Having a medical procedure can be a stressful and worrying time. Whether this is your first time having any type of tests or you are a regular when it comes to undergoing medical procedures. In most cases, the tests can be intrusive and require different types of equipment depending on what type of test or procedure you are having done.

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It makes sense you will be worrying about this but there are things you can do to help you relieve the stress beforehand and help you to relax and feel comfortable before, during and after.

Discuss Your Concerns

Your doctor is there to help you as are all the medical professionals included in your care. If you are worried about anything, don’t keep it to yourself. This will only worry you more and make the whole experience a little more stressful than it needs to be.

No matter how far along the process you are, there is no question that isn’t valid when it comes to your healthcare and exactly what you can expect. Be it your doctor, nurse, anaesthetist or radiographer, if something is worrying you, ask.

If you are scheduled for an MRI, it makes sense that you will be nervous about undergoing this type of scan. Especially if you are claustrophobic. If this is something you have concerns about,  this article helped a lot with claustrophobia. Your physician can also talk you through exactly what will happen step by step and allow you to discuss and worries you have to help you plan on how to deal with any adverse reactions to the test you may encounter.

Learn About The Procedure Beforehand

We don’t mean from your friends’, cousins’ sister who had the exact same thing many years ago. Times are changing when it comes to medicine and new and improved techniques are being developed and introduced regularly.

If the hospital you are visiting has a website, look to see if they have any patient videos. If not look for a reputable site, such as medical journals to help you learn more about what will happen during and after the procedure and also what you can expect afterwards or during the recovery phase.

The more you know, the more you can prepare for what lies ahead. Know exactly what will happen at every step of the way to be more informed about what you will likely experience.

Relaxation Techniques

If you feel you will need help to calm you at any stage, then it is worth looking into your options before you arrive at your appointment. There may be restrictions on what you can have with you, for example, if you are having surgery under general anaesthetic, rules will be stricter than say if you are having a non-surgical procedure.

Whatever you need to do to keep yourself calm and relaxed should be discussed beforehand so you can make accommodations and inform the correct personnel of any additional requirements you may have.

Above all, it is important that you feel happy with what you the procedure entails and the level of support you will need and receive to help this move as smoothly as possible.

Mandy X

Photo by Ali Yahya on Unsplash

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.