Has this ever happened to anyone?

  • Context: Medical 
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal experiences related to feelings of fear and unusual physical sensations during dental visits, particularly focusing on the phenomenon of "double vision" and other reactions to fear or medical procedures. Participants share their anecdotes and explore potential physiological explanations for these experiences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes experiencing "double vision" and a sense of detachment during a dental visit, questioning whether this was due to fear.
  • Another participant suggests that extreme fear can lead to a drop in blood pressure, causing symptoms like double vision and faintness.
  • A different viewpoint proposes that pain and fear might trigger the release of endogenous opioids, leading to altered sensations similar to being "high" or "drunk."
  • One participant shares a contrasting experience of feeling relaxed and almost falling asleep during dental procedures, despite the noise of the drill.
  • Another participant recounts a similar experience of double vision at the dentist, attributing it to an adverse reaction to a numbing agent rather than fear.
  • Several posts include humorous exchanges and jokes, indicating a lighter tone amidst the serious discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of personal experiences and interpretations, with no clear consensus on the causes of the sensations described. Some agree on the role of fear in physical reactions, while others present alternative explanations, leading to multiple competing views.

Contextual Notes

Participants' claims depend on individual experiences and interpretations, with some suggesting physiological mechanisms while others recount personal anecdotes. The discussion does not resolve the underlying causes of the phenomena described.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in personal accounts of physiological responses to fear, dental anxiety, or those seeking to understand varied reactions to medical procedures may find this discussion relevant.

spiral_flare
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When I was 8 years old, I went to the dentist. I remember being extremely scared. I got through it with loud screams. When she was finished and I was still on the chair, she asked me if I was ok. Right then, I experienced what I call "double vision". Like in movies, when someone gets hurt or gets hit in the head and wake up later, they see "double" and 5 seconds after "both" images come together and they can see fine again. That's what happened to me, it's like I was about to faint. And I couldn't hear well, her voice was very distant. After she said "are you ok?" I didn't answer because of the double vision, and when she said my name over and over it sounded very distant and it was sort of echoing, I would say it sounded "eerie". I thought I was dying. Did this happen because I was so scared of dentists or not? I've always wanted to know and I'm not sure this is in the right place

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/8086/animation1qv1.gif
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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In extreme fear, your blood vessels can open wide, causing a rapid drop in blood pressure, especially in the head. Your eye muscles couldn't keep your eyes both pointd in the same direction (causing double vision), or focused. Everything else is a symptom of the same loss in pressure. If you'd been standing, you likely would have fainted.
 
In addition to Dave's explanation, which is very plausible, an alternative explanation I might speculate would be if you were feeling pain and hyperresponsive to it because of the fear, you might have had a release of endogenous opioids (natural painkillers, among other things), and the sensation was somewhat like that of being "high" or "drunk."

But, the bottom line is, yes, it's very likely it was the fear reaction that led to that unusual sensation for you.
 
spiral_flare said:
When I was 8 years old, I went to the dentist. I remember being extremely scared. I got through it with loud screams. When she was finished and I was still on the chair, she asked me if I was ok. Right then, I experienced what I call "double vision". Like in movies, when someone gets hurt or gets hit in the head and wake up later, they see "double" and 5 seconds after "both" images come together and they can see fine again. That's what happened to me, it's like I was about to faint. And I couldn't hear well, her voice was very distant. After she said "are you ok?" I didn't answer because of the double vision, and when she said my name over and over it sounded very distant and it was sort of echoing, I would say it sounded "eerie". I thought I was dying. Did this happen because I was so scared of dentists or not? I've always wanted to know and I'm not sure this is in the right place

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/8086/animation1qv1.gif

I have totally the reverse reaction when in the dentists chair, i tend to fall asleep, if were not for the rough drill vibrating my tail bone i am sure i would.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think I speak for us all here, Wolram, when I say "what an ass".
 
I kinda go with wolram on this one actually.
 
That was meant to be a joke.

The guy who complained about his two hot roommates wanting a threesome gets the same response.
 
LOL! Hahahaha My friend just told me the same thing! :P:P funny..
 
Yes

Yes, I was at the dentists today and that happened to me and no it wasn't fear, it was an adverse reaction to the numbing agent they gave you.

http://members.tripod.com/~PorphBook/40.html

Here is more information about it. It sucked and was totally terrifyling for me.
 
  • #10
DaveC426913 said:
That was meant to be a joke.
Was it really? Because I find my body to be extremely relaxed. You know... except for the mouth.
 

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