Why Do So Many People Avoid the Doctor?

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Doctor avoiding on calendar

Pixabay

A lot of people flat-out avoid seeing their doctor. This isn’t exactly the healthiest approach to life… but why do people end do it? Let’s check out the most common reasons…

A healthy lifestyle

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? While people don’t tend to take this literally, there’s no doubt that a lot of people skip important checkups simply because they’re confident they’re living such a healthy lifestyle that they don’t really need to see a doctor. Unfortunately, medical problems can affect those who eat well and exercise regularly. Getting physical checkups and seeing a doctor when something isn’t quite right is part of a healthy lifestyle – so don’t assume you’re too healthy to see a doctor!

Doctor checking peoples charts

Wikimedia

Disability or anxiety

There are a lot of people who simply can’t make it to their doctor’s office. Many people can get doctors called out to them, but this isn’t always the case. Physical disabilities are the most obvious consideration here, but there are also psychological disabilities to consider. Even social anxiety can become a big problem here. This is why telemedicine has become so important. You can learn more about telemedicine at www.onlinedoctorvisit.com. The Internet has opened up a range of possibilities in the field of medicine that can help more people get the medical attention they need. Not that the Internet has helped everything

Self-diagnosis

Why go see a real doctor when we all have Dr Google at our fingertips? The problem with Dr Google, of course, is that it has way too many answers. No matter what you type into its search bar, it can’t actually inspect your symptoms. The people offering advice online will be dealing with their own circumstances; yours might be very different indeed. They could also be working with misinformation themselves! Don’t be tempted to self-diagnose using the Internet. By all means, research potential problems and seek advice. But don’t replace your actual physician with the Internet.

Doctor checking blood pressure on arm

Flickr

A fear of bad news

One of the tragic paradoxes of this subject is the fact that the times in which we may be in most need of a doctor are the precise times in which we don’t want to see one. If we feel a suspicious lump, for example, the rational thing to do would be to go to the doctor as soon as possible. But many will put it off. They’ll avoid checkups, or won’t tell a doctor about it if they happen to visit them for a less severe reason. www.wikihow.com has some useful advice for dealing with bad medical news which can be worth a read if you really expect it. But not hearing this news at all will result in much worse consequences. (And we haven’t even mentioned the fact that you might not hear bad news after all!)

An actual phobia of doctors

Yes, it actually exists, and you can read more about it at www.verywell.com. There’s a difference between anxiety about seeing a doctor and actually having a phobia of doctors. It’s extremely rare, but if it affects you or someone you know, then you need to take it seriously.

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