I have to force myself to go to the doctor.

[SparklingWaves]

I force myself to go to the doctor and I cry like a baby when I go. I do suffer from depression. I cry every time I go and I have to force myself to go. I am not afraid to work with doctors and I am not afraid to bring someone to a doctor. Oh, everything is different when I am the patient. I must regress to a child. My blood pressure is normal or even low, so it's not intense fear showing. Sadness comes through. It's awful. I hate it and I always feel stupid expressing my symptoms. I always express something they never heard of in their career. Sometimes, I feel like they think I am making things up.

Oh, the OB/Gyn visit is the worst. I dread that like having a tooth pulled. I can't stand going. I need a box a tissues.

Anyone one else have this or something similar?

 

[Kuuipo]

I hate going to doctors too. They can be very judgemental at times. I have tattoos on my arms-they are like 30 years old. I always get asked the drug/alcohol/selling sex/hiv/hep question. I told the doctor "I work in this hospital too , you know, and I needed a flexible job to pay the rent while I was working on my master's at the time-so I tattoo'd people and got some myself. It doesn't mean I am a party monster ( I only hang out in libraries and malls,lol)or a ho. They also insist on asking me if I could be pregnant before x rays. When I say no, they are like"How can you be so sure?" I told him "If I am pregnant they are going to have to build statues of me, I will be sainted in the Catholic Church, ok?" (Some male doctors don't believe there are lesbians anymore than unicorns)

 

[SparklingWaves]

I have a family member that is a tattoo artist and I have seen how she is treated by medical staff. I know what you are talking about is true.

I was telling the doctor the other day that I can't eat certain hard candies. She said, "I have never heard a patient complain of that. You are saying that, because a doctor told you have a tremor of your in your throat." I said, "No, I actually feel like I am going to choke if I eat certain hard candies." I think it's due to my jaw, throat, and head shake. I also told her that it's embarrassing to have so many tremors. She said, "Well, you have been having them all your life." I haven't had them like this and this bad. Why would that make it not embarrassing?

 

[redambition]

some doctors are just so... crap (for lack of a better word) at dealing with their patients.

i hate going to the doctor unless it's a scheduled checkup and i know i am going to see the doctor i want to see. when it's pot luck i get extremely stressed out and sometimes i get teary. my fear comes from some doctors being good at their job (and cautious) and so they sent me off to emergency wards and out for urgent scans because my symptoms indicated the possibility of something quite serious. both times they were wrong (thank goodness), but it has really scared me. it didn't help that on both these occasions the doctors didn't seem to care much about reassuring me. they basically said "i think you have X, you have to get looked at NOW because it can cause death/permanent damage/insert other horrific outcome here". way to stress out the patient... who then finds out it's nothing near that serious!

the pregnancy thing - i get that too. now, i don't look like a ho, i just happen to be a woman of child-bearing age. i hate being asked "are you pregnant?" and then "are you sure?" every time i visit the doctor and one of my symptoms just happens to mimic that of pregnancy or i need medication or an x-ray.

i know they have to ask, but sometimes they make it sound so patronising - and then don't believe you when you tell them the answer.

 

[COBI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redambition i know they have to ask, but sometimes they make it sound so patronising - and then don't believe you when you tell them the answer.

Unfortunately, it's because some women DO lie about it.

A friend of mine was denying she could be pregnant as she was in labor; she kept screaming that she must have appendicitis and she was going to die. She, at almost 9m, refused to acknowledge she was pregnant; she'd gain virtually no weight and you couldn't really tell by looking at her. It just appeared that her stomach was swollen. She had no prenatal care and had what is known as a "denial pregnancy". As an aside, she was an adult, but living at home and completely afraid of how her mother would respond to her being pregnant; it is thought that it is this fear drove her subconcious denial.

Another friend suffered a "denial pregnancy" for almost 7 months, popping a bottle of Tums a day to treat her heartburn. It's amazing how strong the mind is because she wasn't showing at all and then when she figured out that she was pregnant (her period was never regular, so lack of one wasn't a sign), she looked 7m pregnant within a week...

 

[Loveleighe]

I am the same when i go to hospitals. my boyfriend literally has to drag me in and sit with me. my lowish blood pressure does rise and i start to panic. i avoid it all costs idk why. i do think it has to do with being judged, as well as poked and proded at like cattle. They never fix my problem and just kinda look at me like i'm retarded. When i had my daughter i was in the hospital every week and i wanted to die. the last week before i delivered i was confined to a hospital bad, only allowed to go to the bathroom, i was hooked to a monitor so i couldn't even leave my bed and i was only allowed a visitor for an hour a day. so you could imagine my terror, i was there from tuesday until sunday. Then when i delivered they put me in a tiny tiny room, with barely any light, no tv and no visitors for 4 days. i cried the whole time. so don't feel bad it's not just you.

 

[Beauty Mark]

I think the key is to find a doctor you're comfortable with... I've been lucky, because I've always had great doctors somehow (between going to a single sex college and my mother being friendly with doctors, having worked at the hospital in medical records). However, many of my friends haven't been fortunate. If you don't like your doctor, I recommend asking around to find one you like

As "noble" as medicine is portrayed and should be, a lot of doctors are in it for the wrong reasons or simply aren't suited for it

 

[SparklingWaves]

I know several people where they refuse to go to the dentist. They have literally let their teeth rot out from fear of dentist. That's an issue again where I force myself to go.

 

[Babylard]

oh dear, i don't like to go to the doctor usually because I don't want to get out of bed. lol. when I am sick, I just don't want to go anywhere. for me, its mostly out of laziness. i really have to force myself for that reason. i also hate going alone. I need somebody to hold my hand. I am not blessed with that luxury.

i am also deadly afraid of blood tests. i've had three. first time, okay. second time, it hurt like a bitch. third time, i turned purple and almost passed out. that really hurt! I now fear going to that specialist. don't get me wrong. she's a nice woman, but her tests are scary.

I've been pretty lucky with having kind doctors though. i've never had any false scares.

 

[macslut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuuipo I hate going to doctors too. They can be very judgemental at times. I have tattoos on my arms-they are like 30 years old. I always get asked the drug/alcohol/selling sex/hiv/hep question. I told the doctor "I work in this hospital too , you know, and I needed a flexible job to pay the rent while I was working on my master's at the time-so I tattoo'd people and got some myself. It doesn't mean I am a party monster ( I only hang out in libraries and malls,lol)or a ho. They also insist on asking me if I could be pregnant before x rays. When I say no, they are like"How can you be so sure?" I told him "If I am pregnant they are going to have to build statues of me, I will be sainted in the Catholic Church, ok?" (Some male doctors don't believe there are lesbians anymore than unicorns)

Oh, I get this all the time. And I look Liz Claiborne/Eddie Bauer straight laced.
"are you pregnant?"
"No"
"Are you sure?"
"Can a vibrator get me pregnent? No, then no I am not"

My worst experience was during an ultrasound that I had done on my liver (slightly elevate liver enzymes...it was nothing). The tech was getting the ultrasound and would ask me incredibly inappropriate questions (Have you had any surgeries? Have you ever had cancer?) I told her that I had already discussed this with my doctor and could we just get through the picture taking. It was mean but good god. I told my doctor about it and she made a note to call up there. She did.

 

[redambition]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COBI Unfortunately, it's because some women DO lie about it. A friend of mine was denying she could be pregnant as she was in labor; she kept screaming that she must have appendicitis and she was going to die. She, at almost 9m, refused to acknowledge she was pregnant; she'd gain virtually no weight and you couldn't really tell by looking at her. It just appeared that her stomach was swollen. She had no prenatal care and had what is known as a "denial pregnancy". As an aside, she was an adult, but living at home and completely afraid of how her mother would respond to her being pregnant; it is thought that it is this fear drove her subconcious denial. Another friend suffered a "denial pregnancy" for almost 7 months, popping a bottle of Tums a day to treat her heartburn. It's amazing how strong the mind is because she wasn't showing at all and then when she figured out that she was pregnant (her period was never regular, so lack of one wasn't a sign), she looked 7m pregnant within a week...

ok, that just freaked me out

i've heard of women not knowing they were pregnant, but denying it while in labour? wow.

 

[nunu]

you are not alone. I absolutely HATE going to the doctors even if i had a high fever as i am afraid of needles. I also hate the was hospitals smell, it puts me off.

 

[V15U4L_3RR0R]

I don't mind doctors so much but Hospitals do give me the willies and I also hate blood tests. I don't care about needles or injections but the thought of someone removing blood from my body just really freaks me the hell out.

I am absolutely terrified of dentists though. I haven't been to one in about 8 years and I daren't go. I start to panic even just walking past the dentists office.

 

[flowerhead]

i completely understand. going to the doctors for medication makes me so nervous. my doctor is so smug, i always feel she is laughing at me. just be strong & honest...

 

[IDontKnowMomo]

I've only been to a regular doctor three times in the past five or so years. Each time I have passed out and had a panic attack. I'm going to have to start going regularly though, because I am on birth control and antidepressants :/ hopefully I'll get over it. I've also never have blood taken, and I don't think I could ever do so, I'm extremely terrified of that. When my school had a blood drive I flipped out and yelled at all the nurses because what they were doing was "sick". I don't even think that it's sick, I mean it's obviously for a good cause, I just freaked out some reason.


on the other hand, I don't mind going to the dentist, orthodontist, or dermatologist.

 

[Kuuipo]

Listen to this! I have taken care of doctors as patients who were scared of other doctors, and surgery, and being a patient. This plastic surgeon I knew who did great work-reattatchments of fingers, etc, got appendicitis and did not want to have an operations so s/he had a friend write a script for antibiotics. Well the appendix not only ruptures but it causes peritonitis-and the doctor is so close to death thats/he winds up on life support in the ICU for a few weeks. When the doctor went home, the did not take a little rest, and wound up back in the hospital again. The doctor was a very nice patient, but even doctors fear being a patient, feeling exposed, having to be put out for surgery, having to have people ask them personal questions and having their vital signs done every few hours not to mention the lovely backless gowns.
I have had lots of doctors as patients, they are just the same as you and me. They just have a different job with really long, stress filled hours.

 

[Briar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparklingWaves I have a family member that is a tattoo artist and I have seen how she is treated by medical staff. I know what you are talking about is true. I was telling the doctor the other day that I can't eat certain hard candies. She said, "I have never heard a patient complain of that. You are saying that, because a doctor told you have a tremor of your in your throat." I said, "No, I actually feel like I am going to choke if I eat certain hard candies." I think it's due to my jaw, throat, and head shake. I also told her that it's embarrassing to have so many tremors. She said, "Well, you have been having them all your life." I haven't had them like this and this bad. Why would that make it not embarrassing?

SparklingWaves, first of all, Hugs to you.. this sounds terrible. I'm a nurse not a doctor, and could not begin to pretend to be able to diagnose you but its very possible you have an anxiety disorder. These kinds of anxiety issues are not uncommon in people with depression, and the reaction you describe sounds like much more than simple nervousness. It also sounds to me like you need to find a doctor that will understand and work with this type of anxiety instead of belittling you and dismissing your symptoms. Best wishes to you, I hope things get better.

 

[SparklingWaves]

The doctor put me on a medicine treats all sorts of things including tremors. It helps, but makes me so depressed & so tired. That's a common side effect of this medication. I am trying to half the dosage. Wow, neurological stuff is so hard to treat. It's soooooo frustrating. I feel better not taking the medication, but the tremors are horrible. "Patience", said the turtle.

 

[kaneda]

You're not alone. For me, I hate going to the doctor because I don't think they actually have enough time to actually diagnose you properly.

For example, it appears that my friend could have IBS. She went doctors, had some tests etc. The doctor calls her up, and tells her to come as she wants to talk to her. My friend goes to the doctor, but the one who called her is off sick, so she sees another doctor. This doctor tells her, oh i think you're fine, I'm not sure why you were called back here. "hmmmm" we go, "that ain't right". So my friend called the doctor who originally called her and she tells her on the phone that she thinks that my mate could have a disease that is quite typical with her ethnicity which can potentially mess up her fertility, so they have to run some more tests to see whats up!!!

That scares the crap out of me, that if she hadn't perservered and actually called back to get a second opinion then, if she does have this disease she could end up infertile!