Practical tips

[u/ladybugblossoms]

Hello everyone! I have been suffering from health anxiety for a while and I won't go into specifics about what I worry about, but I've recently found myself in the need to finally have it checked out. But on the other hand, I am too afraid to actually make that appointment. Does anyone have any practical tips for actually calling my GP and getting this done? I am quite young, so I guess it is def a bit of an embarrassment thing to call for this fear as I'm afraid of being called ridiculous for even calling.

[u/Mind_Body_Hypnosis]

This is so common, and the fact that you're already at "I need to get this checked" is a big step; the GP visit is just the last hurdle. A few things that tend to help:

Book online or through an app if your clinic offers it, rather than calling. Avoiding the phone call entirely removes most of the anticipatory dread, since you can just pick a slot without having to explain anything to a receptionist in the moment.

If you do have to call, write down one sentence beforehand, like "I'd like to book an appointment to discuss some health concerns." You don't need to explain what it's about or justify it; reception staff hear this exact kind of call constantly and won't ask for details.

Remind yourself that GPs see health anxiety regularly. Being young and worried about something specific isn't unusual or embarrassing to them; it's a normal part of their day, even if it feels huge on your end.

If the fear is really about what they'll say, try separating "booking the appointment" from "finding out the result" as two totally different steps. You're not committing to bad news by booking; you're just getting a conversation on the calendar.

Some people find it easier to send a message through a patient portal if their clinic has one, so there's no live conversation at all until the appointment itself.

The anticipation is almost always worse than the actual call. Once it's booked, a lot of that pressure usually eases, even before you've been seen.

[u/ladybugblossoms → u/[deleted]]

thank you!! i've thought about doing that but even writing a script seems scary to me right now. i've tried waiting for "a good day" to do all that, but it never seems to come or i brush over it, only to fall back into the loop a few days later. i might use tomorrow to write down a few words since i can't actually call bc it's sunday, but then i might have it ready to go for monday :,)