11 proven ways to stop feeling physical pain

The life of a person who constantly feels pain turns into hell. When something hurts without ceasing, the world around us dims, loses all its colors, each new day no longer brings joy, and a person gradually sinks into depression. But this condition does not bring anything good - the pain only intensifies and life becomes completely unbearable. However, modern medicine offers patients with chronic pain and depression effective treatment options. New medications and psychotherapy sessions relieve depression, and the pain becomes less severe.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain differs from ordinary pain in that it lasts for a long time and can gradually become permanent. The body's response to constant pain can be completely different and unpredictable. With chronic pain, brain processes change and become abnormal, energy levels decrease, frequent mood changes occur, and brain performance and activity drops sharply.

Neurochemical processes in the body gradually change, and the person feels pain more and more intensely. This condition makes the patient irritable, drives him into depression, he begins to have suicidal thoughts, and he loses faith that he can ever get rid of the pain.

People who don't feel pain

The people found by scientists are not carriers of any neurological disorders; they also have absolutely all the senses characteristic of an ordinary person. All three families live in Pakistan and belong to the same clan. Over the years, scientists studied 6 representatives of these families (children and adolescents).

The children did not understand at all what pain was. One of the teenagers (a 14-year-old boy who soon died after jumping from a roof) earned his living by performing dangerous stunts: he pierced his hands with daggers and walked on hot coals. All the children studied had very severely damaged tongues and lips, as they bit them at an early age, when they did not yet understand that this was harmful. Two of them even bit off a third of their tongues. Everyone has a huge number of scars, bruises and cuts, sometimes children did not even notice that they had broken something, the fractures somehow healed and they were found after the fact.

They distinguish hot from cold well, but do not feel pain if they get burned. They have a well-developed sense of touch, they feel everything perfectly, for example, how a needle enters their finger, but for them this is not an unpleasant sensation.

What are the consequences of depression associated with chronic pain?

People suffering from chronic pain, aggravated by depression, are in a very difficult situation. The fact is that depression is considered the most common mental disorder in chronic pain, and it often worsens a person’s well-being, preventing effective treatment.

The American Association conducted statistical studies in this area and found that thirty-two million people living in America suffered from chronic pain throughout the year. Half of the patients who applied for severe pain experienced depression. Pain is present in 65% of patients who are depressed.

Very often, doctors make the same mistake - they pay attention only to the patient’s complaints related to pain, but his depressed state goes unnoticed. The result is obvious - the patient develops depression, he stops sleeping, eating, moving, and the pain intensifies.

Is it possible to avoid facing pain?

Of course, it is clear that any organism strives to avoid painful experiences. But at the same time, it is important to understand that then life will become limited, “gray”.

During the session, the psychologist asks about painful experiences. Experiencing pain is an essential part of life. Why did the client come to the psychologist’s office? To make him feel better! What's going on? At some stage, on the contrary, it may become more difficult for him, harder in the emotional aspect. But this is necessary to ensure in the future an adequate perception of reality and the construction of contact in the “here and now” mode, without references to “there and then”.

Avoiding pain can be like anesthetizing the psyche. At the same time, other feelings, for example, joy, cannot be fully experienced. There is a price to pay for avoiding heartache. For example, when experiencing a breakup with a loved one, one can observe a lack of desire in a client to enter into a new relationship. This happens in order not to experience the state that was in that relationship. This may explain wariness when making new acquaintances and a long-term lack of trust. A traumatic situation is a reaction to that situation, and not to the current one.

Is depression and pain a vicious circle?

Any pain causes a person to react emotionally. The appearance of pain is always accompanied by agitation, irritability and anxiety. And this is a normal reaction to pain. Moreover, as the pain subsides, the emotional state gradually calms down. But this is not the case with chronic pain. Due to the fact that it is present in a person almost constantly, the tense state of stress also does not go away. And this over time leads to various mental disorders, including depression.

Chronic pain and depression share a number of common symptoms. These include: frequent mood swings; constant feelings of anxiety and anger; low self-esteem; family problems; chronic fatigue; confused thoughts; fear of physical injury; restless thoughts about finances, your work; increased irritability; insomnia; decreased libido; self-withdrawal from social activity; a sharp increase in body weight or its decrease.

How does a psychologist help you overcome a painful condition?

You can end your experience of pain in a psychologist’s office. This leads to liberation. This is followed by other feelings, and sensitivity returns. In society, not all feelings are pleasant to experience or talk about. This may be seen as a sign of weakness, for example.

But when the experiencing processes begin, it is difficult to slow them down, the client may say: “I feel worse!” This is a normal and inevitable process during a psychological session. It is important to live and move on.

The idea that pain can be worked through forever is utopian. "How can?!" clients can speak. At some point, the client may react to the trigger event and make a note of it.

For example, when working with a psychologist on the topic of breaking up with a loved one, after some time, similar emotional states may again be observed in the client. With less force and intensity, but it is difficult to completely get rid of these experiences.

If these states transform into the status of learned experience, then the very attitude of the individual to this changes, the personality becomes more stable. The point is that a very strong emotional event, after a while, also causes feelings, it’s just that the person perceives it completely differently. The psychologist’s task is to bring the client to a position where he can say that he is now ready for something similar in life. A psychologist helps to find the meaning of a traumatic experience and stop concentrating on it. This allows you to begin to interact with the environment “here and now.”

Why is depression (in almost every way) the same as chronic pain?

The similarity in the symptoms of chronic pain and depression is explained very simply - the brain produces a chemical substance (neurotransmitter) that passes through nerve cells. And these diseases have common nerve cells.

Chronic pain has a very strong impact on a person's life processes. People suffering from chronic pain lose a lot in their lives: they cannot sleep normally, they have to change jobs, family relationships often deteriorate, sexual activity is no longer what it was before, and social life changes. Such changes and losses cannot pass without a trace for a person: some patients find the strength to fight it, but many simply go into depression.

If we make a comparison between patients with chronic pain and depression and those with only pain syndrome without depression, we will notice the following: the first group of people suffers the most severe pain, they cannot manage their lives, and often try to cope with the disease in unhealthy ways .

Since chronic pain and depression have a close relationship, complex treatment is used for them. There are even medications that treat both pain and depression at the same time.

How to stop feeling pain

3. Don't forget to laugh

Imagine the situation: you wake up in the middle of the night due to a strong desire to go to the toilet. With half-closed eyes, you walk to the toilet, stumbling over the threshold along the way and falling. You are hurt, offended and want to cry. Is it hard for you to laugh at yourself in such a situation?

As psychologists say, laughter is the best medicine. Of course, laughter will not stop the bleeding or make the cancerous tumor evaporate, but a sense of humor will definitely reduce your pain. During laughter, our brain produces happiness hormones, endorphins, which have an analgesic effect. As a result, you will suffer less; all you have to do is force yourself to laugh at the right moment.

Experts conducted a series of studies during which they studied the behavior of participants in laboratory and home conditions. Some of the volunteers watched boring popular science programs, while others watched funny videos. As it turned out, laughing participants in the experiment tolerated pain much more easily compared to those who delved into documentaries.

Moreover, just 15 minutes of laughing is enough to reduce your pain threshold by 10 percent. However, in order for laughter to have a healing effect, it is worth learning to laugh correctly: the laughter must be from the heart, and the air must be inhaled deeply. You should not pay attention to the sidelong glances of others, because the one who laughs last laughs best.

Can antidepressants relieve pain and depression?

As we said above, pain and depression have a common source, namely the same neurotransmitters and nerve endings. Therefore, both in the case of chronic pain and in the case of depression, antidepressants help well. The main goal of antidepressants is to change the way the brain works so that the body's pain threshold decreases. Tricyclic antidepressants (Doxepin, Evalin) have long proven their effectiveness. But they have a lot of side effects that have made their use limited. But medicine does not stand still. And today there are already new generation antidepressants such as Effexor and Cymbalta, which are very successful in treating chronic pain and depression, and their side effects are very minor.

How to reduce pain

2. Look at the place that hurts

Think back to the last time you experienced pain. Did you damage something then? Probably cut a finger or sprained an ankle. Surely at that moment you were overcome by the usual human reaction: you swore and thought about how much it hurt you. But it is best to use logic in such a situation, that is, take a good look at your injuries and assume the degree of their severity.

How can you relieve pain and depression through exercise?

Many people with chronic pain experience decreased physical activity. They are afraid that exercising will only worsen the pain or lead to injury. In fact, this is a big misconception. And everything is quite the opposite - it is the refusal of physical activity that increases the likelihood of injury and increased pain. But moderate exercise, with permission and under the close supervision of a doctor, is perhaps the most important element in the comprehensive treatment of chronic pain and depression.

How not to feel pain

1. Drink coffee or caffeinated drinks

When the average person decides to lose a few extra pounds before the start of the beach season with the onset of spring, he runs to the gym to quickly say goodbye to the annoying unnecessary weight. He pedals hard, dies on the treadmill and lifts weights. After training he feels good, but only until the next morning.

The body does not know such loads, and therefore the back does not straighten, the arms hang, and the muscles of the whole body react painfully to every movement. However, all these consequences can be completely avoided: you just need to pre-warm the body with caffeine.

The researchers conducted an experiment: the first group of volunteers received caffeine tablets, the dosage of one capsule was equivalent to almost three cups of coffee. A second group of participants received supposed pain pills that were actually placebos. After this, the volunteers spent almost the whole day in the gym, working out hard.

As a result, the first group of participants felt very good the next day, some even wanted to go back to the gym that same day.

As it turns out, the advertising really doesn't lie, and caffeinated drinks can actually turn us into superhumans who can easily cope with any obstacles. But there is good news for those people whose most serious physical activity is moving a computer mouse.

In another study, volunteers were asked to work at a computer continuously for 90 minutes. After this time, people's wrists, necks and shoulders became numb. But before starting this experiment, the subjects were offered to drink coffee. Those who agreed experienced significantly less pain compared to those who refused.

How does psychotherapy help with chronic pain and depression?

Psychotherapy sessions play an important role in the treatment of chronic pain. And the most popular type of such therapy is cognitive. During cognitive therapy sessions, the doctor teaches the patient to get rid of all negative thoughts and emotions that arise during severe pain. A person’s negative state often distorts the surrounding reality for him. And the goal of a course of cognitive therapy is for a person to learn to think differently, thereby alleviating his condition. Psychotherapy also helps well with depression, it removes anxiety, a depressed state and allows you to regain control over your life.

What if you convince yourself that nothing is happening?

The other extreme is the “pain mask,” when the client himself, or those around him, pretend that nothing bad happened or rationalize the event. For example, after doctors have diagnosed a serious illness, a person may try not to come into contact with it, avoid talking about it, not think about it, pretend that nothing happened. This is a blocking of experience. Tension within can have a negative impact on your health.

It is important to understand that the client who came with a request for severe pain experienced has already encountered this. The psychologist’s task is to restore his sensitivity. It is important to support other poles of experience - the environment can not only destroy and cause pain, but also give something that brings positive emotions.

What is the best way to treat chronic pain and depression?

Every person suffering from chronic pain wants to know: how to alleviate their condition and how to achieve a positive effect from treatment? There is only one answer - first, contact a good and competent specialist, especially if chronic pain is accompanied by depression. Do not try to cope with your condition on your own and alone - only a doctor can develop an ideal treatment plan. After all, effective treatment and regaining control over your life can only be obtained by using comprehensive treatment that affects all aspects of your illness - both chronic pain and depression.

Primary appointment with a neurologist: 1850 RUR.

Is pain also a new experience in life?

Situations that force us to experience pain make us more difficult. The psyche acquires multifaceted experience. And a person who grew up in “sterile” conditions, when nothing overshadowed his condition, most likely will not be able to survive in a changing world.

An important conclusion that clients often make after a series of psychological sessions is that the pain they have experienced can be turned into a resource. But what is important is that if you do not deliberately drag the client into experiencing pain, and this process happens naturally, then the client is able to endure it, gradually becoming stronger. The dosage of the degree of residence will make it possible to work harmoniously with these conditions.

Psychogenic pain

One of the most pressing problems in the framework of general somatic medicine, psychiatry and psychology is the problem of pain. If we strongly generalize, it turns out that a person’s whole life is aimed at avoiding pain - physical or mental, strong or not so strong. When a person does experience pain, he perceives it in different ways within the range of “unpleasantness”: from a feeling of mild discomfort to a state of unbearable agony. We are used to associating painful sensations with sheer negativity, and sometimes we forget about the important role of pain in our lives...

In fact, pain sensations perform a signaling function: they report the existence of a disorder in the functioning of the body, an injury, an illness, in a word, a pathology that should be paid attention to. Pain manifests itself as a symptom of an illness; it seems to highlight a problem area with a flashlight, so that a person can quickly begin to “sound the alarm” and direct his efforts to treat and eliminate the problem that has arisen.

The intensity and nature of the pain itself must correspond to the damage existing in the body: the more pronounced the pathological process, the stronger, as a rule, we feel the pain, and after the end of the healing or recovery process, the pain goes away. But sometimes the intensity and nature of the pain may not correspond to the nature of the existing damage, or the pain may not go away even after complete somatic recovery.

If pain continues for more than 3-6 months, they speak of chronic pain syndrome. In this case, the pain does not always have an organic basis.

Of the three main groups of pain syndromes (nociceptive, neuropathic and psychogenic), the subject of this article is psychogenic pain syndrome or psychogenic pain. In this case, painful sensations owe their appearance to the existence of traumatic situations or psychological conflicts.

Psychogenic pain: features of psychogenic pain syndrome

The group of pain sensations of a psychogenic nature includes the following types of pain:

Painful sensations arising from the influence of emotional factors, psychological conflicts and traumatic events (the appearance of these painful sensations is caused by muscle tension);
Painful sensations during delirium and hallucinations (the patient gets rid of these painful sensations when cured of a disease of which pain was a symptom);
Painful sensations during hypochondria, hysteria (devoid of a somatic basis);
Painful sensations that appear during depression (the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin decreases - the pain sensitivity threshold decreases, subthreshold pains appear that a person does not normally feel).

Thus, psychogenic pain cannot be explained by the existence of a somatic basis that could lead to the manifestation of pain. In many cases, the patient determines the area of localization of pain, damage in which (even if there were any) could not cause pain of such intensity. In some cases, some damage to the somatosensory system is indeed detected as a result of the examination - however, they are unable to explain the significant severity and intensity of pain. That is, the leading factor is not a pathological process, not trauma, but emotional and traumatic factors, psychological conflict.

The biological basis of pain of a psychogenic nature is the nociceptive system : the occurrence of chronic pain of a psychogenic nature is preceded by activation of nociceptors, most often due to muscle tension.

Psychological conflict can also activate the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis: retrograde excitation of the receptors of the nociceptive system occurs, after which these receptors are sensitized. An example of such sensitization of nociceptors may be the emergence of areas of high sensitivity to painful stimulation (for example, in cases of fibromyalgia and tension headaches).

During the treatment process, identifying the psychological cause of pain is of paramount importance - only after identifying the root cause will medical and psychological assistance ensure the patient’s recovery. Also, in the process of diagnosing a pain disorder, it is very important to consult with a psychiatrist to check for a connection between psychogenic pain and a mental disorder (depression, schizophrenia, etc.).

Pain (or pain syndrome) in the structure of somatoform and somatization disorders

Quite often, painful sensations of a psychogenic nature can occur in the form of a chronic somatoform pain disorder (in the modern classification of ICD 10 it is interpreted under the code F 45.4.), which is characterized by complaints of persistent and excruciating pain. The pain that manifests itself in this disorder cannot be explained by the presence of a pathological process in the body or a somatic disorder, and the main cause of psychogenic pain is considered to be emotional conflicts and various psychosocial problems.

The main sign of somatization disorder is multiple somatic symptoms: they appear for at least two years, can disappear from time to time and recur again, changing. Also, with somatoform pain disorder, unpleasant symptoms associated with a disorder of the digestive system may appear: nausea, pain in the abdomen, a feeling of bloating or fullness with gases, etc. Sometimes there may be pain in the chest, in the genital area and pain in the joints and limbs.

A person experiencing pain begins to receive care and support in a significantly increased volume, because his close circle (and often medical staff) show increased attention to the patient. In any case, this is conditional and certainly beneficial to the sick person, since he receives additional and desired attention, care and love.

Therefore, if a patient experiences pain for the first time, it is necessary, of course, to exclude a somatic cause - a disease, but the psychogenic cause cannot be discounted, since the tactics of assistance in these cases have a completely different approach. Of course, at first they exclude a somatic illness, but if, after numerous examinations and clinical examinations by doctors of various profiles, a physical illness is not “found,” go for help to psychiatrists, psychotherapists and psychologists. By taking a thorough history, they will discover psychological, emotional or psychosocial problems that have translated into pain. But they know how to cope with such pain, what to do and how to help the patient, believe me! Because if you do not interrupt this vicious circle at the very beginning, the pain will return, changing in its color, intensity, character and location at the slightest traumatic situations. Over time, such patients lose normal social functions, since the basis of their life position becomes an excessive hypochondriacal fixation on the state of their health, and the “center of their universe” is numerous and endless examinations, studies and visits to doctors of various specialties and areas!

As if on purpose, when this article was being written, a married young woman of 25 years old, who had two lymph nodes in her neck removed several years ago, came to me for help. The reason for their increase was not found, and numerous morphological and histological studies, fortunately, confirmed their benign process. Maybe there was no need to remove them at all... but that’s not the point at all. Then there was such a “good” doctor who scared that the nodes could “degenerate into oncology” and gave a lot of “very necessary advice and recommendations.” In particular, he forbade the patient to consume... sugar, “since cancer cells feed on sweets.” You haven’t forgotten that this woman had no problem with cancer, have you? In principle, excessive consumption of carbohydrates has never led to particularly good consequences. But what if this idea becomes a “fixed idea” of life? Banal food poisoning and intravenous drip administration of rheosorbilact led to severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting when consuming the slightest amount of food and liquid. And why? After reading the instructions about rheosorbilact, “she found sorbitol in the composition, and it cannot be used by patients with diabetes mellitus... and, therefore, I could not use it either...” The patient began to think about the possible occurrence of “now for sure” oncological pathology and became dizzy a whirlpool of psychosomatic and somatoform complaints - symptoms..... Severe anxiety, insomnia, internal tension appeared, decreased mood..... All is well that ends well. As in that fairy tale, but from real life, “they had a psychiatrist friend and, having turned to him and received the right treatment, the no longer sick young woman went to her parents to celebrate Christmas...

Pain (or pain syndrome) and depression

Often, manifestations of depression can be masked by pain, that is, pain can be considered as a kind of “screen” or “mask” of depression. Why is this happening? A decrease in the synaptic cleft of such a “good mood” neurotransmitter as serotonin leads to a decrease in the threshold of pain sensitivity, and patients with depression feel subthreshold pain that they normally do not feel. When pain occurs against the background of depression, they form a specific “vicious circle”: a depressive disorder provokes feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, disbelief in the improvement of the condition, then, as a result, the pain intensifies, and this, in turn, aggravates depressive symptoms.

Thus, to overcome the problem of psychogenic pain, the help of psychiatrists, psychotherapists or psychologists is necessary. An individual and comprehensive approach, as well as a combination of drug treatment and psychotherapy, allows us to influence both the somatic mechanism of pain formation and the psychological problem that caused psychogenic pain.

How to cope with dental phobia?

There are several techniques that help, if not completely rid a person of dental phobia, then at least forget about its most striking manifestations. Methods for correcting dental phobia in children, adolescents and adults are medicinal and psychotherapeutic:

drug treatment. The basic medicine for correcting severe dental phobia is an antidepressant. The drug helps overcome nervousness and panic, normalizes the production of seratonin in the body. Immediately before starting therapy, the doctor may recommend taking sedatives and natural drugs that demonstrate a calming effect;
psychotherapy. This approach to the treatment of dental phobia is based on identifying the causes of the disorder and overcoming the fear by the person himself. The main role in therapy is given to the psychologist, who finds an individual approach to the patient and identifies tools that will help the person get rid of fear. The technique allows you to look at the problem differently and prepare for a trip to the dentist in advance.

It doesn’t matter what form of illness we are talking about in a particular case, the main thing is to normalize the person’s emotional state. To reduce the feeling of anxiety, there are many recipes in the arsenal of folk remedies.

The most effective plants that allow you to restore mental strength include:

chamomile;
lavender;
St. John's wort;
mint;
oregano;
valerian.

Decoctions of these herbs can be drunk instead of tea. However, it is worth considering that herbal remedies have a cumulative effect. The decoctions should be taken as a treatment course 10-14 days before the planned visit to the doctor.

Recommendations from a psychologist

How to overcome fear as an adult?

In order for treatment or tooth extraction to be successful, a person with dental phobia should study and begin to put into practice effective advice from a psychologist that works for various phobias:

give yourself permission to be afraid. Attempts to “kill fear inside yourself” will sooner or later manifest themselves in an enhanced reaction of the nervous system. It would be much more correct to admit that there is fear, and this is normal. Only after accepting the feeling of fear will it be easier to control it.
realize that it won't hurt. If you are very worried, you should talk to your doctor and talk about your experiences. The doctor will immediately apply an anesthetic gel or spray and only then introduce anesthesia;
Name for yourself the consequences of refusing systematic visits to the dentist. Think about what delay is fraught with for you: deterioration in health, appearance and large-scale financial costs in the future;
Choose your own clinic where you are going to have your tooth treated or pulled out. In addition to searching online, try visiting a few dentists in person. Evaluate the atmosphere in the clinic, compliance with sanitary standards, equipment of rooms, etc.;
make an appointment for an initial medical consultation. At your first visit to the doctor, tell him about your problem, decide for yourself the issue of trust in the specialist. A good doctor will be tactful, patient, willing to answer your questions and treat the current situation with understanding. An experienced dentist will help dispel some of the fears and reduce the degree of anxiety;
Prepare for treatment in advance. Do not neglect the doctor’s advice on nutrition, daily routine, check the appointment time the day before, and do not forget to ask about the duration of therapy;
take a sedative. During your initial consultation, your doctor will likely recommend that you take sedatives the night before your procedure. Don't ignore this advice;
replace the brain with action. If a panic attack begins to overcome you in the dentist's chair, forcefully occupy your anxious brain with solving some logical puzzle or repeating obsessive song lines.

One of the most effective ways to help you calm down before visiting a doctor is breathing practice. Our breathing quickens when we are excited and becomes smooth when we are relaxed and calm. The opposite effect also works: try breathing rhythmically, deeply, and feel how your nervous system calms down. The most popular techniques are belly breathing, counting and heart rhythm. You can master them with a psychotherapist.

Steps to salvation

When a loved one is ill for a long time and incurably, it comes to the point where the boundary between oneself and another is lost, the value of life is lost, a feeling of one’s own extinction appears and there is no joy left.
What joy can there be in such circumstances? This is simply indecent, bad, immoral... If there is a terminally ill person in your house, and you often catch yourself in a similar state and thoughts, you need to learn several very important truths and take several important steps.

First of all, you need to realize that the trouble that happened to you is much bigger than you. It is akin to a fire or a tsunami.

Can you stop a wall of flames by simply getting in its way? No. It will swallow you whole and move on.

So it is here: by allowing the misfortune of a loved one to completely consume yourself, you will only destroy your own personality.

The result is depression, nervous breakdowns, impotent anger at the situation and the cause of it, that is, a sick person in the house, a withering feeling of guilt and grief, and so on in a circle. It is clear that this will not benefit your loved one and will not help either him or you.

Effective remedies to combat hangover syndrome

Traditional medicine offers many options for what to do with a hangover. The following methods are suitable for helping yourself at home with a minor hangover.

Vitamin C is good for hangovers

Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, binds toxins and promotes their rapid elimination from the body. To do this, it is advisable to drink water with lemon and lime juice, as well as herbal teas with a slice of lemon.

Water for a hangover

Drinking plenty of fluids helps stimulate blood circulation, normalize peristalsis and flush toxins from the body. Relieving a hangover requires using large amounts of clean filtered water.

Brine - the old-fashioned way

Brine really helps with hangovers due to the salts and dill essential oil it contains. These substances normalize the water-salt balance in the body and restore osmotic pressure in the blood. After vodka, you can use brine, clean water with lemon and soothing herbal teas.

Tea

Herbal teas have a beneficial effect on all body functions. Ginger tea with lemon, decoctions of motherwort, linden, rose hips, sea buckthorn and other herbs are very effective.

Natural juices

Fruit juices contain fructose, which speeds up the elimination of toxins from the body. Carrot and celery juice normalizes liver function, improves immunity and stimulates appetite.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal with milk coats the walls of the stomach and has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract. Fiber, which is part of cereals, helps remove toxins from the body.

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Symptoms and causes

How to determine dental phobia? Signs.

Regardless of the form of dental phobia, the symptoms of the disease are almost identical:

panic anxiety;
reflex muscle tension;
increased sweating;
headache;
increased heart rate when talking about the clinic and medical examination;
spontaneous dilatation of the eye pupils;
slight tremor of the arms and legs;
blood pressure surges;
state before fainting or fainting itself;
disorder of internal organs, accompanied by intestinal colic, nausea, vomiting;
uncontrolled movements and actions;
aggression with its physical manifestation;
refusal of any contact with the dentist.

Of course, the physical manifestations of the disease are characteristic of the active stage - when the patient comes face to face with his fear. Psychological signs usually appear at the peak stage when attempting to start therapy. In this case, the patient finds himself in a panic: he ceases to control his actions, becomes aggressive or, conversely, becomes numb. The clinical picture that appears in this way is the reaction of the human central nervous system to a stressful situation. If the patient is really sick, parts of the limbic system of the brain transmit one to another special signals that cause such manifestations.

What causes dental phobia?

The formation of dental phobia is due to a number of reasons, on the basis of which experts draw conclusions about the origin of the disease. Among the most common factors:

own negative experience. The disease develops in response to trauma suffered in childhood, which is in one way or another connected with the dentist and dental treatment. The fear experienced by a person in childhood leaves its mark in the present;
heredity. If one of the child’s parents is afraid of the dentist and drug interventions in general, this fear can be inherited. There is a particularly high risk of passing on maternal fear to a daughter;
general emotional sensitivity. Stories from other people, watching videos and photographs of the process and results of dental treatment can cause a person to panic about the doctor;
lack of attention. Closed or, conversely, overly active children who are deprived of care, showing fear, they attract the attention of others;
low sensitivity threshold. This is a feature of the body that a person acutely feels during toothache, as well as with poor-quality pain relief or its complete absence;
stereotypical thinking formed on the basis of the promoted image of a dentist on the Internet, on TV, in social networks;
increased sensitivity of oral tissues, leading to a subconscious expectation of severe pain;
regularly occurring panic attacks due to a labile nervous system or hormonal imbalance;
gag reflex at the sight of the dentist's working tools;
irrational fear of contracting infections through dental instruments;
previously experienced stress that has become chronic;
mental illness;
dysfunction of the central nervous system;
feeling helpless in the dental chair;
fear of blood;
fear of doctor criticism;
money factor.

When determining the main reasons for the development of dental phobia in adults, it was found that the majority of patients (about 70%) first experienced fear of the dentist in childhood.