Fear of Medical Testing or being Hospitalized

[aorta]

I have all kinds of phobias starting from childhood. Airplanes, job interviiews, dentists, but at the top of my list unfortunately,
is the fear of medical tests and of being hospitalized.
I think most normal people if they feel chest pain are afraid of dying and run off the ER. Not me, im afraid ill have to go to the hospital.
This sounds funny, but its also serious, because i am more afraid of being hospitalized than dying, not a good thing.
I recently had a colonoscopy. I was terrified to say the least. Meanwhile the anesthesiologist is telling me every step of the way. First you will feel the needle, then a cloudy feeling.... I told him to surprize me.
Ive cancelled many of the tests i should have. EMG. You know where they stick needles in you , leave them in, wiggle them around and then send current through them. Nope. MRI, just lay there motionless for a half hour or so in an enclosed space. Nope.
Some of it comes from a history of bad experiences with doctors. They could never help me all my life. In fact in a few cases, they almost killed me.
Most of the tests i fear the most involve time as i mentioned in another post. You must remain on the airplane for hours, tick tick tick, or sit in the dentists chair while they work in your mouth for what seems like decades.
Im also medphobic. The amusing part of this is that i smoke cigarettes. What an 0104 am i.

[nyfear]

Hey Aorta,

I share your fear of doctors and hospitals myself. Ever since I had a false diagnosis in my teen years have I developed this phobia. The craziest thing of all is that I'm a hypochondriac as well. Go figure...Fear of getting sick and a fear of doctors. I battle daily with this. I believe my hypochondria stems from my childhood and living with my Grandmother who was forever sick and always at the doctors. I would always fear losing her to illness and as she was my only parent this fear manifested itself onto me in my adult life. I'm just a mess. Hope all works out for you.

Nyfear

[gloomy]

  I really thought I was the only hypochondriac who is terrified of hospitalisation and doctors diagnosing me.  The thought of having to make an appointment about one of my many illnesses is enough to send me into a week long panic.  I think oh my god the smell, the knowing look on the doctors face, the waiting, the blood tests, the examination, the awful news, I will have to tell my family and it goes on.  Then I try and get a grip of myself again and it works for a while until I watch a hospital programme on the television and spot a new illness or disease that I am always sure to have symptoms of!!

[JENMAR105]

I too and terrified of doctors. I think it stems form when I was little I would faint whenever I got a needle or blood test, I can't even hear doctors or other ppl talking about it, I have fainted from just hearing about blood work, yet I love to watch medical shows. I have avoided so many tests and bllod tests especially. I wish I could just go to the doctor and be normal. I actually feel guilty when I leave cause I am such a baby, Jen

[gracie1]

I too have been putting off an MRI - im afraid of the results.  Im too am petrified.  And the crazy thing with me is I smoke and watch all those shows about ER, Critical Hour, Emergency... I cant take this fear anymore.

[RainyOcean]

I am relatively afraid of going to the doctor, but my main fear is needles.  It used to be that I couldn't even get novocain to get a cavity filled.  I've managed to get past that and have since gotten both novocain and a TB test on my own.  However, I need my fiance with me to get shots (he has to hold me still) and I have an all out phobia of blood tests.  Basically, I had a nervous breakdown when I was 4 years old, and I was put on anxiety medication.  I used to have to get SO MANY blood tests when I was younger to make sure I wasn't taking too much or anything that over time I became petrified of them.  For years I felt sick and was unable to get testing done.  I know my fiance holding me still wouldn't work for this. The fear is so overwhelming I'm sure I'd kick and scream my way out if someone tried to hold me still.  I've finally managed to get blood tests with the help of Ativan. (unfortunately nothing turned up, so I still don't know why I've been feeling sick).  I would love to be able to get over this fear.  Don't know how though.  Just the word blood test makes me curl my arm up protectively.

[suki43]

Well I can relate to everything written on these posts. It's like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place all the time.

Whenver I am worried about something, my b/f says "well, go and see the GP or dentist" - I actually find myself getting angry, because I really wish I could do this like any normal person, but it fills me with a sense of dread. I'm not sure which is worse, the dread of going to the dentist or GP, or the worrying about it.

As far as needles go, I'm OK with them in my arm or 0104, but anywhere else I'm a wreck - well I say anywhere else, I have never had novocaine because I've not had any dental treatment.

RainyOcean - how did you get past the fear of needles at the dentist? Right now, the thought of one in my gum makes me almost weep.

Suki

[nikki08]

I just found this thread since I'm usually on the hypochondria boards. I too have hypochondria but I am afraid to go the dr. as well. As soon as I have any symptom I think, what if it doesn't go away and I need to see a doctor and get tests done?? I force myself to go to my annual OB/GYN appt. but I have such anxiety. I already am anxious about it and it's not for another month. I am just so afraid that they will find something wrong with me that I didn't even know I had and my life will be over as I know it..

[docchicken]

I'm so glad I found this forum.  I've never found a bunch of people with both hypochondria AND fear of doctors...I don't feel so alone now    Has anyone figured out a way to get over this?  I keep convincing myself that something is wrong with my kidneys, stress about it for so long that my bp goes up, go to the doc, who puts me on a bp pill, which is supposed to protect kidneys, and now I'm having side effects from that, which seem to be the opposite of what it's supposed to do.  The bp has been controlled great, but the runs and going to the bathroom less and worrying me...I'm just scared to death to go get my blood tested and find out I have something that is going to require tons of horrible tests, hospitalization, changing my life, being restricted, and God knows what else.  I hope there's someone in here who can help me!  My husband is growing impatient with me, and I don't know what to do to change the way I'm feeling  

[shrublet]

Hello Chicken,

I'd like to suggest that you start a brand new thread of your own, since this one is pretty old. Maybe in the hypochondria forum?

[charlie1]

Even though this thread is quite old as shrublet says, I relate totally to it and virtually every post written previously by others could have been written by me.