panic every time I get my blood pressure taken or have a test,

@panicwomen2 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

There are many of us who deal with this same feeling of dread or panic at tests! While we wait for others to give their thoughts, here are a few things that seem to help me at different times and situations. Take time to deep breathe and relax. Yep, really hard to do in a medical setting, isn't it?! Calming my mind, taking it to a place where I am more relaxed [mountains, on a walk, etc.] Take some paper and a pen, and write down what is bringing your anxiety up. Sometimes acknowledging it like this can be enough.

What have you tried so far that helps you? What are you willing to try?
Ginger

I have white coat hypertension. Things that have helped
A second try after a minute or so is typically lower. Making sure I am seated with feet flat on floor, not hanging off of exam table helps. Alerting nurse that I have white coat helps. Engaging in slow eep breathing exercises helps. In other words, dealing with my anxiety issues is critical.

@tullynut and @panicwomen2 I thought you both may be interested in this discussion. I had lots of fears that were related to medical procedures, not to things that didn't hurt, but anything that involved pain, cutting or needles. Having to face surgery was terrifying. Like you, I worked out some ways to ease my fear, and I took it farther to figure out exactly why a medical procedure was pushing my panic button.

Fear can be deprogrammed. It is a subconscious thing that sneaks up on you, but if you confront your fear and start asking yourself questions about why it's there, you may be able to deprogram it and leave it behind. Doing this changed my life and it gave me more confidence everywhere.

Just Want to Talk - "How can I defeat my anxiety about medical tests and surgery?"
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-can-i-defeat-my-anxiety-about-medical-tests-and-surgery/

Jennifer, I so agree that a lot of the anxiety can be addressed. Sadly for me with the anesthesia awareness I am at the mercy of whether or not the providers believe it to be true. I think overtime I have been able to be more assertive in determining that they truly understand what is happening and that I really need to be discussing this with a board-certified anesthesiologist, not a nurse anesthetist. That has been the most helpful strategy for the rare condition that I have. I do so agree with you that for many of the lesser issues, addressing the anxiety can happen in a lot of different ways that will be helpful.

@panicwomen2 I realized as an adult that I've experienced anxiety for as long back as I can remember into childhood. I experienced panic attacks for the first time when I was in my 30's and in retrospect I realized that this extreme form of anxiety came about because of a number of complicating factors such as a failing marriage, and I was a new graduate living in another country and feeling very much an outsider. I have worked over the years with a psychiatrist and psychologist but here is what I finally learned. Finding ways not to feel anxious or trying to talk myself out of anxiety doesn't work for me. What worked for me was to learn mindfulness strategies, and to accept the anxiety. I remind myself to accept that there are situations and times when I will feel anxious such as my cancer surveillance appointments (I am a survivor of endometrial cancer) especially if the appointment will include a CT scan. I'm anxious when I have a dental procedure - not the check-up or dental cleaning but if there is dental work to be done. Of course I'd very much like to avoid any situation that brings on these periods of anxiety but I've also learned that avoidance only makes the anxiety worse. Sure, avoiding something frightening works for a little while and then the anxiety comes roaring back. I also tell myself that I have survived so many periods of anxiety, come out the other side, and felt so very proud of myself. And, as @gingerw Ginger suggested I breathe. That's part of the mindfulness strategy.

What have you been doing to help yourself through these periods of anxiety?

@tullynut What I learned is there were a lot of issues leading to my fears. It wasn't just the provider in front of me; it was a deeper association to fearful events that gave me similar feelings, and all of it reflecting my view that I had no control over my situation. It is baby steps and you do whatever helps. I used to make a provider ask my permission to do something that hurts like stick me with a needle so I could feel like I was in control. A lot of that comes from times when I had no control over what medical providers or dentists would do to me. I didn't get emotional help for that as a kid, and I had to return to those feelings in my mind to figure why it was affecting me as an adult. Essentially, I made friends with my fear and helped myself get through it. I built on how I was coping and changed what I was thinking and doing over several months. Perhaps asking for a board certified provider could help you handle it.