Hi Brooke,

I would love some help overcoming fear & anxiety I have about having my blood pressure taken… I’ve heard doctors & nurses refer to it as White Coat Syndrome. Within the last 4 or 5 years, it’s popped up as an issue for me! As soon as I know I’m going to have to have my blood pressure taken (dentists office, clinic, any doctors office), my heart starts beating really fast, I feel a tightness in my chest/throat, and the reading is really high. Like, 150/110 or something nuts. The second the armband is removed I feel a RUSH of endorphins, relief, “its over” and I can literally feel my blood pressure and heart rate going back to it’s normal state. It feels so silly that I’m doing this to myself. I actually do not have high blood pressure in general – it just spikes when I’m having it taken. I know this because sometimes I’ll have to have it taken repeatedly and it decreases dramatically in the reading over the course of just minutes. Additionally, when I was was in the hospital for a few days after giving birth to my son, I got so used to the armband on and just felt confident & easy about it, that every single reading was great. 110/70, etc.
I’ve tried some models around this but unsure of a bridge thought or something specific to work on when I’m going to need my blood pressure taken.
Thank you!