If you are someone who feels avoidant of going to the doctor about health issues, you are not alone. It is something that affects countless people across our society. In some cases, it may be necessary to seek medical advice, and in others, you may be able to avoid this altogether and provide yourself with the care you need on your own.
In more serious matters that must be addressed, it is always best to approach things as soon as possible. While this may not always be possible due to many factors, the main issue for many people is worrying about what might be wrong with them. They fear being seriously ill and having to face the unknowns. Additionally, other minor worries might exist, like the fear of needles or being confined in a scanner.
Fortunately, we are here to help you with a few solutions to overcome this so that you can begin to seek help for any health concerns that you have been putting off. We take a look at some of the things you can do if you are scared of going to the doctor.
No. 1
Reward Yourself After Your Visit
A simple way to overcome your fear of the doctor is to reward yourself after your visit. The prospect of doing something after your appointment that you love and are familiar with can take the edge off of the experience. Instead, you can focus on looking forward to doing something enjoyable to help you feel better about it.
Your reward could be:
A visit with family
A trip to the spa
Some food you love
Enjoying a hobby
Spending time with a close friend
No. 2
Bring Someone With You
Another great idea is to bring someone you trust with you to help you in this process. Having someone there in the doctor’s office can calm you down and make you feel more at peace with what is happening. They can also provide moral support for you so that you don’t feel alone. It can be a way to provide comfort and sound reasoning to you when your nerves are uneasy.
No. 3
Talk To A Medical Professional About Your Concerns
Another way to address the issue is to talk to a medical professional about your concerns. Doctors and nurses are trained to explain procedures and what will happen when you undergo them.
If you are still feeling panicky or scared, you might consider talking to a behavioral health consultant. These professionals can offer you psychological coping strategies to help you deal with unpleasant feelings around visiting the doctor’s office or ER so that you can approach the treatment you need with less distress.
No. 4
Use Relaxation Techniques
You might also want to try using various relaxation techniques to help you feel better while at the clinic.
Options include:
Breathing exercises
Meditation
Listening to music
Reading a calming and uplifting book
Many people find that not focusing on the fact that they are at the doctor’s office can help a great deal. Often the thoughts are worse than the reality, and the whole episode is over quickly and painlessly.
If you are worried about pain, you can ask your doctor to provide pain relief treatments to help you calm down. These can be highly effective and can alleviate the pain you have been putting off or that you are fearful of experiencing.
No. 5
Learn More About Your Tests Or Procedure
Finally, you can spend some time dispelling myths by learning more about the tests and procedures your doctor recommends you undergo. Once you have a better understanding of what you need to do, it can become easier to manage. You will be able to conduct research of your own, which will be highly valuable in carefully weighing your options.
Be mindful, however. Descriptions of some medical interventions can be intimidating at first. In the meantime, avoid reading anything if you feel like it will give you further anxiety about your situation. It may cause you to overthink things and prevent you from following through with your appointments. Instead, allow yourself time to process the information as it comes and know that you can approach things in a calm, unrushed manner.
Takeaways
The good news is that there are many ways to feel less fear about going to the doctor. The most important thing is to focus on having a positive mindset about the experience and not focus on the outcome. When you seek help, you are much more likely to get the answers you need because it will bring light to what you are experiencing.
Following through with addressing health concerns will allow you to identify any actions you need to take to get yourself back to health. Allowing fear to overcome you only postpones the care that must take place in the event there is something urgent that needs attention. It is better to settle your worries by seeking help so that you can begin to feel better and prevent much larger issues from developing.
