Cure for Election Anxiety -- See Your Dentist

[macwriter]

Seriously. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster for the past couple of weeks and didn't want to go to the dentist today. But boy am I glad I did. I had a procedure that lasted two hours, and he asked me if I wanted nitrous oxide. I said sure, why not. All I can tell you is that I felt so calm as he drilled away that I was almost tempted to ask him if I could rent the tank until election day. LOL.

That said, I've stopped watching the news, but check in on Huff Post Pollster and NYTimes as well as Sam Wang a few times a day to reassure myself that God is in heaven and all is right with the world. Lighting candles helps too

[skylucy]

1. Nitrous oxide is the best thing. And you straighten up like 30 seconds after

they take it off your nose. Even the novocaine shot is a breeze.

[Skittles]

3. mmmm

that stuff makes me feel unsettled and nauseated

[Raster]

5. 65/35 is my mix...

[CBHagman]

2. Anything that takes you out of yourself for a while helps...

...and that includes any physical activity where your mind is not free to obsess. So running with a friend or while listening to an audio book might work, and so might an exercise or dance class where you're receiving constant instructions.

Movies can help, too, though I might steer clear of Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb just now.

[AirmensMom]

4. I would agree ...

except that my dentist's office pipes Christian rock radio, possibly the worst, most obnoxious music on the planet, into all the rooms. And while I really like his wife/hygienist, I get tired of all the syrupy talk, all while I know they both support Trump.

Not many other options here. Maybe it would be different if they gave me some nitrous oxide.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. I wish it worked on me!

I had an infected implant pulled a few years ago and the oral surgeon gave me Nitrous Oxide because I was perspiring so much as he tried to manually pull it out for well over an hour. The Novocaine worked fine, but hearing my jawbone repeatedly crack made me a bit hot and nervous. It's not like I was "struggling" or anything, but I was indeed perspiring heavily and gripping the arm rests hard.

After it was FINALLY over, he apologized and admitted that he had assumed it would come out easily, so he didn't drill around the implant because he wanted to save as much bone as possible.

Anyway, he supposedly tried giving me LOTS of Nitrous Oxide (slowly cranking up the output) and I was inhaling it deeply like he recommended, but it didn't even make me light-headed. He said something like, "You should be very relaxed almost to the point of passing out, and you're not even light-headed?!" After I replied that I didn't feel even slightly different, he said, "Oh, dear. You must be one of those rare cases in which it has no effect. Well, let's just try to get through this."

I can't smell skunk spray either, so I'm apparently an oddball in more ways than one.

[lillypaddle]

7. I'm an old hippie chick

DRUGS, sex, and rock & roll - but many moons ago I got a severe panic attack while taking it at my dentist. Maybe he had it turned up too high, I dunno. But I've noticed that giving nitrous oxide isn't such a common practice any more. Glad it worked for you.

[nolabels]

8. I don't want a dentist and the anxiety is all in one's mind

In my late fifties, brush two or three times a day, chew sugarless gum, stay away from process foods as much as possible, use a Waterpick once a day, gargle with straight 3% hydrogen-peroxide and then listerine total care. The Dentist hasn't found anything wrong or to work on in the last three years and the hygienist was thrilled and told me to keep chewing the wonder gum.

As far as keeping any nervous twitches in check,
I just log into DU and find everything is under control and progressing