Overcome a Fear of the Hospital

It's not uncommon for many people to be afraid of hospitals. Because of their associations with sickness and death, some people find their fear rooted deep enough that it threatens to overwhelm them. One of the first things you do is make sure you get a full check out from a doctor, to make sure there isn't an underlying reason for your fear. Once you've got that in hand, you're clear to start trying to overcome your fear.

Steps

 * 1) Enlist the help of your doctor or therapist. They are the one who are best equipped to deal with these kinds of fears (they're called phobias) and they will have access to all sort of resources that could help you. Call and make and appointment to talk with them.
 * 2) Start deconstructing your fears. Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and write down *what* it is that scares you about hospitals the most. This exercise will give you the chance to focus your plan and get the most proverbial bang for your buck. Is it the size of hospitals that scare you? The association with illness, or death? Write it down, make sure you've taken the time to really examine your fear and look at it from all angles.
 * Now, start tackling one of the topics on your list. If you fear the size of hospitals, try going around where you live and seeing if there are smaller hospitals, or hospital type clinics that you can visit. Make sure you ask first though, some clinics are private, and don't allow outside visitors. If it's death that you fear, go and talk to a funeral home director about your fears. They have specialized training in this area and can help you work through your fears.
 * 1) Once you've gone and done the background work, it's time to go to the hospital. Don't go inside, just sit outside (weather permitting) and watch the people. See the doctors and nurses relaxing on their breaks, see the ambulances pull up and watch as the paramedics do their jobs. Notice there is a rhythm to each hospital and try and figure out what makes that rhythm tick. Keep doing this till sitting outside a hospital makes you no more nervous than sitting at home.
 * 2) Get ready to set foot inside the hosptial. This is a big step, don't feel bad if all you do is walk in and walk back out. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. You've made lots of progress and sometimes, the hardest progress is done in the smallest steps. Keep at it. When you've found that you're calm again, go back in and see if you can stay for even a bit longer each time. This method is called desensitization. You keep exposing yourself to controlled doses of the triggering substance [or in this case, place] until your body and mind come to accept that it's not as scary at it once seemed. Don't worry if this step takes a very, very long time to go through. Phobias can be overwhelming and hard to deconstruct.
 * 3) Congratulate yourself when the day comes (and with dilligent work, it should) that you can walk into a hospital, and not want to run out screaming.
 * 4)  this stage is the best. go out, and get sick... because going to the hospital again and again is going to be helpful to secure your recovery.

Tips

 * Always work hand in hand with a doctor or other medical type professional. There may be medications out there that can make this process a little easier to work through.
 * Don't get discouraged if you seem like you're backsliding. Fear is a very overwhelming emotion to deal with, it's common to make progress and then feel like you've lost it. Just remind yourself that you are human, and try again when you are ready.
 * Most important, be gentle with yourself. This fear (probably) didn't arise overnight, and you shouldn't expect it to be cured overnight either. Take care of yourself by exercising, eating properly and seeing your friends while you do this. All those things will support your efforts.

Warnings

 * This article is not a substitute for proper medical care, nor is it intended to replace work with a mental health professional.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Cope With Your Fear of Eating Fruit
 * How to Cope With the Fear of Fire
 * How to Overcome a Fear of Needles
 * How to Overcome Fear of Confession
 * How to Overcome a Fear of Flying
 * How to Overcome Fear