Most people are at least a little uncomfortable about speaking to their doctors about their anxiety problem. Sometimes people are intimidated by their doctor’s training and knowledge. Sometimes people feel that their doctor is “too busy to listen”. Other people don’t want to bother their doctor with a problem that is “too small” or “too silly”.

Problems such as anxiety and depression seem especially private and personal. Most people are embarrassed to admit that they have an anxiety problem. Some people think that if they have to get help for anxiety then they must be a “weak”, “defective” or “broken” person. For all of these reasons and more people often decide not to talk to their doctor about important problems. In fact, many people walk away from their doctor’s office without having talked to their doctor about what they really wanted to talk about.

You may be nervous or uncomfortable about discussing your anxiety problem with your doctor. Your anxiety about talking to your doctor may be preventing you from getting the help you need. When you start getting anxious about discussing your anxiety problem with your doctor, remember these facts:

• Your doctor is not “too busy” to listen to your concerns about your health.
• Your doctor wants to help and has been trained to help.
• Your concerns about anxiety are not “too small” or “too silly”.

Some people might have grown up thinking they could just “snap out of it,” so they are embarrassed to bring it up. But now we know that anxiety problems are serious problems that result in much pain, suffering, lost opportunity, and many long-term effects on physical health. Your doctor knows that anxiety problems are serious problems.

Most people say that getting help for their anxiety problem was the hardest thing they ever did. Most people also say that getting help for their anxiety disorder was the best thing they ever did. Talking to your doctor is the first step towards getting control of your anxiety symptoms. Most people feel at least a little better right away, just from telling their doctor about their anxiety problem.

If you are like many others and are uncomfortable talking to your doctor about your concerns, it might help to take the Anxiety Test here in private, and then take your results in to your doctor. The next section will talk more about the test and how it can help.