Has anxiety ever made you avoid the dentist?
I’m curious if anyone else finds that dental anxiety starts long before actually sitting in the chair.
Maybe it’s making the call, worrying about being judged, fear of what they’ll find, or putting it off for so long that going back feels overwhelming.
If you’ve experienced this, what has been the hardest part for you? And if you managed to go back, what helped?
@Lavuna
Anxiety is different with everybody. For instance I suffer from anxiety when I use my car.. it's rough but what I do is schedule something and always do the appointment even if my heart is racing and i'm shaking because I know with practice I can ease my symptoms..🌲
@AsherTree That’s such a good point, anxiety can look so different for everyone. I really like what you said about still doing it even when the anxiety is there.
I’m actually building an early tool to help people who feel anxious about or have been avoiding the dentist feel more prepared before taking that next step. I’m looking for a few people to test it and give me honest feedback. Would you be open to trying it?
@Lavuna
No thank you.. After so much practice of fighting anxiety that I am able to act normally now.. Also I don't have a fear of the dentist.. I'll rush to the dentist if I could..😆
@Lavuna
I do not have anxiety, but dread. I am a gagger. I have just come to accept that is how it will be.
@caringShoulder1357 That’s a really interesting distinction, dread rather than anxiety, especially when you already know gagging is likely to be part of the experience.
I’m working on something around making dental care feel a bit more manageable before you even get to the appointment. Your perspective would actually be really helpful, particularly because your experience is different from the typical dental anxiety people talk about. Would you be interested in having a look at the early version?
@Lavuna
No thanks, I'm good.
