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Medical Anxiety

BananaMuffin
Community Member
I have been aware for several years that I have a crippling anxiety around medical tests, to the point where I basically don't have them done.

So I was born with a genetic condition inherited from my father. The syndrome has various symptoms, all of which are present at birth.

His major symptom was huge trouble with his eyes from childhood , resulting in him being legally blind at around 59 yrs old.

I did not have eye trouble to his extent at all. I am now 51

When I was 19, in 1988 I accompanied him to an eye specialist. Even though I did not have an appointment they put me in the chair. They saw some vascularization on my eyes and said basically quit your life you will be blind in 10 yrs.

I have been to numerous eye doctors since then who have said your corneas are fine, you are no tf going tyo go blind. Probably 5 different eye doctors have said that.

Well I took that 30 yr old report to an eye specialist 2 weeks ago because of some dry eye symptoms and he said your eyes have not changed , and in fact my visual acuity test was 6/5 (excellent)

But the last 3 week's waiting for this appointment has been a nightmare. I can't forget that original diagnosis and I feel like maybe all these other doctors were wrong and the first diagnosis was right? I have no issues with my vision and I know it's illogical but the trauma of that diagnosis of blindness, even though I didnt believe it at the time has haunted me. I can't get rid of it

I have an appointment on Monday with a dry eye specialist and waiting for this appt has caused me such severe anxiety to panic attack mode. I've been going through this this for 3 weeks since I booked it

I never ever EVER book medical appts. Dental ones are fine, but anything else no way. I wil never forgive that eye specialist 32 yrs ago for what he has done to me 
 
31 Replies 31

Basically my eyes have not changed in 32 years except for needing reading glasses

Evidence right there I'm trying to focus on

Do you have someone who will go to your appointment with you? It always helps if you have some one with you for support?

Try to give yourself POSITIVE self talk... build yourself up 😀

I do , but I think I will decide on the day

That’s great you have someone to go with you 😀 all the best with your appointment... one thing I have learned with anxiety is to not let your anxiety win... defy it.... you will begin to fly 😀

You are stronger than what is making you anxious.... believe in yourself 😀 you are stronger than you realise 😀

The more we do of what our anxiety is telling us to do... the more we “ reinforce “ our anxiety...

You CAN over ride your anxiety... you CAN win 😀

And most of all I know I'm not being rational. I've seen 5 or 6 different eye specialists in the last 10 years and NONE have said I'm going to go blind

There you go 😀 well done you have challenged your thinking and got your answer 😀 breath deep you have got this 😀 walk into your appointment with confidence you WILL beat your anxiety 😀

Well done 😀 keep focusing on that 😀

Thank you :)

The only difference between those eye doctors and this one is that for them i could get a same day appt, and I do that for any medical thing because of my medical anxiety.

But for this opthamol9gist I've had to wait for 25 days because of all the covid backlog.....that's what's sent me in this spiral