Do you suffer from the white coat syndrome?

Do you fear entering the doctor’s office or even a hospital or clinic? Then you might suffer from the “white coat syndrome” which makes the blood pressure to go up when measured in the doctor's office. This fear is somehow normal if you associate a healthcare setting with injury and disease. According to WebMD, people can also be confronted with other types of fears, such as the needle phobia. This type of fear is associated with panic attacks, fainting or dizziness when the patient needs to get an injection. On a positive note, fear associated with healthcare might also bring some positive outcomes. Hypochondriacs might also get screened more often for certain diseases, which leads to better prevention. On the other hand, people who feel that their diagnosis is not correct, think that the healthcare system is unreliable or cannot afford treatment are more likely to let fear influence negatively their decisions. How to handle the fear of doctors?Getting over the fear of the doctor may be challenging, but here are some tips that can help you cope with it: (1) Identify the source of worries and work on your anxiety. (2) Talk to your doctor openly and ask him to explain the procedure for you: Talking more with your doctor may help build the trust. On the other hand, an accurate description of the procedures you will need to go through and their length may help you cope better with fear. (3) Go to a new doctor: If your fear is linked to a particular doctor, then it might be a good idea to seek for a new one. (4) Try cognitive behavioral therapy: Some coping techniques are available, which have been shown to relieve anxiety after only two or three sessions. (5) Take someone with you: Bringing with you a relative or a close friend to the appointment could help you feel more support from them, which helps you overcome your fears. ...

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