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  • Share your experience with anxiety and Doctor visits

    Posted by brittany-foster on December 5, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    One of our new members, Beth @tonysnug recently talked about how the thought of going to a doctor has been giving her a lot of anxiety. She asked the question, “Does anyone else suffer anxiety about dr visits?”.

    I know that she is not alone in wondering this and I am sure that many people will be able to share their own anxiety and worries so that she feels less alone. I know that for me, I have had avoidance behaviors of doctors when my anxiety gets the best of me. I have cancelled appointments, haven’t gone to the ER even when I knew that I should, and have avoided calling .

    Do you also experience anxiety about doctor visits? What has anxiety led you to do or not do when it comes to doctors visits in the past?

    brittany-foster replied 4 years, 3 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
  • 4 Replies
  • beth-tebaldi

    Member
    December 5, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    You have no idea how this touched me! Oh thank you Brittany!!! Avoidance! Yes. That’s the word. I have promised my mother that I would be accountable to her to find a new nephrologist and see my cardiologist after January.
    I’m 57! LOL. But I know if I promise my mom, I’ll do it.
    Brittany thank you for being so beautifully transparent. Sometimes I won’t post here because I’m sure everyone is “doing it” perfectly. ????
    Love you all in this journey we didn’t pick, we did nothing NOTHING to cause but we choose to merely “show up”!
    Being transparent can help someone more than any advice! Thanks!

    • Colleen

      Member
      December 5, 2019 at 6:43 pm

      Beth, please join in the conversations any time! We love to hear from you.

      Well now, you can’t break a promise to a mom! That is one way of making sure you follow through and I bet she will keep reminding you. That’s great!

      • brittany-foster

        Member
        December 5, 2019 at 7:51 pm

        Beth,
        That is a really good strategy to be held accountable. I also do something similar and will make a promise to others if I feel like I can’t do it for myself out of fear, anxiety, etc. It helps to have that other person know your struggling with it too so they can be there for support in any way they can.

    • brittany-foster

      Member
      December 5, 2019 at 7:50 pm

      Beth,
      So so true ! Do you also read any of the columns ? I will have to find a direct link but in my column for PH News, I write a column called “Recharged and Rewired” many of my topics talk about mental health including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. These are to me, all side effects of living life with a chronic illness and it can feel difficult and overwhelming to manage many days. Just know that when you write here I’m sure it is helping more people than you know too! I always try to be honest, even about difficult topics that othere are probably thinking but may not know how to put it into words.

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