Part 1—Reasons for doctor-visit anxiety
Although some women can go to the doctor without trepidation, many feel varying degrees of anxiety. Here are some reasons:
1. You fear having a disease—the mind is a powerful suggestible receptor and there is so much medical information online that your mind can get carried away with stories about your body that are usually not true. Some doctors are forceful in their discussion of what might be wrong, and this can be scary, especially if you are “suggestible”–that is think what the doctor says is probably true even before it is tested.
2. You fear facing symptoms, especially if they are intermittent. You would rather not think about it or have anxiety about getting a diagnosis. You fear the unknown—and desire to avoid what is scary.
3. You have a friend or family member who has a serious disease (contagion effect). Someone you know just died of a disease and you worry about having the same thing.
4. You have physical discomfort or embarrassment during exams.
5. You have had a bad experience in the past, if a doctor yelled at you, scared you, or embarrassed you at some time. Continue reading ‘What is it about going to the doctor that can be so anxiety producing?’ »