Recently, I was reading the heartbreaking story of Sarah Percy, a young woman who developed bowel cancer during her second pregnancy. Sarah had symptoms for several months before she was diagnosed, but was too embarrassed to have a doctor examine her. Because of growth hormones present during pregnancy, and because the cancer was not caught early, Sarah is now living with multiple tumors throughout her body.
This got me to thinking about how those with social anxiety disorder may neglect their physical health because of fear of visiting the doctor. If making a phone call or speaking to a neighbor elicits anxiety, how do you handle a visit with a doctor, someone who is perceived to be an authority figure? A lot of people with SAD do not visit the doctor, and may face declining physical health as a result. Have you or your spouse been putting off seeing a doctor about a health concern?
Photo © The Daily Mail
This whole idea of doctors and specialist has been a dreaded life of hell lately with my daughter who faces severe social anxiety. We are in the midst of figuring out if she requires surgery for her tonsils or not but just getting her in the office to have the doctor do nothing more than open her mouth was devastating. She is 6 nearly 7 and has yet to sit in a dentists chair. This does make me tremendously scared for her future.