Your Demeanor When Seeing Your Doctor

How are you usually when seeing your doctor? Are you:

Humorous and jovial?

Quiet and submissive?

Stern and businesslike?

Curious and inquisitive?

Polite but slightly standoffish?

How has your doctor responded to your varying attitudes?

Years ago it started out as polite but slightly standoffish. Time and trust as our doctor/patient relationship has upgraded the status to humorous and jovial. My doctor is sincerely happy to see me whatever the circumstances for my appointment.

I'm usually pretty lighthearted with my regular doctor. I try to bounce off of their attitude toward the situation. My GP is a funny guy. I was in the office today for stomach problems that led from a medication he put me on last week. He walked in, saw me sitting there, and was like... "You're all better!?" I laughed and responded with "Ha...yeah. I wish!"

He likes that we can joke about things, from what I can tell. Makes the situation less tense!

I act friendly and polite around my doctor just like I do in every day life towards others and my doctor is friendly and polite towards me and smiles a lot

The MD I see did his internship and residency at the University of California San Diego. My annual physical is a social visit as well as a medical one. I catch him up on the latest happenings at the U, and he catches me up on his family. He does a thorough exam too.

I always try to be polite. I'm also always curious and inquisitive, asking a lot of questions and generally wanting to learn as much about any health problems that I have. When I see a new doctor for the first time, I'm probably more quiet and submissive than usual, since I don't yet know their routine, or familiar with their personality. For a doctor that I see regularly, one that I already have a rapport with, I'm lighthearted and very friendly, bordering on jovial. Many times when seeing one of my regular doctors, we spend a lot of time just catching up and talking about personal things totally unrelated to my visit.

When I had my appts with Dr. Dreamy I was usually very quiet. Only because his sexiness was overwhelming and I just could not utter more than two words lol! Usually after or before every appt I would think of something funny I should have said or should say and kind of be a little bummed I wasn't able to work up the courage to bring my humor out for a stroll 😃

Fairly quiet, submissive, and polite. I usually find no reason to be argumentative, and she's going to do what she has to no matter what my attitude, so why argue.

I'm quiet and submissive for the most part.

I think quiet and submissive..

I am always polite and respectful, of course. My GP, a woman, is very professional and gives an impression of knowledge and sensitivity. She is very attractive, too, so I have a bit of a soft spot for her. Normally I feel totally at ease when I see her but next week I have an appointment that could well result in a DRE. I am nervous already!

My demeanor is always warm, friendly, attentive, respectful, open, interested, with laughter and humor. They respond the same way. I have told them if I am not able to joke, laugh, or even smile, then it is time to call the coroner as it must mean that things are gravely serious and all hope is gone.

I truly believe that "laughter IS the best medicine and attitude IS everything"!

It never ceases to amaze me how attitude impacts the body, mind, spirit and the overall health of it all.

I am always polite , warm and keep adding little humor here and there if needed . I am serious around surgeons! My current four surgeons when they visit every evening at 6 i am very serious . I smile , greet and i know its time for serious talks. I cant add humor even if theres a space for it.

My gyn is a hilarious lady . I have had good laugh on my every visit till the time of discussion. Then we both get serious.

~cookie

I am sure my anxiety is reflected in my demeanor though I try to prevent it from showing. I try very hard to appear confident and nonchalant but probably come across as shy and submissive. Seriously, I have to fight to prevent trembling and having my voice crack. Basically, I just stay quiet and only answer questions.

As a few have said my demeanor is always warm, friendly, attentive, respectful, open and interested if I'm seeing the Doctor. A bit of joviality and laughter is often very effective in breaking that rather " uptight and tense" atmosphere and reducing your stress levels.

As Andie said:

I truly believe that "laughter IS the best medicine and attitude IS everything"!

It never ceases to amaze me how attitude impacts the body, mind, spirit and the overall health of it all.

I truly believe that as well and have seen the results in clinical practice.

As a few have said my demeanor is always warm, friendly, attentive, respectful, open and interested if I'm seeing the Doctor. A bit of joviality and laughter is often very effective in breaking that rather " uptight and tense" atmosphere and reducing your stress levels.

That's how it should be. You're supposed to be on the same team.

Besides, it's nice to be nice to your doctor. He's the one wielding the sharp instruments!

I try to be cordial and friendly and my doctors respond likewise. I have kept going to these people because they have that manner. I'm not usually real talkative and if I'm feeling sick I'm more likely to be quiet. I don't run to the doctor for every sniffle so if it's not a well visit they know I'm feeling really bad. I

True Susie but I can also be quite abrupt and a bit rude with an arrogant Doctor. Its one of my personal bug bears when it comes to doctors. You don't have to be warm and friendly or even a good beside manner but arrogance really annoys me no end .

Polite, a little bit chatty and sometimes giggly (if its my regular doctor who I've had for almost 15 years).

True Susie but I can also be quite abrupt and a bit rude with an arrogant Doctor. Its one of my personal bug bears when it comes to doctors. You don't have to be warm and friendly or even a good beside manner but arrogance really annoys me no end .

Arrogance, rudeness, "god complex" in a physician or any medical professional or care giver brings out the red head/ginger of me to show through at full strength!

Definitely quiet and submissive... I am a good patient 😃

Friendly, but polite. I can remember my parents insisting on calling our GP and dentist "Dr. xxxxx". I'm not that formal and use their given names.

Yes Andie I forgot about that "god complex " that unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility.

Arrogance, rudeness, "god complex" in a physician or any medical professional or care giver brings out the red head/ginger of me to show through at full strength!

Although I'm not ginger 😉 😜 lol , I know exactly what you mean !

I called on my F.P. Doc professionally for several years, so we are on first names basis. He used to get me tickets to Jimmy Buffett concerts and we are "friends", as well as in a patient/doctor relationship. When seeing my urologist and vascular surgeon, I am polite from years of having to be so with all the doctors I called on. Since I am no longer trying to "sell" them anything, I will respectfully disagree with them and have even flatly refused some of their statements that I disagree with. I will not tolerate the God Complex attitude.

Friendly and businesslike. I enjoy visiting with the doctor, but I know I am there for a reason. Bottom line is I want to hear and understand what the doctor says, and I want to be sure the doctor heard and understands what I say.

I am pretty up beat and open with my doctor. He knows I am usually out going and open with him. I will be submissive and do what he says or asks at the same time. He has learned to read my moods and know when I am not feeling well or when I am not happy. But he makes me feel good when I am in his office or in conversation with him

It really depends on which doctor I'm seeing and what the purpose of the visit is. If I'm sick or injured and seeing my PCP, I'm usually "all business", not very chatty and just looking for the professional help I came in for. I want to get better and I converse in a very serious manner, and pay close attention to what she has to say. Since she is generally pretty chatty, when I see her for my annual physical I am much more relaxed and chatty also. Now my dermatologist is super chatty and other than the usual question of "have you noticed anything that is of concern to you" , we pretty much talk the whole time she is doing a full body check or when she has to take a mole off to be biopsied. A couple years ago when I had to have rotator cuff surgery, the orthopedist was strictly business and just talked/asked about my injury/surgery/recovery.. I followed lead and stayed as businesslike as a patient could.

Always humourous and jovial,when he asks how i am i tell him im still working out 3 times a week and going like apeshit on the bike so if i was due for a

heart attack it should have came by now.

cant beat my ol quack, (that is doctor for you non brits).

I'm usually humorous and jovial and so is she,but she tends to get a little more serious when she starts to examine me.

When I see my doctor it is jokes all around! She has a great sense of humor and is sarcastic to boot! I love it! She is a lot of fun through my whole visit.