Accepting the doctor's opinion

[Sparky16]

I went to the doctor today with something I was worried about (the exact issue not being really relevant to my question) and the doctor told me that I did not have that particular diagnosis, and pointed out the reasons why I didn't have it. It all made sense to me. However, as you all know, it's difficult for us HA'ers to hang onto confidence in a diagnosis.

This got me to thinking, what do you guys do to reinforce with yourself what your doctor said? One of the things I did when I got home was something I learned from a counselor - to write down the reasons the doctor gave me, as well as my own reasons. I still find myself struggling, though, so I'm interested in any tips you guys have picked up over the years.

[NotDeadYet]

Sparky16,

Convincing ourselves that doctors know what they are talking about it tough. For me, it took therapy and forming a different relationship with my thoughts. I had to learn that my thoughts ("Did my doctor miss something? Did my doctor misdiagnose me? I know something else is wrong." etc) are just words in my brain and have no actual basis in reality. I routinely have to remind myself that I'm having thoughts and that they mean nothing. It has helped me so much.

Best Wishes