Over 50% of people who are headed into surgery suffer from some sort of surgery anxiety. This is very normal, but it can make the surgery very challenging for everyone. Surgical anxiety arises for many reasons, from a bad experience to being high risk, or just facing the unknown.
Thankfully, there are ways to overcome pre-surgery anxiety with coping mechanisms. If you find that you’re having anxiety over surgery, keep reading to learn how to soothe your worries so everything goes well.
- Talk With Your Surgeon
One of the best ways to help you deal with anxiety prior to surgery is to discuss your fears with your surgeon. Your surgeon can talk you through the procedure in detail, if you want, and answer questions related to your surgery. They’ve likely dealt with other patients who’ve been anxious before.
Think of questions you’d like answered, write them down, and bring them to your surgeon.
- Are There Alternatives?
If surgery is truly a phobia for you, you may want to explore alternative options.
There are many alternative options available nowadays to treat medical issues that would be considered non-traditional, like acupuncture, yoga, herbs, supplements, non-surgical ED treatment, and so forth. In some cases, these may be good enough to treat the problem, but they shouldn’t be a replacement for surgery if you truly need it.
- Do Your Research
When you’re armed with information, you feel better about your situation. Read up as much as you can about the type of surgery you’re having, treatments, and post-surgical recovery. Try to narrow down exactly what it is that’s causing your anxiety and read up on it as much as you can.
If it’s your medical condition, financial concerns, or anything else, learning about it can ease your concerns. But be careful; the internet can lead you astray quickly, so read with caution.
- Plan As Best You Can
Being as planned as possible for your surgery will help you feel more prepared in case anything doesn’t go according to plan. Your recovery process is important to maintain normalcy, so find out what you will need to do to properly recover.
Doing so might calm your anxieties. Not having to worry about what happens post-recovery can help you go into surgery feeling confident. Pack your hospital bag, snacks, water, and whatever else makes you comfortable.
- Use Relaxation Techniques
When people experience anxiety and even a phobia, sometimes they need counseling, medication, relaxation techniques, or a combination of both.
You can listen to music, do yoga, breathing exercises, or talk to a professional counselor about other techniques you can do. Talking about your fears and using cognitive behavioral therapy can help you adjust and feel better about heading into surgery.
Surgery Anxiety: You’re Not Alone
Surgery anxiety is normal but preparing well and learning more are keys to assisting you through your anxieties. What steps will you take today to ensure your surgery is smooth and successful?
Do you want to learn more about anxiety and ways to overcome it? Our website has tips you need to help. Visit our website today to learn more!