When I go to the dentist, I'm upfront and tell them that I get anxious, and I ask them to play music to distract me. This works for me too! In my ca

When I go to the dentist, I'm upfront and tell them that I get anxious, and I ask them to play music to distract me. This works for me too! In my case, it's not music that helps. I let them know that I'm afraid of the unexpected in a medical setting. I ask them to tell me what they're going to do, before they do it. Telling them exactly what we need is so good. If we just say "I get anxious" they may be sympathetic but how would they know what to do for us? I feel like a lot of people just state the problem and not their needs. Even if a dentist is not particularly compassionate, 99.99% of the time human beings just want to get through their work day. And so they're more than happy to make an accommodation (music, whatever) if it helps everybody get through their day more easily. Anxious patients aren't fun for them, either...