Panic and anxiety

[Vinnie]

i have a bad fear of the dentist, i did go last year to get a smaller tooth extracted, but the lady dentist had to stop a few times, as i had to put old wster on my face and in the back of my head, It's been like this 4 me ever since i can remember, but in the 80s i tollerated it, and i allways had panick attacks , my face gets all white like a ghost its so hard for me to get that needle, even though i know its not gonna hurt me, but metally i am on ssi and ssdi for my illness,

 

[letsconnect]

Hi Vinnie, have you considered sedation options? Sedation can be really useful when you struggle with a severe needle phobia. You can read more 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

Alternatively, if you prefer to tackle the fear head on, working with a psychologist is always an option .

 

[oneby]

In some ways my nervousness and fear of medical things is worse now than it was when I was young. I always imagined I would mature and grow out of it, not get worse. So I hear you and get what you mean. I don't have any easy answer, but I know the key is in controlling our thoughts. There are books that might help you, or therapy, or meditation exercises. Something I work on is telling myself how common dental problems and procedures are, it's just part of the human experience that everyone goes through. Sometimes I try to depersonalize things, as if it's happening to someone else and I just don't care.

I'm far from mastering any of this, I'm only just beginning to work on these kinds of thoughts, but it feels good to at least have some strategy in place. Especially right now when I'm getting reading to go to the dentist in a couple of hours and have some new pain checked out.