Made appt to see gyn for the 1st time since i was raped 3yrs ago. i'm already feeling very anxious. what can i do to make this less triggering and less anxiety-producing? been in therapy for years, but its a new doc and i'm still really anxious.

PTSD: This is a classic case of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that your therapist can assist you with relaxation techniques to permit a better GYN MD exam. Once that has been accomplished notify the MD in your history and in person at a pre-exam Consultation that you have these anxiety issues so that an appt. can be scheduled for the exam when there is more time to allow for patience by both.

No simple answer: Anxiousness about seeing a physician can occur with much less issues then you have. I wish there was a simple solution. Firstly is there a good friend or relative who can accompany you? Someone needs to be with you. Even though it is a new doctor, most likely he/she will have had experience in dealing with sexual assault patients. Meditation may help and make sure you therapist knows your concerns