When you have medical anxiety, going to medical appointments can create dread and anticipation. You experience a pit in your stomach, racing thoughts, and muscle tension. The urge to cancel the doctor’s appointment becomes overwhelming. Despite trying to reason away the fear, you find the anxiety amplifies the more you try to overcome it.
It’s not just about the appointment: it’s the waiting, the uncertainty, the fear of what might happen or the potential of experiencing pain. You are exhausted from the constant worry. You are not alone in feeling this way, 1 in 3 people avoid going to the doctor, even when they need care. While the appointments do not go away, your anxiety about going to doctor’s appointments can dissipate.
Panicked, you try to handle it yourself, maybe even self-diagnosing or self-medicating to avoid going to the doctor. You find yourself exhausted from trying to manage your health on your own. The more you try to handle it, the more isolated you feel.
In this article, you will learn 5 tips to decrease medical anxiety and find freedom from worry.
Taking small steps to manage the medical anxiety can create big change.
Let’s talk about some ways to navigate medical anxiety.
1. Scheduling: set yourself up for success
To set yourself up for success, try scheduling enjoyable and pleasant activities before and after the appointment. This could be a workout, grabbing coffee with a loved one before the appointment, or calling someone you trust on the way to the appointment. After the appointment, maybe you go for a walk, sit down with your favorite book, or listen to music.
2. What could go right?
Set aside 10-15 minutes a day or two before your appointment to visualize the doctor’s office, the waiting room, and your appointment. Most importantly, visualize yourself moving through the appointment with ease, safety, and comfort. Get detailed and specific in your visualization. Imagine what the chairs feel like, the lighting in the office, and the tone of your doctor’s voice.
3. Give the medical anxiety a voice
One way to soothe your anxiety is by using your voice to ask questions or express your worry. To increase your sense of agency, prepare questions to ask your doctor. Additionally, use your voice to share your worry with your doctor. Anxiety gets bigger when we keep it to ourselves. Communicating it with your medical team allows them to respond more compassionately, as they explain procedures and address specific concerns.
4. Trace medical anxiety back to the source
Reflect on when the anxiety started to appear for you? Did you have a bad experience: uncomfortable examination, unfamiliar environment, or negative experience with a doctor? Understanding the beginning of the fear can be a great starting point toward freedom.
5. Build a team you trust
One of the best things you can do is to surround yourself with people who put you at ease and make you feel heard and respected. A caring and compassionate doctor can go a long way toward erasing the fear. Also, inviting a therapist to be on your team can help as you navigate medical anxiety.
Get help for medical anxiety
You can walk into the doctor’s office with your shoulders relaxed with a sense of calm grounding you. Even if a spark of anxiety begins to surface, it doesn’t overwhelm you– you know that you will be ok.
I help people with anxiety experience freedom from anxious thoughts. We can work together to help you get there. Click below and schedule a free consultation today.
