Tired of not being taken seriously by your doctor? Try these tips on your next visit!
Medical PTSD and trauma are very real. Frankly, it can be down-right scary to head into a doctor’s office these days. Not only is there the constant threat of COVID-19 hanging around, but medical personnel are frankly burnt out from being overworked in understaffed facilities.
Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot we can do about long wait times and burnt-out medical professionals in this current world environment. However, we can do a few simple things to help make that eventual appointment more successful.
After battling fibromyalgia and neuropathy for over 13 years, I have learned a few helpful tricks that have helped me better describe my symptoms and issues more coherently. This is especially great for the fun brain fog that gets all of us eventually battling chronic illness. Our bodies need rest — and these types of conditions make it hard for us to get the amount of rest we need, thus brain fog.
- Buy a small notebook to carry around with you everywhere.
2. Write down any new symptoms or feelings when they happen.
3. Review and condense these symptoms and notes thoroughly prior to your appointment.
Don’t worry about being too detailed or having to write a novel, just make sure you have enough information to adequately tell your doctor what is going on.
Make sure to stand up for yourself as well especially if the doctor is not treating you well, finding a new doctor can often be way worth the hassle of starting over again.
I hope you’ve found this helpful in your journey. Stay tuned for more!
