How to Reduce Anxiety Before Medical Procedures or Treatments
Tips for handling common anxiety hurdles for patients
Pre-procedure anxiety is a normal part of the medical process. In fact, up to 80 percent of surgical patients are reported to experience anxiety before operation.
Adding anxiety management to your pre-procedure routine can help mitigate the stressful or negative thoughts and emotions that might accompany an operation or another routine procedure. Consider implementing these key methods into your pre-procedure plans.
Don’t hesitate to vent your concerns to your medical professional.
Your doctor, nurse, or nurse practitioner will have information that can shed light on an intimidating or complicated procedure. Be sure to ask them questions so they can provide insight into what you’ll be experiencing and how best to manage your apprehension or reactions before, during, and after the procedure.
If you’re concerned about whether a procedure will be painful, you can say: “How is pain treated before and after the procedure?”
If you’re wondering how much your regular routine will be affected by the procedure, you can ask questions like: “How soon after the procedure will I be able to return home?” and “Can I drive on my own?”
If you’d like to know how quickly the procedure will impact your prognosis, you can ask: “How soon after the procedure will I know the results?
If you’re concerned about what types of questions the procedure may bring up, don’t hesitate to ask direct questions such as: “What will happen if the procedure leads to specific findings, such as cancer?”
“Up to 80 percent of surgical patients are reported to experience anxiety before operation.”
Find an anxiety management method that works for you.
While some people find it useful to seek as much information as possible about the procedure to relieve anxiety, others opt for different methods or pair that approach with another. Here are some techniques patients have found helpful:
Reading: Diving into an engrossing book can be an extremely effective way to mitigate worry and anxiety. Take a look at recommendations from BookRiot.com for some inspiration.
Watching films or television shows: The period leading up to a procedure can be the perfect time to get hooked on a new series, or finally get around to that buzzy film you’ve been meaning to check out. Visit aGoodMovieToWatch.com/mood to pick from a selection of films that are curated by emotion (e.g. uplifting, thought-provoking, feel-good, or funny).
Listening to music: A 2015 study by medical researchers based in the UK found that music tended to reduce anxiety experienced by patients undergoing surgery. Try creating a playlist of your favorite tunes, or download a preset playlist to help ease pre-procedure jitters.
Sources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167307/
Nigussie S, Belachew T, Wolancho W. Predictors of preoperative anxiety among surgical patients in Jimma University Specialized Teaching Hospital, South Western Ethiopia. BMC Surg. 2014;14:67. Published 2014 Sep 5. doi:10.1186/1471-2482-14-67
[2] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60169-6/fulltext
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