vicki
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2005
- Messages
- 978
- Location
- UK
I seem to be in the minority here, and I find that really odd. I am so in awe of you all who go alone.
There's no need to be in awe at all; different people handle fear and the experience of going to dentist, differently. Some people find that taking someone with them helps because that person can be a source of support and can also act as a kind of 'safety net' or person to turn to, if things don't turn out quite as they expected. Others prefer to handle the experience on their own, or maybe only have their support person with them in the waiting room but not during treatment, depending on how they feel about being scared or nervous in front of someone they know well. As brit said, it could well be that the people who have voted are a little further on in their journey than you are at the moment, but that's OK too - everyone is different .
I remember when I went to my first appointment with a new dentist after several years of avoidance. I was so petrified that I knew the only way I would be able to cope with it and not back out or do a runner in the middle of the appointment, was if I took someone with me, both for support and also as someone to turn to in case things went wrong (and in case the bad stuff that happened when I was younger happened again). I took my best friend with me and although I was glad she was with me in the waiting room, I changed my mind at last minute and went into the actual appointment on my own.
In my case, I prefer to be on my own for dental appointments; on the journey there, in the waiting room and also in the appointment itself. It feels weird if someone is with me because I'm normally very calm and in control, so I really don't want them to see the 'different' me, the one who is totally stressed out, shaking like a leaf and popping beta blocker pills in a (usually unsuccessful) attempt to curb the adrenaline surge. Of course, the dentist and staff at the dental practice sometimes (well OK, probably most of the time!) get to see this side of me, but it's somehow different, I think probably because it's just another part of their job for them and it's nothing they haven't seen before, so they're perhaps less likely to be phased by it.