PDA

View Full Version : I just had a huge panic attack on my way to the dentists



aliciajane
29-05-08, 15:12
Okay, I'll fill you in on the last few months. I had an infection on my tongue, which I panicked and thought was tongue cancer after googling it. I'm 16, so I knew the chances were small, but I'd quit smoking 5 months ago.
For months it drove me mad, and I had lots of panic attacks and felt awful.
I had a temporary dentist (mine was on maternity leave) and she didn't know what it was and reffered me to a hostpial. I panicked like mad for weeks, until I went and was told it was just an infection. The doctor at the hospital looked all around my mouth and said I was fine, I had nothing to worry about, and she couldn't believe I even thought I had mouth cancer.
This experience started me panicking about the dentist.
A month later I went back to the hospital as it hadn't cleared up, the doctor looked around my mouth again and reassured me again it was nothing sinister, I didn't have mouth cancer and had nothing to worry about.
She discharged me and said it'll just take a long while to heal up.
So I stopped panicking about that.
But, a few weeks later I had to go back to the dentist (my usual one was back now) and have a check up. I panicked like mad.
It went fine, but I had to get a small filling done the week later.
Again I panicked but forced myself in to have it done.
Since then, this tiny red patch (like the size of a few pin-heads) has appeared a few times in my mouth. It's always gone away within a few days, but it came back last night, and it's probably the 3rd time it's come back. It looked a lot smaller and better this morning (it's hardly visible in all honesty) but I had a huge panic over going to the dentist today.
Whilst eating a chewy sweet on Monday, my filling came out so I was getting it re-done.
I tried to calm myself down, and told myself the chances of it being anything were tiny, seeing as I've already had my mouth checked out in a place that specialises in diseases of the mouth, but I still couldn't bear to go to the dentist.
My mum tried to help, but I just got hysterical outside the dentist, had a panic attack and had to go home.
My dentist (she is really lovely) knows about my panics and anxiety and said that's fine, and I've got an appointment for next Thursday.
I don't know what's wrong with me, ever since what happened before, every little thing in my mouth sets me off, even though I know the chances are i'm fine.
What can I do?

neptuno
29-05-08, 19:07
Hello !
Going to the dentist gets everyones stress levels up - but when we add this to our anxiety and panic - well, you can see how it soon spirals out of control. Memory is a crafty beggar ! It remembers times and places where we panic and flicks the panic switch at the slightest provocation and then boy do we panic. Thing is - we're being fooled just by a thought, a memory. The trick is to let the thought / memory come and say to yourself "that's the last time I'm going to be fooled by you !!" Just doing this small thing will calm you and you will be amazed to find you can continue with no risng panic, and if you laugh at yourself then so much the better. Don't let a sneaky thought keep you prisoner. Go to your appointment next Thurs, get the filling sorted and get some BIG reassurance from your lovely dentist that everything is OK.
be kind to yourself

aliciajane
30-05-08, 01:57
Thanks, that's some great advice :)
Cheers!