for the first time today. I just stood up and my vision got blurry, and next thing I knew I was on the floor. I am sick so that’s probably why.
You?
Yep, I’ve fainted before. I was a junior in high school, attending an English class, and the teacher was talking about the awful practice of Chinese foot-binding. The subject matter was so horrible to me that finally I just lost it and fell on the floor unconscious. I was only under for a couple of seconds, but it felt like I had spent hours sleeping and was just waking up in the morning.
I have had to leave other classes when they had subject material that seemed to provoke the fainting process in me, such as the extermination of the Jews in Germany. I have had to bend over and pretend to tie my shoelaces in order to stop myself from fainting in classes before. And I have almost fainted at horror movies back when I was less picky about what kind of movie I watched.
I know, I’m a total wuss! LOL.
Yeah, I’ve fainted…twice before, I think.
The first time was in Church, back when I went to Church. Anyway, I hadn’t had anything to eat that day, and for some reason there was one standing part that lasted a lot longer than usual. Luckily, though, I landed in my seat as I was passing out.
The second time I was in choir, and was singing the Christmas carol “O, Holy Night”. It was a night concert, and for some reason I hadn’t eaten anything that day either (I think I was rather sick). Anyway, because it was at night & not in the morning (as before) I felt even woosier. When I finally started to pass out, I sat down & put my head between my legs. Right at the line “Faaaaaalll on your knees,” I did just that.
Does passing out after getting hurt count?
Apart from that, I had a few times in high school where things went dark and I once ran up an extra flight of stairs and didn’t remember it, but I never really blacked out.
Once at a party where we had no booze and decided to strangle ourselves for the high. I imagine we all lost a number of brain cells.
Another time when I passed out into my own urine. I went to the doctor that day and found out that I had a blood pressure of eighty over fifty!
Me too, twice. Once when I had the flu and decided to walk to the grocery store (only two blocks). My youngest was with me – must have been 7 or 8 years old – and I still treasure the memory of him staying with me and being calm, while his mommy’s laying on the street. (Broke a finger in the fall.)
The second time was at work, after not eating for half a day or so because of some dental work. The plant nurse said my BP was, well, almost didn’t have any BP.
It’s a weird feeling, isn’t it? If dying is like that, I’m okay with it.
Snark Hunter – I’ve never heard of someone fainting because of hearing things that caused them distress. How do you get along? Can you watch the nightly news? That’s scary.
Several times.
The first, standing in a crowded classroom in high school. It was a hot day and I was in direct sunlight. Biggest mistake: I locked my legs. We were piled into this classroom for an anti-drug testomial by some cops and former addicts, and they just happened to be talking about needles when I keeled backwards. WHAM. Hit my head on a big cast-iron steam radiator as I went down. Everyone thought I’d fainted because of the talk of needles. Couldn’t convince many people otherwise. Damn.
The other times I fainted were related to wrestling. Once I fainted from exhaustion in practice. Another time, somewhere else on campus, thanks to extreme dieting in trying to make weight. Stood up too quickly after lunch (such as it was) and WOOOOOOO… wham.
Dang. That should read, “anti-drug testemonial.”
I’ve fainted many, many times.
I’ve fainted in school assemblies, at the dog pound, in line at McDonalds, at sproting events, at work, in stores, at home . . . you name it. Now, whenever I get a new job, I give a first-day lesson in what to do if I pass out: try to catch me because I hate waiting up with a knot on my head, get me a cold cloth and something cold and sweet to drink when I come back to the land of the living.
It used to be that I had a lot more warning. I could turn to the person beside me, whisper, “Catch me, please,” before the world went dark, but lately, I just drop like a rock.
Last time I did so was at home. I couldn’t even put my arms out to break my fall. Just, boom, down on the floor. My teeth went through my upper lip. I came to, bleeding, with my dog franticly barking, ramming her head into my shoulder, trying to wake me, and my family beating on my bedroom door wanting to know if I was all right.
I’ve had hundreds of tests by doctors trying to figure out what’s the matter. Heart tests, epilepsy tests, diabetes tests, brain wave tests . . . all to no avail. I guess I’m just a medical mystery!
AuntiePam wrote:
Well, I should say that this used to happen to me back in the '80s, not recently. It was really a self-fulfilling prophecy sort of thing–I would get afraid that I might faint, and this fear became the catalyst for the fainting process to begin. The fear of fainting triggered the process of fainting.
I get along fine now. I don’t watch rated R horror movies any more, though. 
You gotta read more Victorian novels! They used to have couches for this purpose. And smelling salts.
Twice. The first time was in middle school, during health class… We were in our sex ed unit, and the teacher was talking about tampons. I remember feeling sick and thinking “wow, this has never been my favorite subject, but it’s never made me feel physically ill.” I woke up on the floor with the teacher calling my name. I think I thought she was my mother. Anyway, it was determined to be low blood-sugar; I wasn’t eating enough. Ironically, (yes, I do think it actually qualifies) I was the top student in the class.
The second time I had just gotten out of the shower and was sitting down because I felt light-headed. Woke up on the floor with blood running down my face; I had gashed my forehead, and I still have a scar. I never figured out what I hit. Again, not eating enough. Have I changed my eating habits? Sort of… Still only a meal a day, but I’m back to eating meat again. I think all I’d had the day before the second incident was white rice.
Quite a few times, actually, though I’ve learned how to control it a little more now. I have something deathly against seeing my own blood, I don’t why, I just have since I was little. When my dad pulled out a really loose tooth my parents were afraid I was going to swallow or something, I was perfectly okay until I saw the spot of blood and then started bawling.
The first time I passed out I was in about 3rd grade and in Sunday school. They were talking about Anointing of the Sick and they ended up talking about IVs and stays in the hospital, I remembering hearing a ringing in my ears and then I woke up as if from a long nap to see the entire class standing over to see what was wrong. I don’t like blood, can’t stand needles, even the thought of it all makes me feel horrible.
I passed out when I went to the hospital with my cousin who was getting over leukemia but still needed shots to keep down food. She whimpered a little as they put the needle in her. Of course I was highly antsy from being in the hospital at all and glancing over to her I got really light headed so I closed my eyes, next thing I remember was waking up in the arms of a security guard thinking he was my dad and he was taking me to bed. It was just like waking up in the morning, all nice and slow. They said I hit my head but I didn’t feel hurt at all, they still took x-rays though.
I passed out in the doctors office when they took blood, and another time when they gave me tetanus and hepatitis shots at the same time. Can you tell I don’t like needles? Every time they give me a shot I at least get that wonderful darkness encroaching on the edges of my vision and the ringing in my ears. I’ve gotten a little better recently though.
Kitty
I passed out while peeing soon after I got my tonsils out when I was nine. Fortunately my mother was with me and caught me before my head hit the deck. When I came to I was lying in bed.
I hate the sight, and even the thought, of blood also. I almost passed out once just by being inside a hospital in the early '80s.
On the other hand, I had no problem in the late '80s giving blood plasma. In fact, I was laying down reading Clive Barker’s short horror stories while I pumped my wrist to get the blood flowing periodically. I guess a few years really does make a difference.
Yep, thousands of times. But I’m assuming you mean fainting naturally and not counting the times people have made themselves faint. So, aside from causing myself to faint back when I was a foolish 11-12 year old, I’ve fainted a couple times. Last time I did was right after I got robbed the first time and I realized I was going to be okay. Mostly I just faint in large crowds. (The Mall of America seems to be a big one for me.)
Honey, if the sight of your own blood makes you faint, what do you do when it’s, ahem, “that time of the month?”
Lissa, I try very, very hard not to think about it. For me it’s always been more of a mental thing anyway. If I can avoid thinking about it then I’m perfectly alright. though I get the feeling I’m never going to have children, being in a hospital for any period of time would be awful for me.
Kitty
I’ve almost fainted twice that I can remember. I think the only thing that kept me from hitting the floor both times was the fact that I was hyper-aware of what was happening to me (perhaps because it reminded me a bit of when I had a couple of panic attacks a long while back) and I fought it like crazy (which in the end probably made me feel sicker than just letting go-- just a theory of mine).
The first one was a year and a half ago in the Barnes and Noble at 82nd and Broadway in New York. It was really hot, and I’d just walked there from 116th after lunch and a walk in Riverside Park with my boyfriend (he didn’t accompany me to B&N). I started to feel a little lightheaded, so I picked up a book off the discount pile and figured I’d just focus on it 'til I felt better. Unfortunately, the book was “The Cobra Event.” Oops.
I guess I wasn’t thinking too clearly at all because I’d read most of the gory details of Kate’s demise before I managed to fling the book down and wobble off to the ladies’ room, where I hoped to curl up with my head between my knees until the spell passed. Of course there was a line, so I spent an awful couple of minutes turning gray and clutching the wall to remain standing. Not one person asked me if I was ok, which I still kind of resent. When it did pass, I felt absolutely drained, and I had a headache.
The second one was this past June, on the train heading to work. I was standing by the door, reading the Times on my Visor, and that same awful feeling started to come over me as I read about the “Wendy’s Massacre.” I put my Visor away and hung onto the nearest pole for dear life until I felt better; the last thing I wanted to do was fall down unconscious on a subway, yet once again, clear thinking went out the window and I couldn’t bring myself to get off the train until I got to my actual stop.
Low blood sugar is the suspect in both of my episodes, but I don’t quite understand that since the first one happened not two hours after I’d had a decent lunch.
Oh I wanna faint. 
I’ve never ever fainted, spent time in the hospital, had an operation, gone under for surgery, broken a bone, even had a fracture. I’m too damned normal and healthy. I was under anathesia and unconcious for when I had some teeth removed, nothing else.
I feel so jealous of you guys. Sigh. I’m not that squeamish and I seem to eat enough. Maybe that’s it. FairyKitty…er, whatever…good thing you aren’t me. During my period it’s quite a bloody massacre down there. Oh. TMI, hm?
How do one make oneself faint? In my freshman Earth sci class, some guys were talking about if you breathe really hard for a long time and put your hands near your throat, you can make yourself pass out. Don’t know if that works though.