How do you keep from obsessing re: worst case scenarios?

[odette]

Hey everyone,
I have my consult tomorrow at 8:00 am and I literally driven to distraction.

How do you keep your mind from obsessing about worst case scenarios?

 

[nikki06]

Are you with someone for company? If so, it might be worth picking a film out with them, or finding something you like on TV.

If Im super stressed my lovely fiance will brush my hair or stroke my hand and arm, thats pretty relaxing, having your face stroked is nice too, but hands/touching nr your face might soon take you back to thinking about your teeth and so on. Lavender oil in a burner is relaxing, as are a few drops on your pillow.

If you're not with anyone, try Skype or messenger.. just try chatting to take your mind off stuff a bit.

Sometimes I go into a panic and then Im struggling, so its best to try and pull it back as soon as you can.. Ie, dont Google! Youll home in on all the horrible stuff and only make yourself feel worse.
Positive thinking, seeing the end goal..
Sometimes its really hard, telling yourself not to think about things wont work! Just think "Im going to be okay, everything will be fine, and if its not.. I can leave at any time. But it will be ok and Im taking the steps I need to fix my teeth and be/feel better"

..This is something I think Im gonna be trying when my treatment comes up, some of it has helped in other situations where Im anxious, so Im sure it will work in this situation too

 

[brit]

Hey everyone,
I have my consult tomorrow at 8:00 am and I literally driven to distraction.

How do you keep your mind from obsessing about worst case scenarios?

Well try thinking about how bad the worst case scenario actually is....not that bad?.....filling, root canal....extraction?
None of those outcomes has to involve a bad experience for you. None of those outcomes should involve a bad outcome for you especially not with a trusted competent dentist in the 21st Century.....so why do you keep telling yourself that it does (PTSD aside of course)

....try a little positive thinking about what fixing this tooth might involve...all you need to do is get there and stay there and trust that your dentist wants to help you (easier said than done I know with your history)..but since you rule out sedation for understandable reasons, the only way round the mountain is to build a trusting relationship and think more positively..

..you can either by lying down imagine you are on a beach sunning yourself (DVD on ceiling would help here).....or that you are in an altogether more threatening situation and I know your experiences have programmed you to expect the latter.....but that isn't actually the case as we think you have a decent dentist now....

...try to see him as your protector in the dental experience (iatrosedation), he will not do what other bad dentists have done to you before...so try to start there: he is trustworthy so what can I do to make this easier on me.....not see it as the worst way to spend your day....it should fix your pain after all without causing you any.

any distraction would be fine....before, during and after.....(I know that is not what you meant by distraction).....or maybe you want everything to be explained step by step to feel more secure - that is fine too.

Whatever it takes for you but you do have to try to relax and believe that he wants to help you.

Iatrosedation by Dr Nathan Friedman

Iatrosedation is the relief of anxiety through the dentist's behaviour. In this seminal paper, Dr Nathan Friedman describes the process in full.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

 

[mghstl]

Long, hot shower or bath...more than one, if needed.
Glass of wine or cup of tea.
Silly chores that I've been putting off, like sewing on buttons.
Good music and a crackling fireplace.
Looking thru old photo albums and remembering good times.
Thanking God for getting me this far, and asking for a little extra help.
Writing down everything I'm thinking...EVERYTHING. Writing it again and again, until it loses its "power" to worry me.
Thinking about everyone here who is cheering me on!!!!!!!

 

[odette]

After what I have read on this site, I am reconsidering my adversion to sedation. If anything at least to keep my PTSD at bay - and keep my mind distracted so I don't obsesses during the procedure.

With PTSD you're tortured inside your head having to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate how safe your environment is. So worse case scenario playbacks in my head make me feel like I'm bracing myself for the worst so when the worst does occur, I already have a course of action in place to follow.

But I also know it is unhealthy to be so obsessive about something triggering cuz thinking worse case scenarios only causes my body (since mind/body are connected) to dump a shitload of adrenaline and other fear and panic hormones into my bloodstream, which then just makes me panic and obsess more. It's a fucking horrible cycle, I know.

That's why I'm trying to stay ahead of it by distracting myself so my brain doesn't go there. I mean, I know my brain thinking its helping by obsessively planning ahead for the worst, but it's actually making it worse.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[odette]

But ya, I'm really trying to get my head around the use of some sort of sedation.

I have to be fair to the dentist too. He can't do good work if I'm a key'ed up mess. Plus, it's not fair for me to make my problems his problems. Same goes for the
staff, it's not fair if I act out just cuz I'm triggered when they are actually trying to help me.

I mean, I DO obviously trust this dentist enough or I would not have made the initial call to see him in the first place. So some sort of bond of trust does exist. There is some starting point I can work from to move forward. Thank you for reminding me of that. PTSD makes me irrational.

And thanks for the suggestions to keep journaling.

I am bringing my partner with me. Thank the sky I trust him enough - already having built up that trust - that he can be by my side at the dentist.

 

[brit]

Odette
You survived the encounter with the emergency dentist (I would have found that stressful as she was not my trusted dentist).
Does that fact not make you think it might actually be a little bit easier to see your own dentist instead? Because you have already done the chat in a different room with him right and he wants to help somehow?

Sedation info is here:

Is dental sedation right for me?

What sedation options are available for dental treatment? Which is the right one for me? Find out about oral, inhalation, and IV sedation.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

The other link I posted is an academic one on how the dentist can reduce anxiety and fear by their behaviour, by being the protector of the patient in the dental situation (coupled with their good attitude and painfree techniques)....it's a good way of looking at it if you are wanting to avoid sedation for whatever reason. But the patient has to be open to the concept that kind dentists do exist.

 

[Amoreyna]

After what I have read on this site, I am reconsidering my adversion to sedation. If anything at least to keep my PTSD at bay - and keep my mind distracted so I don't obsesses during the procedure.

With PTSD you're tortured inside your head having to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate how safe your environment is. So worse case scenario playbacks in my head make me feel like I'm bracing myself for the worst so when the worst does occur, I already have a course of action in place to follow.

But I also know it is unhealthy to be so obsessive about something triggering cuz thinking worse case scenarios only causes my body (since mind/body are connected) to dump a shitload of adrenaline and other fear and panic hormones into my bloodstream, which then just makes me panic and obsess more. It's a fucking horrible cycle, I know.

That's why I'm trying to stay ahead of it by distracting myself so my brain doesn't go there. I mean, I know my brain thinking its helping by obsessively planning ahead for the worst, but it's actually making it worse.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Hey - I hope your appointment went well today.

I also have PTSD and in some ways I think I am lucky that I have actually experienced worse case scenarios. Yes, they did have lasting consequences but at the same time I am still here.

I know about the mulling over everything, what could possibly go wrong, and also having that spark flashbacks and emotions of the event that cause the PTSD to begin with. Which is beyond unhelpful when you're already stressed. And yes, the irrational fears you have with it - its a strange paradox, knowing you're being irrational yet not being able to stop being irrational.

I find that two things help. One, is having people just to talk to. Not about what your facing necessarily, but just to talk to about anything and everything. Being able to talk to someone close to you about silly things and laughing not only passes the time but relieves a lot of stress for me.

The other thing is feeling like you are in control. When my dentist works on me I know I am in control. He will stop if I need him too, he will not let me be in pain. I pick which teeth we do, what I want done etc. He doesn't pressure me into treatment or pressure me to do things in his order. Being able to trust your dentist and feeling safe is the best thing that you can do for yourself.

I use nitrous for my appointments. My dentist has no issues adjusting it up or down whenever I like. It helps calm me while not feeling like I'm losing control. I don't know if that's an option for you, but it might help. The other nice thing is that unlike medications, a couple of minutes of breathing oxygen and you're yourself again.