What is jatrophobia, for what reasons does it arise and how does it manifest itself? Methods for treating fear of doctors in children and adults. Jatrophobia is one of the types of social phobias, increased tension and fear of doctors. Symptoms develop already at the stage of planning a visit to a medical consultation. Interestingly, this phenomenon was previously associated with the color of the dressing gowns. But later it turned out that, despite the new uniform of medical workers (white coats were changed to colored suits), the fear of doctors remained.
Description and mechanism of development of jatrophobia
Phobias do not develop out of the blue, for them to appear, hereditary factors are required that cause increased excitation of the nervous system, or a negative, traumatic experience.
That is, phobias arise in people who have already faced adverse effects on their own body of a threatening factor. The inability to control one's own health, passivity during procedures accompanied by pain, and cause fear of doctors. The possibility of developing a phobia is aggravated by congenital suspiciousness, suspicion, and lack of trust.
The cause of the phobia is a kind of anchor and is deposited at the level of the subcortex. The less self-confident a person is, the deeper the problem arises.
Phobia is not fear. Fear is the body's natural defensive response, in which the brain sends a signal to release adrenaline, a hormone that speeds up responses. A person runs away, freezes, quickly calculates possible situations that help him escape from danger.
With a phobia, the same mechanism is activated - an adrenaline rush is triggered by a signal from the central nervous system. But since the situation is imaginary, the risk is exaggerated, then the body is not able to use up this adrenaline. Due to an overabundance of anxiety hormone, symptoms appear that negatively affect health and cause a sharp deterioration in the condition due to disruption of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems and intestinal function.
This already requires treatment. However, with jatrophobia, the help of doctors is perceived as a threat, and therefore the condition worsens. A vicious circle arises: the need to see a doctor causes a deterioration in the condition, and the need for treatment leads to a deterioration in health.
Causes of Doctors' Fear
How to get rid of the fear of doctors in each case can be understood only after it has been possible to identify the cause of the phobia. If you mobilize your own strength and concentrate on your feelings, apply the methods of introspection, you can do it yourself. When the mere thought of facing medicine makes you panic, in order to cope with your own fears, you should consult a psychologist. It is advisable to work with a private doctor who is in charge of the appointment in his office and does not wear a traditional gown.
Causes of jatrophobia in children
Crying and increased moodiness when visiting medical institutions in children under 1, 5-2 years old can hardly be explained by jatrophobia. At this age, babies are often simply afraid of strangers and unfamiliar surroundings, this can explain changes in behavior.
In older children, fear of doctors can form for the following reasons:
- The child "absorbs" the fear of "white coats" from adults. In the subconscious, the conversations of the family about how much they do not want to be treated, the voiced unwillingness to pay a visit to the dentist, explained by pain, the nervousness of the parents before injections or visiting the clinic are postponed.
- Individual characteristics of a developing personality. If the baby is afraid of blood, does not like the touch of strangers - especially those that seem intrusive to him - even a routine medical examination can cause panic.
- Low pain threshold - in this case, each manipulation causes pain that is remembered for a long time. After a single vaccination, it is difficult to persuade such children to go to the clinic in the future, even if they have to do a simple fluorography.
- Children are afraid of everything unfamiliar, they are used to affection. An impersonal attitude, lack of information - all this can cause them to panic.
In most cases, the parents themselves are to blame for the jatrophobia of children. If the mother behaves insecurely when the baby is examined, “suffers” with the child, does not try to explain the need for this or that manipulation, the baby feels defenseless. In the future, in such circumstances, he may panic.
Causes of jatrophobia in adults
Jatrophobia in adults cannot be explained solely by childhood fears. There are other reasons for the emergence of a fear of doctors.
Let's consider them in more detail:
- Adults are used to controlling the situation, and when they fall into the hands of the Aesculapians, nothing depends on them. This situation causes fear, because you have to trust those you don't know.
- A medical error that the patient does not necessarily have to deal with. It may be that some acquaintance suffered, or someone just told about a similar situation. For people who are too impressionable, stories have a frightening effect.
- An abundance of negative information - films about killer doctors, programs in which they talk about the mistakes of medical workers. Even if the plots are not confirmed by anything, the information is deposited at the level of the subcortex of the brain.
- Inferiority complex. A person is ashamed of his body, imagines how repulsive he looks in the eyes of a doctor. It seems to him that in this regard, they begin to treat him negatively.
- Bad habits - addiction to alcohol, drugs, overeating. The patient understands that doctors will talk about the harmfulness of such a lifestyle, and begin to avoid contact with official medicine, first consciously, and then on a subconscious level.
- Fear of Pain - Unfortunately, most medical procedures involve pain or discomfort and are avoided.
- Fear of death. The patient is afraid of death on the operating table, from an allergy caused by drugs, in a hospital ward, does not trust medical workers, he is sure that death cannot be avoided anyway. Treatment in this case is considered as an approximation of a lethal outcome.
- An impersonal attitude towards patients, the negligence of the medical staff, rudeness and rudeness in the hospital - all this forms a persistent negative attitude towards "people in white coats."
Modern private clinics try to create conditions in which patients feel comfortable, treat people “like human beings”, which allows them to cope with mental trauma. Unfortunately, the goal of many private clinics is profit - patients are given non-existent diagnoses, forced to undergo unnecessary examinations, which in the future can also cause fear of medicine.
All unpleasant sensations in the complex associated with medical manipulations and the attitude of medical workers can cause the development of jatrophobia.
Manifestations of jatrophobia in humans
While in children the symptoms of jatrophobia are often limited to increased moodiness, hysteria and crying, in adults the signs of fear of doctors are much more severe. In adults, in these cases, symptoms may develop that resemble those of a panic attack.
Appear:
- Headache and dizziness;
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Bowel cramps and diarrhea
- Muscle tension, up to cramps;
- Trembling knees;
- Speech disorders;
- Increased blood pressure;
- Veil before eyes or flashing of flies.
Potential patients develop hypochondria, insomnia, impaired perception of information, and it becomes difficult for them to concentrate on work.
Patients who are afraid of doctors postpone treatment until they are in a critical situation. With fear of dentists, they bring their oral cavity to the complete decay of teeth, with fear of manipulation, they turn to a doctor when the pain becomes unbearable and cancer cannot be treated.
Particularly severe forms of jatrophobia can provoke death in a patient.
Ways to Deal with Doctors' Fear
Recommendations on how to overcome the fear of doctors depend on the age of the patient and on the state of his psyche. If she is so upset that no arguments work, then she will have to carry out medication.
Parental actions to combat jatrophobia in a child
Parents of children who are afraid of people in white coats should be serious about what is happening and never make fun of their behavior.
Features of correcting the behavior of children:
- It is necessary to tell the children in advance what will be in the doctor's office, how important it is. You should not deceive the child that "it will not hurt." Deception will negatively affect the psychological state of the future patient. If young children understand how important certain procedures are, they do not oppose them.
- Before visiting the doctor's office, you should talk to the child, make him voice his fears, answer all questions and give the correct information.
- In a hospital for children, you need to try to create a comfortable environment. Children should know that in the queue, if they want to eat and drink, their parents will feed them and give them drink, that there is a toilet in the hospital that you can always visit.
- You should talk to your doctor with dignity. The child must see that the parents are talking to him on equal terms. Mom is not afraid - the baby is comfortable.
- You can visit the doctor in advance and leave "gifts" for the baby. If, after the examination, the child is given a mirror, a piece of nice soap or even candy, he will even wait for the next visit to the medical facility.
- In no case should you frighten the baby with injections, calling the doctor, saying that if he "does not take medicine at home, he will be sent to the hospital."
- It is advisable to plan a visit to the doctor in advance so that the child asks his questions and formulates all concerns.
If you do not frighten the baby with the hospital, play at home as a doctor and a patient, treat toys - animals and cars, the fear of a doctor can be overcome.
Fighting the fear of doctors on your own
To stop being afraid of a medical professional, you need to believe that the goal of every doctor is to create conditions under which communication with the patient can be reduced to a minimum. And this can only be done if the patient recovers.
The doctor should be trusted. To do this, you need to find a professional whose actions do not cause rejection. At present, all conditions have been created for this - reviews of the work of a particular specialist can be read on Internet sites, ask relatives and friends. Now patients can choose a medical facility where they will be served at will.
In private clinics, you can not only find your specialist, but also choose the time, create all the conditions for yourself for a comfortable treatment.
You should learn to trust yourself. The available information about your disease should be announced to the doctor, tell about your own feelings, and correctly formulate questions. A physician-patient partnership is the best way to overcome jatrophobia and accelerate recovery.
You should get ready for the hospital in advance. Think about what to do if you want to go to the toilet or eat, take everything you need with you. In order not to get nervous in the queue in the corridor, it is worth preparing an interesting book, an electronic medium with games, knitting.
While staying in the hospital, you need to take a familiar thing from home - a pillow, a blanket. It is advisable to buy earplugs and an eye mask - at night they can put a new roommate in the room, turn on the light if someone becomes ill. Sudden awakenings have a negative effect on the nervous system, do not allow you to sleep. If the patient is well rested at night, then he is less nervous during the day.
Help from specialists in the fight against jatrophobia
If you cannot cope with fears on your own, and you understand that treatment is necessary, you should contact a psychologist who accepts in a private office.
In this case, hypnotic influence can be applied to relieve fears, help in mastering the method of auto-training. An honest conversation with a specialist will help determine the cause of the fears and eliminate it.
Patients with jatrophobia often have somatic diseases, the treatment of which is rather difficult. Consultations with a psychologist can help get rid of these diseases, and then the help of official medicine may not be needed.
In some cases, the use of sedatives will help maintain the stability of the nervous system. They have the right to be prescribed by a psychologist, psychotherapist, neuropathologist - some drugs of general action can be purchased and taken by the patient himself in recommended doses.
With increased anxiety, which provokes disorders of the cardiovascular system, insomnia and symptoms of panic attack, it is recommended to take light sedatives: tinctures of valerian, motherwort, peony, Persen, Note, Gerbion drops, Phytorelax tablets, Afobazol, Glycine.
If treatment is necessary, and each visit to a medical facility causes a worsening of the condition, sedatives and antidepressants are prescribed by the attending physician.
Treatment of jatrophobia with folk remedies
In the range of traditional medicine, there are enough recipes for sedatives that can be made at home.
These include:
- Tea made from valerian, chamomile, mint, linden blossom. They are brewed in the following proportions - a tablespoon of organic raw materials in a glass of boiling water.
- Tincture of equal amounts of chamomile, mint, valerian root, fennel and caraway seeds. They are brewed according to the same recipe.
- Tea brewed according to the following recipe has a quick calming effect: take 1 part of St. John's wort and horsetail, 2 parts of black tea, 2 parts of green tea. Brew 2 tablespoons of the herbal mixture with half a liter of water, infuse until intense color, add honey.
- The recipe for another soothing broth - combine 1 bay leaf, 1 clove bud, a small piece of ginger and a teaspoon of cumin. Pour boiling water over the bio-raw materials, bring to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes, then add black tea - a teaspoon, insist.
Soothing tinctures should be taken 3-4 days before visiting a doctor in the morning and in the evening, 1/2 cup each. On the day of visiting a medical institution, half a glass of the soothing tincture should be taken immediately before leaving the apartment.
You should not be led by your own fears. Jatrophobia can be overcome by finding out the cause. Having got rid of the fear of doctors, you can live fully and not be afraid for your own health.
If, despite the fear of official medicine, one overcomes the 55-60 year mark, then jatrophobia will become obsolete. However, the state of health can already become so threatening, and the quality of life will decline so much that every day will bring physical suffering.
How to get rid of the fear of doctors - watch the video:
Treatment of jatrophobia should be started at a stage when the condition is still invisible to others. In this case, it will be possible to get rid of it in a short time, without causing harm to one's own health.
