What are we afraid of when we are afraid of anesthesia: the main fears

Almost all patients have a feeling of fear before the upcoming operation under general anesthesia. This state is characterized by strong feelings that are completely inconsistent with the cause of fear. The occurrence of a phobia is influenced by eyewitness accounts of possible postoperative complications or the psychological trauma experienced while communicating with medical workers.

Name and description of the phobia

The fear of surgery is called tomophobia. The person is very worried about the upcoming surgical intervention, while he remains conscious and has no delusional thoughts or speech. The phobia can be so strong that a person may refuse the upcoming procedure.

Tomophobia paralyzes the will and causes a number of somatic and psychological problems. The person lacks confidence in the favorable outcome of the procedure. His imagination paints terrible pictures of the development of the situation related to the upcoming treatment. The phobia occurs immediately before surgery.

Fear of surgery is often uncontrollable. Fear has no rational basis, it is far-fetched and can cause an inappropriate reaction. Fear arises against the will of a person. At this moment he himself may realize that the upcoming operation is not dangerous and will most likely be successful. However, he cannot cope with anxiety on his own.

Main reasons for fear

The most common reason for fear before surgery is a lack of information. A person cannot imagine what exactly the intervention in his body will be like. Not all doctors want to share details and descriptions of the disease and mechanisms for eliminating it. Doctors do not always have time to talk with a patient, since there is a queue of patients in the corridors. For some medical specialists, it is difficult to tell the average person what the disease is and why it occurs. All this causes misunderstanding and fear.

People often get the impression that doctors are soulless people. They don’t care about the problems of an individual, they do not always strive to help, they can easily cause harm to health in order to finish their work as quickly as possible. In practice, everything looks different. The medical officer has a plan for receiving patients, he took an oath that he would save people's lives and improve their physiological health. Therefore, such fears are far-fetched and unjustified. If necessary, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with a psychologist or psychotherapist. It is not the doctor's responsibility to talk to the patient.

It happens that a person knows too much information about his disease.

Most often, the search comes down to studying information written on the Internet. In practice, to make an accurate diagnosis, the patient needs to undergo a series of tests, which will then be analyzed by several medical specialists. Only after this can you find out what kind of disease the patient has and what treatment methods should be used.

Psychologists also advise you not to watch videos on the public network that show details of the operating process. There are a number of professions in which the sacrament must be preserved. A person’s consciousness may simply not tolerate what he sees, and phobias instantly develop. Medical specialists did not immediately come to carry out operations; their psyches were prepared (they spend more than 6 years at the university, study the structure of organs in detail, and attend autopsies). All this is not necessary for the average person to know.

How to get ready for surgery? Fear of surgery is often associated with anesthesia. This is another type of surgical intervention in the body. It causes panic. Some people think that anesthesia may not work; there will be pain that is incompatible with life. In practice, the process is monitored by an experienced anesthesiologist; he has indicators that determine the readiness of the patient’s body for surgery. Additional fears are associated with the consequences of anesthesia. A small percentage of people believe that it is possible not to wake up after a drug-induced sleep (these are very minimal risks compared to driving a car).

Reasons for fear of surgery

Tomophobia develops in people who are emotional, overly sensitive, and with a rich imagination. If a person grew up in a family in which from early childhood he was raised to perceive the world as a dangerous environment, then even just being in the hospital can cause anxiety or a panic attack.

Causes of phobia:

• negative experience of communication with medical workers;
• lack of complete information about the nature of the disease and the stages of surgical intervention;
• fear of not recovering from anesthesia;
• eyewitness accounts of negative consequences during or after surgery;
• possible negligence of medical staff;
• fear of waking up during surgery and feeling pain;
• mystical fear based on the fact that under the influence of anesthesia the soul is on the verge of death.

The development of a phobia is influenced by fear of the unknown, fear of losing a vital organ, remaining crippled or dying after unsuccessful surgical treatment. The cause of anxiety and panic may be a person’s good awareness of his condition and the understanding that in the postoperative period he will have to live for a long time on special medications that support normal body functions.

Signs and manifestations of fear

Acute fear can significantly affect a person's physical condition. Fear can manifest itself with common anxiety symptoms:

• obsessive thoughts;
• dizziness;
• high blood pressure;
• cardiopalmus.

Outright panic attacks occur. Especially on the night before the upcoming procedure, the state can reach extreme anxiety. Patients may request to delay or reschedule surgery due to fear. Real awareness of its necessity can help overcome fear. To do this, it is important to insist that the doctor explain in as much detail and intelligibly as possible what exactly they will do to you, and what the risks will be if the operation is cancelled.

You must be clearly aware of the pros and cons. In our time, far from free medicine, you should have no doubt that this operation is needed by you, and not by the doctor. And when you accept the idea that this is a necessity, it will become easier to focus on the future, for example:

1. What can you do after surgery?
2. How much better will your health be?
3. Why do you need surgery?

If we are talking about plastic surgery without medical indications, then it is quite possible that sessions of competent psychotherapy will help achieve the result that you expect from plastic surgery.

Important!

Do not forget to tell the doctor absolutely honestly all the necessary information about yourself. A complete medical history is one of the key components of successful surgical treatment. Do not hide any information that “discredits” you that the specialist asks about:

• past illnesses;
• previous operations;
• addictions;
• allergies.

Hiding something will only give you more reasons to worry.

Symptoms of tomophobia

Tomophobia can cause severe stress and even insomnia on the eve of surgery. There are a number of signs that characterize a phobia and correspond to neurological and vegetative-vascular symptoms. A person’s health deteriorates and somatic disorders arise.

Signs of tomophobia:

• rapid pulse;
• throat spasms or choking;
• increased sweating;
• fainting;
• gastrointestinal disorder;
• trembling of limbs;
• numbness;
• loss of sense of reality.

As the danger increases in a person's imagination, the feeling of fear before the operation increases. When in a phobic situation, people are sometimes unable to calm down or transfer their thoughts to something else. This condition complicates the work of anesthesiologists; due to abnormal heart rhythm and high blood pressure, they cannot calculate the dose of anesthesia.

Rule three. Recovery from anesthesia depends on the type of anesthesia and the characteristics of the body.

Typically, the patient recovers from anesthesia within one to four hours, depending on the amount of anesthesia used and his individual characteristics. The fact that recovery from anesthesia was normal can only be assessed by a doctor based on various indicators of the body’s functioning.

The patient himself usually remains half asleep for quite a long time during the day. His relatives who are present should not be afraid. The patient's body is simply under the influence of analgesics. They are necessarily administered in order to alleviate pain after surgery - after all, the anesthesia has ended, but the cause of the pain remains.

Article on the topic

In facts and figures: epidural anesthesia does not work for 1 in 20 patients

There may be another condition after anesthesia - excessive excitement. This usually happens if a person has previously abused alcohol or had mental problems. This complication is also amenable to medical control - the patient will simply be given sedatives and sleeping pills for a while.

How to overcome fear of surgery?

Every person has the right to choose. You can agree or refuse surgical treatment. If you disagree with the method proposed by the medical specialist, you must sign a refusal. This document will relieve the surgeon of all responsibility for a possible unfavorable outcome of the disease. If a person decides that he needs treatment, he should get rid of tomophobia on his own or with the help of a psychologist.

Ways to get rid of fear before surgery:

• distract yourself from frightening thoughts (watch a comedy movie, read a magazine or book);
• pray (in your thoughts turn to the Almighty, God and ask for a successful outcome of the operation);
• talk with the surgeon and anesthesiologist, find out everything related to the upcoming procedure;
• think not about treatment, but about what positive changes will come after it;
• do not listen to stories about unsuccessful surgical interventions, do not search the Internet for statistics of deaths after a specific type of operation.

A sincere conversation with a loved one, relative or friend will help get rid of negative thoughts before an important procedure. You need to talk about abstract topics not related to treatment. You can talk about work, plans for the future, upcoming vacation. The main thing is to distract a person from negative thoughts and instill in him faith in a positive outcome of the upcoming procedure.

Physical preparation for surgery

Before the upcoming surgical intervention, it will also not be superfluous to physically prepare the patient. It is worth adhering to a few simple rules:

• do not drink alcohol several months before surgery;
• try to smoke as little as possible;
• follow the diet prescribed by the doctor;
• do not use perfumes and decorative cosmetics;
• use internally only those medications prescribed by the doctor;
• measure and record your own temperature and blood pressure every morning.

In order not to be afraid of surgery, you just need to not let fear into your mind. It is important to remember that surgery is performed by a team of doctors and nurses. If there is a reasonable fear that the specialist will not cope with the task, then it is better to seek help from another surgeon. If the tests are unreliable, you can always undergo a re-examination. How not to be afraid of accidents? It is important simply not to focus your attention on this fact. You just need to accept that this happens in the world, but it affects individual lives.

To get rid of fear as soon as possible, experts advise telling your doctor about your phobia. It happens that patients hide facts from their anamnesis. They do not provide information about past sexually transmitted diseases or injuries. Before the date of surgery is scheduled, the patient may realize that he has given false information to the medical professional. In practice this can lead to negative consequences.

There are fearless people who are ready to go under the knife without any rational explanation as to why surgery is needed. Here we are talking about those who are obsessed with plastic surgery and adjusting individual parts of the body. Such people are not afraid of anything. Their fear is often false, since unjustified surgery (without appropriate medical indications) can significantly worsen their health.

Preparation before surgery - how to get ready and not be afraid?

To overcome the fear of surgery, you need to make sure that the surgeon is a professional who has saved many lives. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect information about the clinic where the treatment will take place and about the medical staff. A few days before the operation, you need to undergo preoperative preparation: take tests, fully examine the body, cure chronic diseases; go on a diet, give up bad habits.

How to overcome fear of surgery:

• do not panic, soberly assess your situation;
• tune in to a positive mood;
• take sedatives prescribed by a specialist.

It should be understood that surgical treatment with general anesthesia is the only way that can save life and restore health. You cannot be guided solely by fear of surgery to make a fateful decision. After surgical treatment, a person will have a chance for a healthy future. If surgery is not done, the disease may worsen.

Physical training

In addition to the psychological aspect, body preparation is important:

• The anesthesiologist and the attending surgeon should know about all medications taken (even about 1 tablet of aspirin);
• you should tell doctors about recent illnesses and allergic reactions;
• You cannot hide diseases suffered in the past that are popularly considered indecent (syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis);
• you should not eat or drink 6 hours before surgery;
• It is advisable to quit smoking 6 weeks before the appointed date;
• Removable dentures and piercings must be removed from the oral cavity;
• you need to remove contact lenses and hearing aids (if any);
• Decorative varnish is removed from the surface of the nails.

A week before surgery, you should eat foods that help cleanse the intestines of toxins and gases. If you prepare correctly, the body will tolerate anesthesia easily and without complications. A competent approach and following the instructions will help you not to be afraid of the upcoming procedure and will allow you to restore strength after the operation.

How to get ready for surgery? A routine vaccination or going to the dentist can make a person nervous. Fear of surgery is a normal psychological reaction. The individual does not know what awaits him ahead, what the surgeon’s intervention will be. Before you understand how not to be afraid of surgery, you need to understand what exactly the fear arises from. This could be force majeure, the rehabilitation period, or reluctance to stay in hospital next to other patients. Such a phobia is difficult, but it can be overcome.

FEAR OF SURGICAL OPERATIONS

Everyone, from an early age, has been afraid of dentists or other people in white coats. What was so scary and frightening there? Of course, strange instruments that buzzed loudly. Or screams coming from treatment rooms, bloody cotton wool in trash cans, and even the smell itself could also have an impact. And so, after a while, some remain in fear, while others manage to escape. We are not afraid of the process itself, we are afraid of the pain that will pierce our entire body. We are afraid of uncertainty during moments of anesthesia, we are afraid of disastrous results, sometimes even thoughts of death flash through our minds. That's how neglected everything can be. It's all in the head. I will tell you about the psychological basis of everything that prevents you from living peacefully. I am sure that this article will attract your attention, you will pull yourself together and reconsider the issues that concern you. Or maybe it will just be useful for you. After all, the main thing is health! Together with me, we will analyze fears, symptoms, and prognosis for recovery.

TOMOPHOBIA A terrifying word with an equally terrifying meaning. In simple terms, tomophobia is an obsessive state, a panic about undergoing surgery. The main reason is pain. But on a subconscious level, our brain is controlled by fear. Yes, that's it. It doesn’t matter whether the situation poses serious problems or a threat to life. It always works the same way, as a defensive reaction.

The reasons may be varied. Psychologists associate its development with the influence of such factors as:

• genetic aspect - or in other words “from generation to generation”. Take a closer look, perhaps one of your loved ones also suffered from this;
• childhood traumas - terrible memories that brought you to shaking knees, most likely went into the subconscious, like a terrible monster feeds on these phobias, growing bigger and bigger each time;
• bad experience - something has already gotten out of control, and now you are afraid to go through it again;
• imposed opinion - stories from relatives, friends, the media, books - all this can sometimes have a bad influence on our mood and lead us astray from the true path;
• depression - in other words, stress, all kinds of experiences are an excellent provocateur;
• ignorance – lack of complete information about the nature of the disease and the stages of the operation;
• negligence of medical staff or bad experience with a medical professional - sometimes negativity can cause disgust.

SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIAS Absolutely all symptoms come from the subconscious. Their active work also affects their physical condition. This is how our body submits to stress and behaves far from obediently. Then how can our body react to such antics?

Manifestations of a phobia include:

• cramps - muscles during a psychological attack are tense more and longer than usual, which leads to their fatigue;
• trembling - the body is cowardly, trying to protect itself from an invisible, but quite perceptible attack;
• indigestion, the first signs of nausea - some people are accustomed to consuming a lot of food when something is very worrying them, besides, when they are afraid, the body goes on the attack on aggressive thoughts and tries to get rid of the excess as quickly as possible, and this is how incoming nausea occurs and others aching pain;
• lack of air, shortness of breath - in a state of anxiety, a person begins to breathe faster and more often, inhaling more than exhaling;
• numbness of the limbs is a consequence of lack of air (hyperventilation);
• a sharp change in body temperature, increased sweating - “now in the cold, now in the heat.” Sounds familiar, doesn't it? In this case, absolutely all parts of the body suffer.
• weakness, fainting;
• increased heart rate and blood pressure;
• disobedience of the body;
• dilated pupils;
• change in skin color;

These symptoms can arise even from just thinking about a subject that frightens us. The more you are afraid, the more serious they are and the more seriously you expose your health to real danger. This is an imprint that will simply not leave you anywhere.

Then you ask, what is the difference between a phobia and fear? Let's figure it out.

In the second indicator, we experience a real, perceived threat. It encourages our body to run and hide. This natural, basic human emotion can arise from both congenital and acquired reasons. The body is looking for a way out, which may consist of protection, search, or an alternative. With a phobia, we experience an uncontrollable, unconscious feeling, excessive anxiety. And, unfortunately, logic is powerless here. Fear and its manifestations make us more careful, vigilant, it can show us a picture of the future. For example, before you buy a ticket for a roller coaster, your mind will immediately ask: “is it safe?” Right. Safety. We are trying to protect ourselves. But when panic arises unjustifiably and penetrates our thoughts, then it can already be safely called a phobia. So, a person with acrophobia (fear of heights) will not only not buy a ticket for a roller coaster, but he will avoid heights throughout his life: move and travel only with the help of ground modes of transport. After all, if something goes wrong, his body will automatically produce all the symptoms that we discussed above.

So, let's return to our tomophobia. To the reasons for the usual indicators, here we can add fear of death (loss of a sense of reality), fear of any events, conversations in which there may be something reminiscent of surgical interventions, as well as fear of waking up during the operation. In addition, tomophobes, and indeed people who are constantly exposed to phobias, try in every possible way to hide their secret from others. Because they consider their internal state to be abnormal. They may resort to self-medication measures in order to avoid the scalpel and the operating table at all costs.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CURE TOMOPHOBIA In this situation, overcoming stress will serve as an example of recovery. Otherwise, your favorite self-medication can lead to even more disastrous results. But no one restricts anyone from choosing. Everyone has the right to do as they see fit. Refusal of the proposed surgical intervention exists, only then the doctor is no longer responsible for a possible unfavorable outcome of the disease. You decide.

If a person chooses to side with the doctors and decides to seek their help, then let him boldly go to a psychotherapist. So the specialist will determine the cause of the disease and prescribe a special course. But, if the situation becomes critical, then he must resort to forceful measures. Depression and mental disorders are not cured in a week. This requires patience, strength, calmness, and, of course, trust in the doctor.

Independent ways to get rid of a phobia:

• take your mind off frightening thoughts, spend your leisure time, before going to the hospital or surgery, with your loved ones, alone with a book or movie. But remember, no sadness or sadness, only what will bring you joy and peace of mind;
• sometimes a conversation with your doctor can be beneficial, ask everything that worries you about the upcoming procedure;
• think not about the treatment process itself, but about the result and your recovery;
• avoid stories about unsuccessful surgical interventions, do not catch up and do not create a bad aura around yourself;
• try to accept the fact that anesthesia is the only solution to save life and regain your well-being.

More serious ways to get rid of a phobia include:

• the use of a pharmacological approach (the use of tranquilizers, antidepressants and other special drugs) - of course, as prescribed by a specialist;
• the above-mentioned psychotherapy or psycho-correction (modeling a situation of fear);
• hypnosis - the very necessary emphasis on the subconscious, allows the doctor to correct the original causes of development;
• meditation;
• special trainings, therapy courses.

During treatment, the psychologist determines the underlying causes of the phobia and analyzes them. It also evaluates your personal characteristics and compares them. The goal is to develop the person’s skills of self-control and calmness to overcome frightening situations.

Remember, any fear, all kinds of experiences must be exterminated at the initial stage. You need to work with them yourself. Listen to your thoughts, try to reconfigure them. Less negativity that will lead you astray. Relax more, think about results and a disease-free future. After all, worrying will drive you into a bottomless pit of stress and depression. The main thing is to approach the problem with understanding and not rush to false conclusions, which can take a very long time to get rid of. Sometimes it’s worth reconsidering the situation, taking everything more seriously, then there will be fewer reasons and a constant cycle of fears in your life. Be healthy and patient!

Author of the article Alexandra Subbotina