Khaberni - Russian psychologist Lilia Gladkikh mentioned several reasons that lead some adults to fear doctors and to avoid visiting medical clinics.
The specialist said: "The fear of doctors and clinics does not necessarily form as a result of a direct negative experience, but can also arise due to early pressures and repressed feelings during childhood, and there are several scenarios that explain this."
She added: "The first scenario is associated with the child's exposure to intense emotions from someone close, often the mother. If she is experiencing stress, emotional breakdown, or crying, as might be the case with a family member's illness, the child's memory records not only her condition but also the entire surrounding environment, such as people, white coats, smells, and the general atmosphere. These images remain etched in their mind, so that any similar trigger later can cause anxiety, even if the original event is forgotten. The person may reach adulthood without realizing why they fear clinics or doctors."
She continued: "The second scenario is linked to the child themselves being hospitalized, where they face significant psychological pressure due to separation from their mother and undergoing medical procedures they do not understand, especially if this occurred before they had acquired language, that is, before the age of one."
She pointed out that "the third scenario relates to the repression of emotions, where the child learns to hide certain emotional reactions associated with fear and link them to other things later. Upon reaching adulthood, admitting to the fear of a doctor may be easier than confronting the true emotions, creating a permanent association between the doctor and danger."
She cautioned that this fear could also be linked to the fear of death, as some people fear receiving a diagnosis that threatens their life.
