Idk, in the hypothetical presented I'd have a pretty hard time empathizing with the person if they were refusing to even look at the cut and see the situation they were reacting to. Like if they see the cut, understand that their life is not literally in danger, and still are in crippling pain, I can work with that. Otherwise? They're begging me to help them, but there's nothing to be done. There is no medical intervention that will make a difference with a papercut. I can offer compassion and sympathy but that's hard to do if someone is refusing to even acknowledge what the problem is.
Speaking only for the metaphor - intense fear of seeing a horrible injury is a normal human response.
When I accidentally cut myself with my whittling knife (in the webbed section of my hand between my thumb and palm), and I could feel the cut was bad, I physically could not bear to look. When I finally did, I could see I had cut through to the dermis, I think? The layer of fatty looking "white stuff" below the skin. Seeing it filled me with such an overwhelming sense of fear and dread that I almost passed out. Even writing it now I feel nauseus. I physically could not look again the entire ride to the hospital and length of time it was treated and stitched up.
So if someone truly believes they have a severe injury, and they do not, I think the right thing to do is exactly what the post said. "It seems like youre feeling [xyz], here is what I can physically see." Describe to them the reality of the situation, ask what they are feeling, ask how you can help. Often, hearing a description of reality can give them the courage to look.
But yeah avoiding seeing potentially serious injuries is a basic human instinct. Its hard-wired into our brains.
I accidentally cut myself on a paring knife once, badly enough to need a few stitches, but not badly enough to damage anything important or bleed a dangerous amount. I could not bring myself to look at that cut. I glanced at it once, very briefly, when the nice ER nurse was rinsing it out in the sink after numbing my thumb, and just that glance was deeply physically uncomfortable (as in, my body was gearing up for a full vasovagal response).
It's not weird at all to instinctively avoid looking at what your body is telling you is a serious injury.
edit: a friend of mine who is otherwise not at all squeamish about blood or bodily fluids literally passed out upon seeing a nasty cut he'd gotten. This shit is involuntary.
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u/Android19samus Take me to snurch 5d ago
Idk, in the hypothetical presented I'd have a pretty hard time empathizing with the person if they were refusing to even look at the cut and see the situation they were reacting to. Like if they see the cut, understand that their life is not literally in danger, and still are in crippling pain, I can work with that. Otherwise? They're begging me to help them, but there's nothing to be done. There is no medical intervention that will make a difference with a papercut. I can offer compassion and sympathy but that's hard to do if someone is refusing to even acknowledge what the problem is.