How to overcome anxiety as a Doctor, while treating a patient in pain?

I am a dentist, and I am going to share one of my experiences from clinical postings in oral surgery.

During my third year, I was posted in the oral surgery department. I discovered something about my body’s response to a patient in pain. I used to sweat, suffocate, and faint when the patient used to scream in pain, a condition called vasovagal shock. The oral surgery department became a nightmare for me. I, being a doctor, became a patient as I resided in the patient’s mind.

Everyone said it is normal and can be overcome. And the one insight that helped me most was to not imagine myself in the patient’s chair but instead at the doctor’s place. Now, being a doctor, I observe the procedure; how can I deliver this treatment as painlessly as possible? This mindset healed me and cured my shock response. Through this experience, I learned to overcome any obstacle; it just requires the right mindset.

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Acknowledge your anxiety, breathe, and focus on being present with the patient—not perfect.

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No doubt doctors have lots of courage

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Powerful reflection, shifting perspective from fear to responsibility builds resilience and transforms clinical confidence.

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