Doctor
For nearly everyone, nothing is more terrifying than preparing for a lengthy stay at the hospital. Everything is restricted within those walls, including a person’s diet, visitors, activities, and daily routines. There is a feeling of entrapment, the uncertainty of life and death. Along with that is the worry over whether or not a treatment will work, and what havoc the side-effects of such a treatment will wreak on a frail and tired body. After a while, one wonders whether he or she will be allowed to go home again to enjoy a hot cooked meal and a shower. While these are all realistic, valid concerns, sometimes one must set aside these anxieties to deal with the chore of getting well.
Recovering from an illness is a physically and mentally trying ordeal. It takes patience and support from loved ones, as well as inner faith of the individual. Everyone is faced with the human condition, and plenty have already been in those same shoes. Take comfort in knowing that fear is normal; the unknown is always scary, especially when one is dealing with real life. The one thing every hospital-bound person needs to remember is that he or she is not alone.
There are many ways to deal with a fear of hospitals. The first most recommended thing to do is take a tour of the hospital. Knowing one’s surroundings can have a comforting effect, and may relieve some of the anxiety related to plunging into the unknown. It is best to note where the nurses’ stations are since they are the primary care givers after one’s actual doctor. Familiarity also reduces the stress of having to go back later for outpatient treatment.
Another method of hospital fear management is familiarizing oneself with the treatment. Rather than be poked and prodded by strange tubes and machines, understand what these tests are for and how they are going to help diagnose and/or treat. Become familiar with hospital protocol; ask questions like: When are meals served? When do visiting hours end? What is the patient to nurse ratio?
As one becomes familiar with the hospital and the treatments, it is also important to become familiar with the staff. Get to know the doctors and nurses who will be treating you. It is easier to trust someone with whom one is familiar than a perfect stranger. Makes sure the staff knows who you are and why you are there. This will cut down on the possibility of mistakes as well as increase the overall comfort level of both parties.
Stay positive and let comfortable things surround you. If given permission, bring a security blanket, be it a book, a doll, a letter of encouragement, or an actual blanket. Bringing home to the hospital helps maintain a sense of serenity, the feeling of home being where the heart is. The more comfortable the environment around a person, the easier dealing with treatment is going to be.
Overcoming a fear of hospitals is really just the same as overcoming any fear. It means dealing with the unfamiliar and making it a part of oneself. The more one familiarizes something scary with something he or she loves and appreciates, the less the thing itself imposes on the individual.