Talking About Your Bleeding Disorder

By Cathy Hulbert, LCSW, HoG Social Worker

Whether you are dating someone new or wondering which friends to tell, talking about your bleeding disorder might feel like an important moment of truth in your relationship with a significant other.

After all, you are not only sharing personal information which could come as a big surprise to the person to whom you are speaking, but it also might be an opportunity to learn something important about the person you are with. How someone reacts when you share such important information tells you something about that person, too. It is a give and take experience. That is why some people say they literally hold their breath when talking about their bleeding disorder for the first time, particularly in a dating relationship.

It’s important to remember that a person’s reaction, if negative, might just be based on poor information. If you have a bleeding disorder, you are probably familiar with such questions as, “Will you bleed to death if you get a cut?” Or, “Don’t people with hemophilia have to stay inside and avoid physical activity?”

And having a friend or significant other who does take it seriously, and wants to know the facts, can be important for your physical health as well as your emotional well-being. If you do need emergency medical care, you could be more at risk if the person who is with you knows nothing about your condition.

Your HoG nurse, social worker, camp director or health educator can also offer you some feedback and a chance to air out your concerns before you have that important conversation. Give us a call!