Managing Surgery Related Anxiety
Let's face it – surgery is a nerve-wracking experience. But did you know that excessive anxiety can actually hinder your ability to recover well? This article will show you exactly how you can reduce your anxiety before surgery and give yourself the best chance for a successful outcome.
Pre-surgery jitters are completely normal, and to a certain extent, even unavoidable.
But if you're losing sleep, feeling constantly on-edge, experiencing physical symptoms such as increased heart rate or nausea, or otherwise worrying about your upcoming surgery to an extent that it interferes with your daily life, it's an issue you need to address.
After all, the more relaxed and confident you are going into surgery, the better your chances of a successful, comfortable experience.
What Causes the Anxiety?
The primary cause of pre-surgery anxiety is fear of the unknown. This can be exacerbated if you've had a negative surgery experience in the past, or if you've known someone in such a situation.
Still, anxiety is a vicious cycle. In many cases, anxiety causes sleeplessness and anxiety, which makes the anxiety worse, which produces more sleeplessness and anxiety, and so on.
The secret is to get to the heart of the problem and take steps to prevent the cycle from continuing.
Gather Information and Create Expectations
One of the best things you can do is arm yourself with as much information as possible. This will help reduce your fear of the unknown, because you'll have a greater understanding of what to expect and how to handle it.
Talk to your doctor and make sure you have all the information you need in order to assure yourself that you're making the right decision. It's important to go into your operation with full confidence that you're doing what's best for you.
In addition, learn all you can about the surgery itself -- what your hospital stay will be like, who will be performing the operation, what it's like before, during and after surgery, and so on.
This ebook by renowned anesthesiologist Chris Bonney is a terrific resource that takes you all the way through a typical surgery and helps you understand exactly what you can expect AND how to help your doctors create the most comfortable experience possible, based on your specific needs.
[FOR MORE ON PREPARING FOR SURGERY, CLICK HERE]
Talk to Your Doctor about Your Anxiety
If your anxiety is severe, don't be shy about approaching your doctor and letting him or her know. In many instances, the doctor will be able alleviate your concerns with additional information -- or in some cases, even prescribe temporary medication to help calm your nerves.
In any case, being upfront with your doctor about your anxiety is important, so your doctor can create the best preparation and post-operational strategy for you.
Consider Alternative Treatments
Many patients find great relief in alternative forms of treatment: acupuncture, massage, yoga, prayer or meditation, sessions with a therapist, getting lost in a good book, and self-hypnosis have all been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.
[FOR MORE ON SELF-HYPNOSIS AS A FORM OF SURGERY PREPARATION, CLICK HERE]
Remember, you know your body and emotional state better than anyone. The healthy things you do to alleviate your stress in other aspects of your life will probably be effective in this situation, too.
While some nervousness is natural, pre-surgery anxiety doesn't need to be crippling or even a major part of your experience. For more information on everything you can do to prepare yourself for the best surgery experience possible, check out CalmForSurgery’s incredible resources and products.
