Anxious at the Psychiatrist 😔

[levymaria]

I'm in the waiting room at my psychiatrist office, and as soon as I saw my blood pressure I freaked and got anxiety, even though I was screaming and walking fast to get to my appointment on time prior. My blood pressure is 151/81 I'm trying to stay calm and not overthink it I'm just so scared...

[Kakes808]

I'm exactly like you! I literally have anxiety to everything, I can't even eat spicy food because my body freaks out and thinks I'm having an allergic reaction. What I do is I take a big deep breath in, I hold it for 3 seconds and exhale slowly out. This causes your heart rate to go down. You just keep repeating the exercise till you're calm 🙂 you're not alone! I get like that all the time 💝

[levymaria in reply to Kakes808]

Thank you I definitely have to remember I'm not alone

[Hidden]

Hi what do you think would happen if your blood pressure was too high? Nothing - that's what. You would be given meds to bring it down that's all. What are you so scared about? What's the worse that could happen? x

[levymaria in reply to Hidden]

A heart attack, that's my worst fear

[Hidden]

If you were going to have a heart attack or were having on you would have a lot more symtoms than just slightly high blood pressure! Google the symptoms as this might reassure you,

There is also no reason why you would have a heart attack at your young age. it's usually people who are much older and have a lot of risk factors such as being very overweight or who are smokers. x

[blackcat64013]

Hi Levymaria

You probably have the white coat effect.

The term “white coat” comes from references to the white coats traditionally worn by doctors. The white coat effect means that your blood pressure is higher when it is taken in a medical setting than it is when taken at home. On average, when your blood pressure is taken at home the top (systolic) number can be around 10mmHg lower than it would be if taken by a doctor and 5mmHg lower on the bottom (diastolic) number. For some people this difference can be even greater.

What causes the white coat effect?

Your blood pressure is not fixed – it rises and falls throughout the day in response to what you are doing and what is happening around you. White coat effects will often happen because you are nervous about having your blood pressure tested by a doctor or nurse. Most of us tend to feel more tense in medical settings than we do in surroundings that are familiar to us, although we do not always notice it.

The white coat effect can influence some peoples’ blood pressure more than others. If you are very anxious your systolic blood pressure can rise by as much as 30mmHg. This can make it more difficult for your doctor to get an accurate measurement of your blood pressure.

Don't overthink and you will be okay. Have a good day

[levymaria in reply to blackcat64013]

Thank you!!!