Frozen

Q:

I’ve been a dental assistant for the past ten years. While the feedback I get is that the work I do is high quality, I find that I constantly question myself. I want the dental patients to feel comfortable, and I do everything I can to ensure that they are, yet I constantly worry that I’m hurting them; I can’t stop thinking about it.

I shared this anxiety with a good friend who told me that she thinks I have OCD and that I need to just accept that sometimes I may end up hurting someone a little. Her advice made me even more nervous!

In addition to being afraid of doing something wrong (although no one has ever said I did anything wrong!) I’m worried that my patients are judging me. When I first meet a person, we get along just fine, but as I see them more frequently, I start to worry that they think I’m weird. Then I start having trouble making small talk with them (which I’m supposed to do as I clean people’s teeth). I become completely self-conscious and freeze up, which only adds to my feelings of stress and anxiety. I wish I just had the confidence to know that I’m doing a good job and that people like me. Or even better — I wish I didn’t care about any of this! Is there a way to help myself?

A: 

I have to say that your friend may be a psychologist at heart — your constant self-doubt and worry are actually characteristic of the condition she “diagnosed” you with: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To find out whether you’re suffering from low self-esteem, insecurity, anxiety, OCD, something else or nothing at all, you should arrange an assessment with a qualified mental health professional. These conditions have different treatment protocols.

It’s also possible that you’ll receive a diagnosis of social anxiety. This is a disruptive obsessive feeling of being judged negatively by others. Keep in mind that sometimes people have symptoms that are annoying but not characteristic of a mental health disorder — assessment will clarify the situation.

Also, keep in mind that obsessive disorders are pretty common and that many people who have one, commonly have other diagnoses along with it. For instance, a person can have OCD, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), Tourette’s Disorder, and ADHD all at once! Having one or two things going on at the same time is certainly not unusual.

The good news is that most psychological disorders can be significantly improved with the right treatments. This means there is an answer to your question, “Is there a way to help myself,” and that answer is a definite “Yes!” even if you have a diagnosed disorder or two!