Tips for handling anxiety before a doctor’s appointment – a psychiatrist’s or any other medical appointment.

Hello, my name is Natasha Tracy and I’m here for BPHope’s vlog.

Today I want to talk about why it is we get so Anxious before a doctor’s Appointment – a psychiatrist’s or any other doctor’s appointment. 

I Get Anxious in Psychiatrist Appointments

I’ve been seeing my psychiatrist for a very long time, and I know him very well. I do trust him and think he’s a good psychiatrist. So, I should feel easy when I see him. But I don’t. I almost always feel nervous. And I know that other people feel nervous, too, every single time they see a doctor. But the question is, why?

I think it’s because of the power imbalance between doctor and patient. The doctor has all the power, not you. The doctor has the power to refer you, to diagnose you, to treat you, or to even tell you to go away. The doctor has all the power. And that’s a scary thing. People are often scared of their doctors because they don’t know what the doctor is going to do and possibly even if a doctor is going to want them to stay in a hospital against their will – that’s the scariest thing of all; and that’s the biggest power imbalance. 

What to Do If You Feel Anxious About Doctor’s Appointments

My suggestion is, if you feel nervous because of this power imbalance, and you might not even be aware that’s why you’re anxious, remember this: doctors work for you. You have the power to leave the room any time you want. You have the power to ask for a referral any time you want. You have the power to ask for a treatment any time you want. No, the power is never going to be equal between you and the person with the prescription pad, I wish that it were, but do remember that you are not without your own power. 

So, try to walk into your appointment and remember that you, too, are strong. 

My name is Natasha Tracy and this is BPHope’s vlog.

The post Why Doctor’s Appointments Make Us Anxious appeared first on bpHope.com.