How do I help my son beat his phobia of the dentist?

[LynnyB]

I am finding it difficult to help my teenage son ovecome his phobia of the dentist as I am not too keen of them myself.

Any ideas how I can help?

 

[Getting_There]

Have you thought about speaking to a therapist?

I had a fear of dentists a few years ago but found a great dentist who understood my issues and kept me calm. I was devastated when she left the practice!

 

[Helprequired]

I always find the expected pain and the actually pain of going to the dentist are very different. It is NEVER as bad as I expect!

The mind can play awful tricks on us.

 

[Fightingback]

I read this earlier, might help:-

How are phobias created and how can we treat them?

The subject of how phobias are created is a very interesting one. As we delve deeper into this issue, you soon realise that phobias are a behavioural response.

www.phobiasupportforum.co.uk

 

[LynnyB]

Why does our mind work against us sometimes or is it just an extreme defence mechanism?

 

[Helprequired]

Someone once described it to me as a path in the long grass. The more you use the path the more it becomes clear and you are drawn to it. Now, start using an alternatve path and that will soon become clear while the old ones becomes overgrown and eventually non-existant. You have re-routed your brain.

Interesting way to explain it but made sense.

 

[Anxietysufferer]

In the past, I have had issues with the dentist but I tended to find that the experience was nowhere near as bad as what I had been thinking about in my mind.

Did you manage to sort out your teenage son?