Please Help Me!

[adoption97]

RIght now my anxiety is getting the best of me---I feel sick to my stomach and the constant worrying is wearing me down. When I TRY to go to sleep, all I can think about is the pain. I feel like such a failure and wimp for being like this---nobody in their right mind would CHOOSE to be a dental phobic. My greatest worry is the pain I will be in after having all these teeth removed---please, someone who has had wisdom teeth and several others removed at the same time, please offer some advice and encouragement.

[fatcat]

The pain afterwards is no way near as bad as bad toothache, I had bad toothache many times, the sort that you just don't know what to do with yourself and painkillers just don't touch but the pain (if you get any) after extractions isn't as bad and doesn't last as long as that. If you get it done then that is it, no more trouble or pain from those troublesome teeth.

The fear and the feelings before getting anything done at the dentist is much much worse than the actual event. I am the same as you, before any appointment I freak out and I always think of the worst but it has always turned out great! I recently finished all my work (apart from a cleaning) but before I made the step to go to the dentist I was exactly the same, my teeth, the dentist, the fears of breaking a tooth ruled my life. Believe me, as soon as I made that first step and started my treatment I felt 100 times better, confidence came back and slowly the dentist and related things were not always on my mind.

Most importantly, you are not a failure or a wimp for feeling like this! The best I can describe it is that is the phobia talking, it wants you to think like that so it can keep gripping you, once you start to break the circle the phobia and fear will decrease. Try to take your mind off it (I know it is hard) do something you enjoy doing, watch tv, cook, go out with friends.... you need to be able to get some sleep and get some energy back.

Maybe you could take a look at the journal part of this forum, there are a lot of people who have had a lot/all their teeth out, it might help to read their stories or maybe even talk to them about it to help put your mind at rest.

I hope you manage to get some rest and that you feel less panicky soon. Take care.

[adoption97]

FatCat:
Thank you for your kind words. I know a huge part of my problem is the anxiety disorder which just makes the dental phobia 100x worse. I'd LIKE to think that having these teeth pulled will feel like a relief but my anxiety and fear don't allow me to think that way.