It is necessary to distinguish mild anxiety before visiting medical institutions and doctors from strong neurotic fear. Uncontrollable fear of doctors and clinics is classified as an anxiety-phobic disorder and can become a serious threat to human health.
What does it represent?
Jatrophobe experiences panic at the thought that one day there will be a need to go to the doctor.
Therefore, he usually ends up in the hospital as a last resort. When you are unable to cope with pain or due to forced hospitalization, while in an unconscious state.
He prefers to be treated with all sorts of herbal decoctions, roots and other methods of alternative medicine. Convincing him that a person who took the Hippocratic oath is trying to help, and not, on the contrary, harm, is unrealistic.
And if by some miracle you manage to do this, another difficulty will arise - lack of faith in professionalism.
Fear appears even when watching films, news and just photographs of people in white coats. Obsessive thoughts that one day you will have to face them head on lead to depression and apathy.
Which is not surprising, because anxiety does not go away, but constantly accompanies, as if in the background. Why neither relax nor calm down?
In order to somehow control their disorder, or rather, achieve peace, jatrophobes mainly preach a healthy lifestyle.
They pay a lot of attention to the prevention of any diseases, independently, using Google, diagnose themselves and prescribe treatment.
Signs
When thinking about visiting a hospital, a jatrophobe's palms sweat, his arms shake and his legs give way. May have chest pain, as if about to have a heart attack.
My head is spinning and I can’t really concentrate on something or understand what’s happening. Panic grips to such an extent that there is not enough air and the stomach turns, the mouth becomes dry, shortness of breath and even vomiting appears.
A person in such a state can fall to his knees in front of doctors and beg them for mercy. Or, on the contrary, react aggressively to any attempt to come closer.
But most often he tries to escape, screaming and crying loudly. If you try to stop it, it will begin to bite, escaping like a wild animal caught in a trap.
In some cases, he loses consciousness from horror, and then, coming to his senses, does not speak clearly, confuses words, and forgets them.
Blood pressure also rises, the pulse quickens and the skin turns red or pale. With prolonged exposure to stress, insomnia appears, and he may have nightmares at night.
Naturally, with the participation of people in white coats who are trying to “cure” him. All this negatively affects his overall health, which leads to depression, which often ends in an attempt to commit suicide.
Sometimes it happens, when a terrible diagnosis is made, that jatrophobe prefers, instead of traditional treatment, to go, say, into the forest and lead a hermit’s lifestyle.
He is ready to endure hardships and inconveniences in everyday life, just to avoid ending up in a clinic, next to merciless and cruel medical workers. As you understand, most of these stories end sadly.
In any case, even if by some miracle one manages to recover from a fatal disease, personality degradation occurs. When she loses the skills she previously possessed due to the fact that there was no need to use them.
Lack of communication affects socialization and self-perception, naturally, not for the better.
Causes
Memory of ancestors
Previously, especially during war times, surgical instruments were used to “talk” a prisoner. Those who survived these tortures experienced panic at the sight of painfully familiar objects that caused them mutilation and trauma.
And the treatment methods were not always gentle; to a greater extent, they turned out to be useless and caused a lot of suffering.
So, if we take into account the theory of genetic memory, then it is likely that the fear of doctors syndrome is a message from the family to be careful with people in white coats and various instruments in their hands.
Experience
Negative experiences gained earlier provoke the development of jatrophobia. Having experienced severe pain and horror associated with the manipulations that were performed on the body, I want to never encounter something like this again in my life.
And then the person will be ready to endure any symptoms of the disease, but will not turn for help to those who are associated with monsters. Who thirst for suffering and blood.
Also, it is not your own experience that can influence your attitude towards medicine, but your friends and acquaintances. Having heard enough stories about how loved ones were treated inhumanely.
Or how they suffered and became disabled due to negligence and lack of competence - a person with this phobia will not only bypass the hospital, he will never be able to trust doctors in his life.
By the way, reports often appear in the media with stories of people who suffered due to doctors’ mistakes. And this will affect the impressionable viewer, listener or reader, only increasing his anxieties and convincing him of the correctness of his doubts.
Character traits
Infantile individuals, that is, those who are not ready to take responsibility for their lives, usually expect miracles. Without taking any action.
For example, if they feel the symptoms of some serious illness, they will not go to specialists. And they will hope that they will disappear on their own. Somehow the body will take it on its own and heal.
They are also afraid to hear that they have a terminal diagnosis. And then it’s easier to live in ignorance, periodically worrying about your condition. Than just knowing that things are bad.
Although, as practice shows, in the initial stages of almost any disease it is quite possible to recover completely. If, of course, you follow the doctor's recommendations and take prescribed medications.
And the longer you wait, which will resolve on its own, so to speak, the less likely it is that you will be able to win the battle with the disease.
Low pain threshold
Some people are lucky and can endure almost any pain without even flinching. But individuals with a low pain threshold have to suffer thoroughly.
Because touching brings discomfort, let alone injections and other types of manipulation.
Typically, a low pain threshold is observed in children. Most of them allow only close relatives near their bodies. If a stranger tries to come close enough, hysteria will be guaranteed.
An adult needs to restrain his feelings. And hiding panic is quite difficult, which leads to loss of consciousness. This is more socially acceptable than admitting weakness.
Upbringing
If parents did not pay due attention to the baby’s health, in particular, they did not vaccinate him, did not take him for examinations and, especially, did not use medications for treatment, it is unlikely that he will behave differently when he grows up.
Unless another significant adult sets an example that you want to follow.
Also, the occurrence of jatrophobia is provoked by not entirely constructive methods of influencing the child’s behavior.
It's about intimidation. They will give you a painful injection if you don’t listen. Or that they will take him to the hospital, and he will probably regret that he did not want to eat porridge and be quiet in the store.
Or in cases where parents did not consider it necessary to talk with their child, explain to him what they will do when he is sick.
For example, they admitted the baby for surgery, but did not warn about the pain, did not reassure him or support him. He’s already scared that strangers touch him, do something to his body, and don’t always let his mother into the room.
Plus, it’s not clear why this is all and when it will end. And also the moans and cries of other children, poor sanitary conditions and the rudeness of orderlies and nurses.
Here any adult will say: “I’m afraid,” not like a little person who doesn’t yet have much knowledge and experience.
What causes the development of fear?
Jatrophobia can arise as a result of various negative situations that leave an imprint on the human psyche:
- Personal negative experience. The development of fear of doctors can be caused by unpleasant or dangerous situations that occur in the building of a medical institution or directly at an appointment with a specialist (physical pain, general deterioration in well-being). In addition, a careless, disrespectful attitude towards the patient on the part of medical personnel can also provoke the emergence of fears.
- The impact of childhood psychological trauma. Often, for the purpose of intimidation, parents tell their child that the doctor will come and give him an injection. Such situations can cause severe stress in children, which can subsequently transform into various phobias and neuroses. In addition, some parents are overprotective of the child and take him to the clinic for consultation for any reason, which later forces the adult to avoid doctors.
- Underwent complex operations. Some surgical interventions, which were accompanied by complications or were difficult for the patient psychologically, can leave a deep mark on the psyche and subsequently provoke the emergence of phobias.
- Negative experiences of other people. Sometimes, to develop persistent anxiety and severe anxiety, it is enough to witness an accident in the hospital or hear a story about a medical error, an incorrect diagnosis, a failed operation, etc. In this case, suspicious, sensitive, and cautious people are more susceptible to the development of fear.
Another reason for the development of jatrophobia may be the fear of contracting viruses or infections in the hospital. People who are particularly sensitive and suspicious are also prone to such fears.
Treatment
First of all, if you discover the first signs of a phobia, you should contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.
During therapy, you will be able to discover the reasons that cause such irrational experiences and endanger life and health. And defense mechanisms that do not help at all, but on the contrary, only complicate everything.
For example, denial allows you to reduce the level of anxiety, calm down, telling yourself that in fact there is no dangerous disease.
And then, when it is extremely necessary to urgently take some measures, a person is simply in illusions. Since the psyche decided to maintain its stability in such an unconstructive way.
The most common methods used to combat iatrophobia are hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, and gestalt therapy.
It is also worth visiting a psychiatrist, despite your horror of doctors. Because he will be able to prescribe medications that will help cope with insomnia, relieve anxiety and lift your mood at least a little.
Because if depression and other concomitant diseases occur against the background of exhaustion of the body from stress, it will not be at all easy to recover.
In general, your life and its quality are in your hands. After all, how can you stop being afraid if you make no attempts at all to change your condition?
Fear of doctors: what to do?
Mild phobias may not be noticeable to others and can be controlled by the patient. Fear of dentists or any other medical professionals is quite common, but most manage to overcome their fears and regulate stress on their own.
All means are good here - the hand of a friend, self-hypnosis, relaxation or mantras. More severe forms of jatrophobia require corrective therapy. The modern branch of psychiatry and psychotherapy has a fairly wide range of tools. From group and individual therapy to the use of pharmacological agents. The psychotherapist you need to contact will select a safe and effective treatment method.
Recommendations
Rationality
Literally two centuries ago, people had every reason to be afraid of doctors, if only because they previously did not know what anesthesia was. The person was prepared for the operation with the help of alcohol, and in rare cases, he was stunned.
That is, they hit him on the head so that he would lose consciousness. Accordingly, most of the patients died on the operating table from painful shock. Even with completely simple manipulations today.
But we should not forget that modern technologies make it possible to work miracles, pulling completely hopeless patients out of the other world.
Read how far science has come. Perhaps the information you receive will help you calm down a little. A person’s imagination is limitless, and he can come up with a lot of things and then get scared.
Although in fact the reality is completely different, not so dangerous and incomprehensible. Therefore, always in such cases, when feelings go off scale, try to include rationality and logic.
Stress management
Practice yoga, meditation and breathing techniques. Stress wears out our body, deprives us of resources, strength and desire to live. Why does it turn out that jatrophobes fall into a vicious circle?
He is afraid of doctors and experiences a lot of stress due to this fact, which provokes the development of somatic diseases and makes it necessary to contact them.
So learn to relax and take care of your nerves. Then you will forget about your bad mood and insomnia.
Confidence
Almost every person on the planet has a story about being misdiagnosed, missing something, or overlooking something. They acted inhumanely, stole money, showed no compassion. Right?
The human factor comes into play, and there is no escape from it. But not getting treatment at all is not an option. Try to work on your ability to trust.
Ask your friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who they turn to and which clinics they are registered with. Collect information about specialists, their strengths and weaknesses.
If possible, go for a consultation to communicate and understand that they are not so scary, these doctors.
The main thing is to choose a friendly, humane doctor based on feedback, who will talk to you and tell you in detail about the methods of working with a specific diagnosis.
Then the level of anxiety will decrease a little if you manage to build a more or less trusting relationship with him. Explain that you are very afraid of people in white coats and therefore need tolerance and understanding.
What happens to a person with iatrophobia?
A process starts in the body when the brain gives a signal for the release of adrenaline. The body cannot cope with its amount. This causes a sharp deterioration in health (tachycardia, high blood pressure, diarrhea and trembling of the limbs, dry mouth, shortness of breath, complete lack of understanding of the current situation, inappropriate behavior).
Phobia of fear of doctors requires treatment, but the patient needs to go directly to the person he is already afraid of! It turns out to be a complete vicious circle! But this is not a hopeless situation.
