– Jacob Tomlinson
It is natural to feel slightly nervous or anxious prior to hospital appointments. While some appointments might be routine health check-ups, others could be made to reveal test results, or undergo invasive procedures. Despite what the medical appointment is for, individuals often get themselves worked up prior to appointments. They can even face the ‘white coat’ syndrome revealing a change in blood pressure levels due to the presence of a physician or another healthcare professional. Some individuals suffer from iatrophobia, leading to them being afraid of medical procedures and doctors due to past traumatic events. It may also stem from the fear of needles and injections, injuries pertaining to the blood or other injuries. Some individuals are afraid that the doctor may do something wrong which may hinder their health. The accumulation of factors adds to the number of concerns individuals harbour prior to the hospital appointment which contributes towards nervousness. Nevertheless, it is vital to manage the nerves prior to visiting the medical appointment. There are conventional strategies that can be implemented to help with this including:
- Organising an appointment on a time and date when you feel more relaxed.
- Ensuring a family member or friend accompanies you to the appt.
- Controlling the breathing through breathing exercises or meditation.
- Preparing mentally that you are going to attend the appointment.
- Face your feelings and talk to the medical professional about it.
It is not necessary that these strategies are going to work for each individual, hence alternative therapies can be utilised to relax the nerves. One such activity is finding solace in art to facilitate relaxation. When individuals are creative, it is an important element of ensuring they remain healthy and stay connected to themselves and the world. Engaging the creative mind provides an opportunity to establish connections between things that are unrelated and provides a new way to communicate and express inner thoughts and feelings. The reward pathway in the brain is activated with the art as individuals engage in visual expressions, revealing a pleasurable experience for individuals.
Individuals that are dealing with health challenges may benefit from varied art forms as the reward pathways in the brain are activated. Research has revealed that after approximately forty-five minutes of creative art sessions, the hormone cortisol produced due to rising stress levels, were significantly decreased. It was unaffected by the individual’s level of art ability. The use of lines, colours and shapes help individuals to translate their emotional experience into a visual representation. Sometimes individuals do not have the right words to express their emotions. Hence the creativity through art allows individuals to express their emotions in a manner that words cannot. Art can divert the attention from the what ifs? to providing a means by which individuals can concentrate on the present moment, which can be compared to a meditative practice. Individuals find engaging in the arts relaxing as they are not dwelling on previous thoughts and the drop in cortisol levels constitute towards feelings of happiness and relaxing nerves prior to hospital appointments.