Overcoming white Coast Syndrome

[Inspiration25]

I am new here

I never really had a problem with hypertension until I found out what hypertension can do to a person long term. Being on medication also frightened me and when I also started working a lot and stop working out and doing the things I love has cause me to develop anxiety which comes from fear. And what mainly caused this fear was because I did not want to get a bad reading. The numbers reminded me of failure and how the doctors will judge you and tell you. Hey your B/P is high in which something I do not want to hear. So when I go to the doctor I am in the waiting room like man what my numbers is going to be. It really reminded of passing a test in which i was not good at most of my life. So when its time to check, my heart begins to race and it elevates my B/P. I have a low heart rate due to working out a lot since I was a kid, so my heart do not have to work that much. But I am on my way to healing because the root to this is anxiety and stress that I need to learn how to manage. Some tips to lower blood pressure that worked for me is right thinking, less stress, meditation, faith and a healthy life style. God bless!

[lettingoffsteam]

I also suffer with white coat syndrome and feeling I had failed if it was higher.I now rely on my husband taking it for me at home as I was asked to keep an eye on it ....much better.Plus my medication has brought it down a lot, coupled with weight loss and exercise.

[Inspiration25 in reply to lettingoffsteam]

Wow! I think I should buy a blood pressure machine and let my wife check it to help me overcome the fear of checking it and helping me monitor my numbers.

[lettingoffsteam in reply to Inspiration25]

It works for me.My monitor was £30 from Boots.Money well spent I think.😀

[Happyrosie]

In my surgery we have a blood pressure machine which we can use, and I do so once a month (obviously not during this virus crisis though!!) I sit for ten minutes, then go to the machine, take at least three calming breaths then let the machine perform its magic. If the numbers are too high for me, I sit again and take some calming breaths,this brings the reading down by at least 10 points.

I wouldn’t buy a machine myself because I would be constantly checking, which isn’t healthy.

If I have the pressure taken by my doc, then I close my eyes, no talking, and take three breaths.

This is what works for me, and I have every sympathy with you Inspiration 25

[Inspiration25 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you for your reply. Being on here has made me feel so much better because I felt alone in this. But know that I can reach out to a community that has the same situation as me makes me feel so much better. God bless you thank you, I will use the tips you gave me.