NHS talking therapy for phobia of HCPs and hospitals.

[SillyG]

Im due to start talking therapy for an extreme phobia. Im terrified of HCPs. I'm incredibly anxious about talking to the counsellor and not sure i will be able to do it.

Anyone have any experience or advice?

I don’t have experience of talking therapy for this issue but I do have a phobia of blood and needles which obviously comes to the fore when I have to go to hospitals and have blood taken.

One thing that helped me is applied tension. So when I’m panicking and I feel like I will faint from fear, I tense each muscle in my body from feet to head, each one by one individually as isolated as possible. So toes, feet, calves, thighs, bum… up and up and then back down again. It can help to stop me from panicking.

Not entirely what you asked for but I thought I’d share just in case it helped a little. Definitely go, the good thing about therapists is they literally just sit in a chair and talk. Nothing scary about someone just sitting there listening and asking the occasional question. They can’t make you say anything you don’t choose to say.

Phobias are treated with CBT in TT. Are you going to have video or face to face appointments?.
They treat people with anxiety so being anxious about therapy is very common. Just mention it. After the first appointment it will get easier as you get used to them and trust develops.

I think its initially a phone call and then video calls.

That tactic makes sense, I will try it. Thanks, appreciate your response.

Ah, you can handle a phone call. Remember that you are in charge of all of this. If you decide to hang up, that’s that, if you continue, that’s your choice too. You are not over a barrel, it’s all your free choice.

It will be videos calls.
Ultimately I've tried meds and CBT before so hopefully it will help.

I'm totally aware that my fear is impacting my quality of life and literally could cause my premature death.

The irony of having to trust a HCP to help with my phobia of HCPs...

Thanks for replying.

I will keep reminding myself it's my choice. I hate feeling like this and my instinct is to ignore it and stop thinking or dealing with it.

I'm in talking therapy sessions (video calls) at the moment. I've found it so therapeutic to actually voice my anxieties and my counsellor has given me various coping strategies. The breathing and grounding techniques may be beneficial for you.

Break it up into smaller choice points so it doesn't feel so overwhelming, eg 'just answering the call', 'just doing the first 5 mins' etc.

I work in the field, and people are usually surprised by how proud they are of how they coped with the first session. Tired as well. All the best.

I had my phone call on Monday. It waa ok. Received an email yesterday confirming I have been accepted for CBT. Waiting list is about 5/6 months.

Issue now is I started bleeding. I'm 9 yrs postmenopausal. Really struggling as I need to speak or see a doctor but I just can't. I started an Econsult earlier but deletes it as I know it will open a can of worms.