Otitis

How not to be nervous before surgery. Causes of fear before surgery and effective methods to overcome it

Fear of surgerymany people experience, but some have learned to manage this fear, while others grow it to enormous limits, drawing in their imagination pictures of all sorts of complications or death. And these thoughts and fears are not very useful for the body; rather, on the contrary, they can attract what a person is afraid of. Therefore, it is important to let go fear of surgery. It is important to trust doctors, the universe and your body .

How to cope with fear of surgery

Your imagination plays a big role. No matter how difficult and scary it may be, it is important to switch from negative images to positive ones and imagine how your operation is successful. How do you feel better and better every day after the operation? In other words, program your subconscious for success. This helps a lot. And the chances of recovery increase several times.

If you are a believer, then go to church, or ask your loved ones to ask for your healing. You can also read prayers at home or in the hospital. This calms and inspires faith in healing. There are many facts that suggest that with the help of faith and prayer, people were healed from many diseases, including incurable ones.

Self-hypnosis formulas can help overcome fear of surgery. Say them constantly and don’t let thoughts and fears settle in your mind.

These are the formulas:

I am worthy of health and healing.

I feel better and better every day

I'm programmed for success.

Don't hold back negative emotions. If you feel like crying, cry. Talk to someone about your fears. Don't keep them to yourself. Accept them and manage them in the ways below or in any other way.

General anesthesia is prescribed to the patient if it is impossible to avoid it during the operation. local anesthesia for complete pain relief. Hundreds of thousands of people go through this procedure every day. Proper preparation for anesthesia will help reduce the likelihood of complications, both during and after surgery. The patient is required to strictly follow the recommendations that will help him prepare for the upcoming test physically and psychologically.

In many cases, surgical intervention can be done without general anesthesia impossible. Despite its relevance and necessity, such anesthesia still remains not entirely subject to human will. Medicine cannot give a 100% guarantee that this artificial sleep will not provide negative influence. An honest and open dialogue between the patient and the anesthesiologist is important when planning an operation, which should be prepared in advance.

Back in the middle of the last century, anesthesia before surgery was associated with a risk to the patient’s life. Today, thanks to a huge leap in the development of all branches of medicine, as well as due to the use of advanced technologies, there is no longer any need to talk about mortality due to anesthesia. However, there remains a small potential for health hazard human brain(possible mental impairment).

Almost everyone who has to go through this procedure experiences fear, sometimes turning into panic. But, since there is no alternative to such anesthesia, it is necessary to use all available possibilities to achieve maximum safety. To do this, before anesthesia, it is important to prepare your body in accordance with established rules and individual requirements attending physician. If you do everything as the anesthesiologist advises, you can reduce the likelihood of complications.

The advantages of general anesthesia include such factors as the patient’s lack of sensitivity to the performed surgical manipulations, and absolute immobility of the patient, allowing surgeons to work with concentration and without tension. In addition, a person under general anesthesia is completely relaxed, which allows doctors to work even with hard-to-reach vessels and tissues, without wasting time. Another advantage is that the patient’s consciousness is turned off during the operation, and therefore there is no fear.

In some cases, anesthesia is accompanied by such side effects, such as attention disorder, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, pain and dry throat, headaches.

These discomfort are temporary, and their intensity and duration can be adjusted if you prepare for upcoming surgery as required by the doctor, for example, not to eat or drink water several hours before the procedure.

Preparing for surgery

It is important to properly prepare for surgery under general anesthesia. Depending on the complexity of the upcoming surgical intervention, the general health of the patient and many other factors, the preparation time can vary from 2 weeks to six months. During this time, the patient sometimes develops a persistent fear of surgery and anesthesia, which is fueled by stories from other patients or anonymous testimonies read in the tabloid press.

The anesthesiologist, together with the surgeon who will operate on the patient, should have an informative conversation with precise instructions on what you can eat and drink a month before the operation, a week before it and on the day of it. In addition, the patient must be examined by other specialized doctors who study his state of health and also give him useful tips by adjusting, for example, smoking, weight, lifestyle, sleep.

Even before a short and simple operation under general anesthesia, at least the following examination of the patient’s health condition is carried out:

blood test (general);
urine test (general);
blood clotting test;
general analysis urine.

It is important to tell the truth about how you feel. If the patient was properly preparing for surgery, but a few days before the operation he noticed an increase in temperature or an exacerbation chronic illness, for example, gastritis, the attending physician should know this! At feeling unwell the patient's operation is necessarily postponed.

Fear of surgery under anesthesia

Feeling afraid of anesthesia or a surgeon’s scalpel is normal and should not be ashamed. To reduce feelings of anxiety, you can seek help from a psychologist. In many developed countries, each patient is required to be consulted by such a specialist before surgery, and if necessary, consultations can be multiple. In our country, few clinics and hospitals can boast of such an opportunity, so patients themselves sometimes have to ask their doctor for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a conversation.

It is believed that the patient’s psyche is already traumatized in the clinic, when the doctor recommends surgical treatment to his patient. Even then, fear begins to occupy a dominant position in a person’s consciousness. Anyone undergoing surgery needs the sensitivity of the medical staff.

Every patient without exception should be reassured and encouraged. If the patient shows a particularly intense feeling of fear (cries often, talks about death, sleeps and eats poorly), he needs urgent consultation psychologist. In the preoperative period, most patients are in dire need of preparation for surgery, not only medicinally, but also psychologically. There are several areas of mental support for patients:

training of children and elderly people;
preparation for emergency surgery;
preparation for planned surgery.

Fear is a strong emotion, which in this case plays a negative role, preventing the patient from adjusting to a favorable outcome of the operation.

Since the consequences of anesthesia depend not only on the anesthesiologist, but also on the patient, you should carefully consider your own emotional experiences and promptly see a specialist to restore mental balance. You can be afraid of anesthesia or the outcome of surgery, but still live full life, without poisoning it either to yourself or loved ones. To do this, you should prepare for the operation psychologically and physically, controlling not only what you can eat or drink, but also what you can and should think about.

Psychological attitude

First of all, you should give up ostentatious bravado and admit to yourself: “Yes, I’m afraid of anesthesia.” Every patient who is about to undergo major surgery experiences fear. This normal condition, since a person is used to controlling work own body, and the thought that he will be helpless inspires fear and anxiety. In addition, there is fear for the consequences of anesthesia and the success of the operation itself. Such anxiety is normal if it is not constantly present and does not disrupt the patient’s usual rhythm of life.

To psychologically prepare for an operation under anesthesia, while experiencing fear, you can do auto-training, yoga, and meditation. It is enough to master the technique of proper relaxation and breathing in order to feel peace of mind and peace after just a few sessions. Breathing exercises and a positive attitude will help overcome fear and panic.

Physical training

Besides psychological aspect, body preparation is important:

about all accepted medicines(even about 1 aspirin tablet) the anesthesiologist and the attending surgeon should know;
you should tell your doctors about your recent previous diseases And allergic reactions;
You cannot hide diseases suffered in the past that are popularly considered indecent (syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis);
you should not eat or drink 6 hours before surgery;
It is advisable to quit smoking 6 weeks before the appointed date;
must be removed from the mouth removable dentures and piercing;
needs to be removed contact lenses And hearing aid(if available);
Decorative varnish is removed from the surface of the nails.

A week before surgery, you should eat foods that help cleanse the intestines of toxins and gases. If you prepare correctly, the body will tolerate anesthesia easily and without complications. A competent approach and following the instructions will help you not be afraid of the upcoming procedure and will allow you to restore strength after the operation.

Almost all patients have a feeling of fear before the upcoming operation under general anesthesia. This state is characterized by strong feelings that are completely inconsistent with the cause of fear. The occurrence of a phobia is influenced by eyewitness accounts of possible postoperative complications or experienced psychological trauma obtained through communication with medical professionals.

Name and description of the phobia

The fear of surgery is called tomophobia. A person is very worried about the future surgical intervention, while he retains consciousness and there are no delusional thoughts or speech. The phobia can be so strong that a person may refuse the upcoming procedure.

Tomophobia paralyzes the will, causes a number of somatic and psychological problems. The person lacks confidence in the favorable outcome of the procedure. His imagination paints terrible pictures of the development of the situation related to the upcoming treatment. immediately before surgery.

Fear of surgery is often uncontrollable. Fear has no rational basis, it is far-fetched and can cause an inappropriate reaction. Fear arises against the will of a person. At this moment, he himself may realize that the upcoming operation is not dangerous and will most likely be successful. However, he cannot cope with anxiety on his own.

Reasons for fear of surgery

Tomophobia develops in people who are emotional, overly sensitive, and with a rich imagination. If a person grew up in a family in which early childhood Since he was raised to perceive the world as a dangerous environment, even just being in the hospital can cause anxiety or a panic attack.

Causes of phobia:

negative experience communication with medical professionals;
absence complete information about the nature of the disease and the stages of surgical intervention;
fear of not recovering from anesthesia;
eyewitness accounts of negative consequences during or after surgery;
possible negligence of medical staff;
fear of waking up during surgical treatment and feel pain;
mystical fear based on the fact that under the influence of anesthesia the soul is on the verge of death.

The development of a phobia is influenced by fear of the unknown, fear of losing life important organ, remain crippled or after an unsuccessful execution surgical treatment. Reason anxiety state And panic fear there may be a person’s good awareness of his condition and understanding that in postoperative period will have to for a long time live on special, supportive normal functions body, drugs.

Symptoms of tomophobia

Tomophobia can cause severe stress and even insomnia on the eve of surgery. There are a number of signs that characterize a phobia and correspond to neurological and vegetative-vascular symptoms. A person’s health deteriorates and somatic disorders arise.

Signs of tomophobia:

throat spasms or choking;
increased sweating;
fainting;
gastrointestinal disorder;
trembling of limbs;
numbness;
loss of sense of reality.

As the danger increases in a person's imagination, the feeling of fear before the operation increases. Being in a phobic situation, people are sometimes unable to calm down or transfer their thoughts to something else. Similar condition complicates the work of anesthesiologists due to impaired heart rate And high blood pressure they cannot calculate the dose of anesthesia.

Every person has the right to choose. You can agree or refuse surgical treatment. In case of disagreement with the proposed medical specialist method, you need to sign a waiver. This document will relieve the surgeon of all responsibility for a possible unfavorable outcome of the disease. If a person decides that he needs treatment, he should get rid of tomophobia on his own or with the help of a psychologist.

Ways to get rid of fear before surgery:

distract yourself from frightening thoughts (watch a comedy movie, read a magazine or book);
pray (in your thoughts turn to the Almighty, God and ask for a successful outcome of the operation);
talk with the surgeon and anesthesiologist, find out everything related to the upcoming procedure;
think not about treatment, but about what positive changes will come after it;
do not listen to stories about unsuccessful surgical interventions, do not search the Internet for statistics of deaths after a specific type of operation.

Get rid of negative thoughts Before an important procedure, a sincere conversation with a loved one, relative or friend will help. You need to talk about abstract topics not related to treatment. You can talk about work, plans for the future, upcoming vacation. The main thing is to distract a person from negative thoughts and instill in him faith in a positive outcome of the upcoming procedure.

Preparation before surgery - how to get ready and not be afraid?

To overcome the fear of surgery, you need to make sure that the surgeon is a professional who has saved many lives. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect information about the clinic where the treatment will take place and about medical personnel. A few days before the operation you need to undergo preoperative preparation: take tests, fully examine the body, cure chronic diseases; go to dietary food, give up bad habits.

How to overcome fear of surgery:

do not panic, soberly assess your situation;
tune in to a positive mood;
accept sedatives, appointed by a specialist.

It should be understood that surgical treatment with general anesthesia is the only way that can save life and restore health. You cannot be guided solely by fear of surgery to make a fateful decision. After surgical treatment, a person will have a chance for a healthy future. If surgery is not done, the disease may worsen.

How to cope with the fear of surgery using general anesthesia: treatment with a psychotherapist

If you cannot cope with nervousness and panic attacks on your own, you can contact a specialist, for example a psychologist-hypnologist

Fear of surgery is a natural reaction of the body to an upcoming outside intervention and a violation of its integrity. Fear covers all fronts at once: rational fear, telling us about possible consequences, and the unconscious, working on the instinct of self-preservation - they violate the cover of my body - this is a danger!

Most people are very wary of the work of doctors; too clear associations have developed. After all, people think about medicine most often when it’s bad and painful. Any trip to the clinic is viewed with caution and suspicion. What can we say about situations when a person is diagnosed and recommended surgery? However, it is worth mentioning that people who voluntarily go under the knife also experience fear. It's about plastic surgery when it is not the life and health of the patient that is at stake, but, for example, beautiful nose or thin waist.

There are many natural reasons for fear of surgery. In addition to natural unconscious reactions, there is a completely natural fear of the unknown. Moreover, the unknown, for which you can pay with your health or even your life.

Any person is terribly scared complete absence control in your life. In progress surgery Absolutely everything is in the hands of specialists and nothing depends on the patient. The thought of being unable to influence what is happening in any way forces some people to show their will by refusing to undergo the operation.

Sometimes this is extremely harmful and deadly for the patient.

In such situations, doctors force you to sign a document in which the person confirms that he is familiar with the negative consequences if he refuses prompt assistance. The fear of the unknown leaves a person, he knows that he will live for another six months, for example, but he does not risk dying today on the operating table. This is his legal choice.

This behavior is typical of people who are accustomed to controlling everything and never placing responsibility for their lives on anyone. It would seem so useful and healthy quality can deprive you of the opportunity to risk trust and prolong your life.

Among the reasons for fear of surgery may be negative experiences, both personal and loved ones. How will the anesthesia work? Will it really not hurt? Which negative consequences possible after surgery? A lot of questions often remain unanswered.

Firstly, not everything can be predicted. Secondly, doctors, especially surgeons, are often not in the mood to educate the patient in all the details, and indeed, to take care of his psychological state. And this is not at all due to the inhumanity of specialists. It’s just not their job, their task is to carry out the operation with the greatest possible positive effect. This is especially true for urgent operations, when there is simply little time for soothing and reassuring speeches.

Signs and manifestations of fear

Acute fear can significantly affect physical condition person. Fear can manifest itself with common anxiety symptoms:

obsessive thoughts;
dizziness;
high blood pressure;
rapid heartbeat.

Frank things happen panic attacks. Especially on the night before the upcoming procedure, the state can reach extreme anxiety. Patients may request to delay or reschedule surgery due to fear. Real awareness of its necessity can help overcome fear. To do this, it is important to insist that the doctor explain in as much detail and intelligibly as possible what exactly they will do to you, and what the risks will be if the operation is cancelled.

You must be clearly aware of the pros and cons. In our time, far from free medicine, you should have no doubt that this operation is needed by you, and not by the doctor. And when you accept the idea that this is a necessity, it will become easier to focus on the future, for example:

What can you do after surgery?
How much better will your health be?
Why do you need surgery?

If we're talking about about plastic surgery without medical indications– then it is quite possible that sessions of competent psychotherapy will help achieve the result that you expect from plastic surgery.

Important! Don’t forget to tell your doctor everything completely honestly. necessary information about myself. A complete medical history is one of the key components of successful surgical treatment. Do not hide any information that “discredits” you that the specialist asks about:

past diseases;
previous operations;
addictions;
allergies.

Hiding something will only give you more reasons to worry.

How to overcome fear of surgery

It is almost impossible to completely get rid of the fear of surgery. However, mild anxiety and panic are two different things. If surgery is inevitable, you understand it, but you can’t do anything about it – contact a specialist. If the operation is not urgent and you have time to visit a psychotherapist, that would be great.

If you have already been admitted to the hospital, there are several days or even hours left before the operation, and your fear is growing, tell your doctor about this. If possible (not to affect the operation), he will prescribe you a sedative. If you are prohibited from taking any medications, talk to him about the upcoming manipulations, the consequences and the rehabilitation period.

It is highly discouraged to absorb unfiltered information from the Internet. After all, all these jokes about how “no matter what I decide to do, my grandmother has a story about how someone died from it” are not funny at all when you are about to have an operation, and you constantly come across reviews like someone else’s everything was bad because of this procedure.

Remember, every minute people are hit by cars on the streets, but knowing this, you do not refuse to cross the roads. However, you should not completely ignore any information either. For example, again, if you have time, read reviews of clinics and specialists, consult different doctors. Find a specialist who is suitable for you, whom you are willing to trust, despite your fear of surgery.

If you need to overcome the fear of surgery, when everything is ready and remains last night or day, try to distract yourself. It sounds extremely trivial, however, it works and produces the most positive effect. “How can I calmly read a book or watch a movie when I have surgery tomorrow!” - anyone will say anxious person. Nothing will depend on you anyway, your anxiety will only have a negative impact, so why not try to do something distracted.

Rituals will help believers cope with fear. Prayer to God also distracts and gives confidence. One way or another, a person needs support. And if religion is not an outlet for you, then your closest people can provide the best support. Don’t be afraid to talk about your fears, admit them, talk everything out. Knowing that someone next to you listened, understood, supported - makes your condition easier.

Sometimes there are situations when through empathy you get rid of anxiety. For example, there are people in the room with you who, just like you, experience fear. Or your relatives: wife, husband, children, parents - are so worried about your life that you, empathizing with them, are distracted from your fear.

The professor and doctor of medical sciences talks about the fear of surgery and how to overcome this fear in this video:

For people who are able to immerse themselves in their inner world, meditate, use breathing and relaxation techniques, this can also be in a great way overcome fear of surgery. Relaxation, calmness, awareness, thoughts about the future and, of course, human communication- here are the main tips from psychologists on preparing for surgery.

Conclusions

Surgical procedures are a pleasant and positive act, however, very often even absolutely safe operations, with zero risk, cause extreme anxiety, fears and concerns among suspicious people. The instinct of self-preservation is on defense and this is completely natural. In the article we told you what to do in such situations, how to cope with fear and obsessive thoughts. Don't forget to pay attention to your psychological state not only in acute crisis moments, but also in everyday life.

Everyone is tested before surgery normal people, even a routine appointment with a doctor causes some psychological discomfort. Fear of surgical intervention is the body’s defense of the unknown, and the person is unable to formulate the idea of what exactly causes fear: a hospital environment, the operation itself, or a long rehabilitation period. How to do it before the operation will be discussed further.

Etiology of the phenomenon

The most obvious and main reason is, although he knows about his diagnosis. It is not the responsibility of the surgeon detailed explanation how the operation will be performed and how long the rehabilitation will take. The main goal of the operating personnel is to do their job efficiently, and the psycho-emotional component should be dealt with by a psychotherapist.

On the other hand, a complete understanding of all stages of the operation and the recovery period is also not beneficial to the patient. Today, many resources offer information on all the intricacies of treatment. However, everything is not so simple; each patient is individual case, this requires the professional opinion of the attending physician. Having read about how the operation is performed, how anesthesia works, and much more, a person falls into.

Another “terrible” circumstance is fear upcoming anesthesia. Some are afraid that poorly administered anesthesia will lead to them not falling asleep and feeling everything. Others, on the contrary, are afraid of the consequences of anesthesia. For example, there is an opinion that general anesthesia significantly shortens life. Still others. I'm afraid I won't wake up after anesthesia - that's what they say.

It is hardly possible to find a person who would not be afraid of the upcoming operation. However, most are capable, because health is more expensive in any case. But for some, the inexplicable happens - they are attacked by uncontrollable panic. Medicine knows of such cases when patients simply refused surgical treatment only because of fear.

How to overcome yourself

The patient can always choose whether to have surgery or not. However, if doctors do not see any other treatment options other than surgery, the refusal must be formalized in in writing. Doctors need this to a greater extent to relieve themselves of responsibility if something happens. sharp deterioration the patient's condition.

Not agreeing to undergo surgery out of fear is unacceptable. But it happens that a person, even having chosen for himself good clinic and specialists, refuses surgery - all because of internal anxiety that haunts him.

It would be logical to ask yourself the question: how to get rid of the fear of surgery? And the answer will be the understanding that you can’t do without it - it will get rid of the disease, and maybe even save your life. But everything is simple until you encounter the problem yourself.

The following tips will help you stop being afraid of surgery:

A good, friendly atmosphere in the ward also plays an important role. There are many people worse off than you, so try to help each other and not make the situation worse.

Physical component

The psychological attitude is very important, but physiological readiness also plays an important role. Usually you can get by with simple rules:

giving up alcohol and;
compliance with nutrition and diet;
refusal of cosmetics and perfumes;
compliance with all doctor's instructions;
independent control of body temperature and pressure.

You need to understand that all fears are unfounded, you have no control over what will happen. However, everything can be explained, for example, you learned about the incompetence of a doctor. Then refusing the operation is quite natural. Seeking help from another professional should change everything. General condition the patient may also cause the operation to be postponed. Therefore, any changes in your health should be reported to your doctor.

Trust between patient and doctor will help avoid many psychological troubles. You cannot hide any information from a specialist; for example, some people are embarrassed to talk about past sexual diseases or simply forget to report some fact from their medical history. And before the operation, the person understands that what was left unsaid could affect the diagnosis and choice of treatment method. This circumstance can cause real problems, so there is no need to lie and tremble, thinking about what will happen, it is better to talk again with a specialist.

Remember those fearless girls who go under the knife plastic surgeon, sometimes completely unfounded. The desire to look better than others overcomes all fears of surgery.

Regular elective surgery is the same. Think about the fact that this is a necessity that will help you become healthy and help you get rid of the disease. You will live fully and freely.

There is no need to panic before surgery. Be afraid of what comes next. Think about what to do if you give up now and leave, and whether the gamble is worth the candle.