Sometimes people worry that their medical records will always show that they’ve had a problem, and this will go against them in some way. And yet these problems with anxiety attacks are extremely common, so there must be thousands of people with similar records who are now leading happy and fulfilled lives. Wouldn’t you like to be one of them?
You can expect the doctor to listen to what you have to say, and ask you a few questions about your anxiety symptoms. He or she will probably do a few simple checks to rule out a physical cause. If a blood test is suggested and needles are a problem for you, then say so. Even if the blood test has to wait for another visit, you will have made your first steps towards recovery.
Sometimes people worry about how they are going to explain what they are feeling. It might help to make a list beforehand of all the sensations you experience. If you need to talk about one incident, then don’t talk too much about the build-up to it. A simple statement will get the conversation started and the doctor can ask you questions to get more information.
‘I was standing in the queue at the bank when I suddenly felt terribly sick, my heart started pounding and I felt like my legs wouldn’t hold me.’
If you need to describe a continuous feeling, again keep it simple:
‘I feel so shaky every morning that I just can’t get out of bed, and I get worse as the day goes on.’
‘I keep needing to check that the smoke alarm works, I know it does, but sometimes I go back 20 times to it. It can take me all morning to get past it.’
Remember these remarks are just to get you started. You may not yet feel able to ask the questions that really haunt you: Am I going mad? Will my heart stop beating? Never mind. You’ve made a start.
And while we’re on the subject, let’s answer those two questions. A person with Anxiety is not going mad, and neither Anxiety nor panic will make anyone’s heart stop beating.
Tags: anxiety attacks, anxiety symptoms, blood test, first steps, medical records, smoke alarm