Anxiety & Doctor Appointments

By Kirsten V. B.

 

Doctor appointments, blood tests, needles, MRI scans,.. If you have a chronic illness like me, you know the drill. Does your heart start pounding from the moment you enter the waiting room? Do you have sweaty palms? Do you try to minimize your symptoms to your doctor because you are afraid of their judgement? Do you freeze up when they question your health issues? Do you think of all the things you should have said on the way home? Does this sound familiar? It is all too familiar to me!

You could say I have a lot of experience when it comes to doctor appointments. I have had chronic health issues ever since I was nine years old. It took me ten years and a good amount of doctors before I finally received my diagnosis.

I still feel anxious every time I have to see a doctor for new symptoms. And let’s face it, no one ever came home saying they had a blast at the doctors. There is no “cure” for anxiety, but I thought I’d share my tips and tricks to make it more manageable with you.

1) Prepare

I think this one seems pretty obvious. However, I know that I always manage to forget to say at least one thing during an appointment. Whether it is asking for a prescription or explaining a new symptom I have been experiencing, something always slips my mind. When there is a lot to remember, make a list of things you need to talk about. At the end of the day, doctor appointments cost us money and time so it’s better to prevent ourselves from having to make another appointment. The last time I saw my General Practitioner (GP), I wanted to hear her opinion on a word I could not pronounce. Instead of worrying if I could say it the right way, I just wrote it down and showed it to her.

2) Look For Support

I’m lucky my mom has always come with me to doctor appointments. It’s a comforting feeling to know you don’t have to do this by yourself. I know this is not a possibility for everyone, but try to tell someone that you’re going. Explain what’s wrong to them and what answers you hope to get. It can be as simple as texting a friend. Sharing your experience with someone makes it less scary. I personally struggle with chronic fatigue and sometimes when I’m really unwell, it’s hard to explain everything properly and react when I don’t agree with something that the doctor is saying. When this happens, my mom will notice right away and stand up for me when I can’t.

3) Reward

Whenever I have to do something that scares me or is hard, I reward myself afterwards for my courage. When I was little and went to the hospital for tests, my mom and I stopped at McDonalds for a shake or ended the day on a good note by going shopping. Now that I have my diagnoses, I thankfully don’t have to go to as many appointments as back then, but I always like to have something to look forward to. Save that new episode of your favorite Netflix show until you get home after the appointment or take a long bubble bath.

I hope this helped you in some way and that you’re doing okay.

Lots of love,

Kirsten xxx

A young white woman in a white shirt smelling a flower that is hanging above her.

 

Kirsten searched for ten years for a diagnosis for her rare symptoms. In November 2015 she was, finally, diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome/M.E. In October 2017 she started her own business, Graphic Organic. She’s a strong believer in fulfilling your dreams without pushing your limits. “Taking a different path doesn’t mean you’re lost.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out more articles at https://www.graphic-organic.com/blog

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