Deep breaths. And I know it's hard, because I do have a proper phobia, but you tell yourself that you can get through the door and cope even if it is bad.
And you know it's not really going to be that bad.
And if they poke you and you don't want to be poked you can always leave.
Obviously not eating properly is going to make you feel poorly, so it's not going to be bad, is it?
People go to the dentist all the time, without terror. Just not me.
You end up in a cycle of panic where you panic about panicking and round and round. Pick a lucky charm, or promise yourself a treat for being brave, or something, but remind yourself that even if you're scared you will cope. It's not that you won't be scared, but that being scared won't prevent you from being treated
Which means you're brave.
And for me it's about control so I recite to myself that I can leave at any point. If any suggestion of treatment is too much then I can go and come back later at another appointment when I've had a chance to regain control. If they suggest some sort of poke, you could try antidepressants or other drugs to get through. I don't find that helps because it subdues my impulse control, which is to hit people.
Believe it or not, I'm with you on the doctor front. I loathe going, especially because I only go when I know something is wrong, and the bes they usually come up with is "take five of these and call in two weeks if you don't feel better."
Thanks oh so much, doc. Can see why you're paid the big bucks.
That said... Yeah, you should probably go. Unless you have an acupuncture clinic around, in which case, go there first. You'll know they're gonna poke you, but those pokes'll make you feel better without the condescending God-complex crap that goes along with a doctor's office.
Go, and if you need to phone one of us while you're there, then do so. Any one of us will be happy to "go with you" to the doctor. It's what friends do!
Shiv is right, right, right, right. Which is as usual, but. She really knows what she's talking about, and that's excellent advice. Do what you can to calm yourself, think in small steps and not giant leaps of logic (think about making the appointment, not on what might theoretically happen five steps down the line), focus on what you can control, and DO reward yourself for going through with it. You'll have earned it
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And you know it's not really going to be that bad.
And if they poke you and you don't want to be poked you can always leave.
Obviously not eating properly is going to make you feel poorly, so it's not going to be bad, is it?
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I can always leave. You're right.
But then. I'm not fixed. People go to the doctor all the time, right?
:/
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You end up in a cycle of panic where you panic about panicking and round and round. Pick a lucky charm, or promise yourself a treat for being brave, or something, but remind yourself that even if you're scared you will cope. It's not that you won't be scared, but that being scared won't prevent you from being treated
Which means you're brave.
And for me it's about control so I recite to myself that I can leave at any point. If any suggestion of treatment is too much then I can go and come back later at another appointment when I've had a chance to regain control. If they suggest some sort of poke, you could try antidepressants or other drugs to get through. I don't find that helps because it subdues my impulse control, which is to hit people.
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Believe it or not, I'm with you on the doctor front. I loathe going, especially because I only go when I know something is wrong, and the bes they usually come up with is "take five of these and call in two weeks if you don't feel better."
Thanks oh so much, doc. Can see why you're paid the big bucks.
That said... Yeah, you should probably go. Unless you have an acupuncture clinic around, in which case, go there first. You'll know they're gonna poke you, but those pokes'll make you feel better without the condescending God-complex crap that goes along with a doctor's office.
What Shiv said.
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