Right now I have my typical pre-therapy jitters. Part of my anxiety is I know how loud the waiting room will be when I get there. In addition to the white noise machines which I find highly triggering there’s music pumped in, other patients moving around and employees chatting. The office is loud and it’s dark. My therapist said this ill lit situation is “mood lighting” but for me it’s like sitting in the dark. I don’t like it at all, then add in noise makers and all sorts of movement and you’ve got serious stimulus overload.
When I went to the psych exam the other day the office was just as anxiety provoking. The lighting was fine but the small room had music pumped in which for me made the room feel smaller. Just outside the closed door I could hear other employees laughing and talking. Even with my headphones on I was overwhelmed by every noise and sight around me. This brings me to a series of questions concerning PTSD and waiting rooms. I wonder if others experience the same thing.
I’m particularly interested in how your PTSD symptoms are affected by the waiting room set up. Feel free to answer as many questions as you’d like. Lengthy or short answers are welcome.
- When you sit in a waiting room do you prefer music in the background?
- In the waiting room if there’s music is it usually too loud or just right?
- Are most offices you visit well lit or are there usually lighting issues?
- Are the waiting rooms more anxiety provoking than the doctor’s office? If so why.
- Are waiting rooms in general too stimulating for someone with PTSD?
- Is this issue something private therapists should consider when managing their waiting room?
My therapist’s waiting room is a waiting room from PTSD hell. It’s a good thing spring is rolling around. I can wait outside as long as it doesn’t rain. Here’s the thing, the office doesn’t provide a covered area nor do they provide outside seating. The choise before me is to sit on the steps outside OR sit inside overwhelmed. It seems to me the owners (who are there daily) might want to take a look at the noise level as well as prove some sort of area for clients who are unable to deal with the over stimulating waiting room. I brought it up several times but it’s not going to change with them. I’ll tell you this though, if you put a person with PTSD in a loud waiting room that has no windows and poor lighting at least give that patient a way to seperate him or herself from that environment with say, oh, a park bench outside, a chair, something. It would be nice is all I’m saying.
Austin
I hate hate hate waiting rooms. I mean, really hate them. That damn muzak. Ugh. What are these people thinking. Bright fluorescent lights. Hard chairs. Ugh. I shudder thinking about it.
Most waiting rooms drive me bonkers. Light, soft music is okay. But the ones with TVs, music and talking drive me crazy. I also don’t like it when chairs are arranged in a way that you have to squeeze in and out of the “chair circle.” And I despise having my back to a room so I’ll often stand rather than sit.
My kids’ pediatrician’s office has a huge fish tank. I like looking at it – very relaxing.
The best waiting room was my last T’s waiting area. Her office is in an old house. The office rooms are quite large. The waiting room is very big and open. Tons of windows and light. The seating consists of couches and chairs. There is usually music, but it is light and airy. Best of all, they have a huge front porch with flowers. You can sit out there in the chairs or, my favorite, on the porch swing.
when i see my family doc, the waiting room is small, not *usually* too many people in it, it’s usually fairly quiet, and there may be quiet music or none, i haven’t really noticed. last time i saw the doc, there were more people than usual (the kind that look at everyone new who comes in the room) so i just told the nurse i can’t sit in the waiting room, and she put me in an examination room right away. the waiting room is small, kinda long and narrow, your back is always to a wall, and you can usually sit without facing someone square on. it also serves only two physicians – the floor my docs clinic is on, every 1-2 doctors have their own (windowless) waiting area. [by comparison, the office on the next floor has one large open waiting room with many chairs, lots of too-bright windows, lots of motion and sound, and serves as the waiting room for the whole floor, which is several doctors. i can't stand that waiting room... but i've sucked it up a few times to go with a friend.]
sitting in the waiting room is harder than the exam room, for sure. but my doc has things decorated home-like, and one room is even full of pooh bears (is our favrit!!!!) so its good.
when i go see my mental health team (not often anymore, cuz usually they come see me, lol), there are like three chairs in the waiting room, and it doesn’t take long to get in – they rarely get behind. it’s uncommon to be there with more than one other client, if any.
when i see my t, there is a couch, teddies and cushions, and no one else there. a radio playing moderate volume relaxing music (but a person could turn it up or down if they needed it)books, and the room has no windows and a couple of lamps, so it’s not bright but *not* to dark – at least for me. it’s pretty ideal.
therapists should definitely consider this. if the client comes into the office stressed out by the waiting area, how does that help the session?!
i don’t mind music playing, but i find when a waiting room or elevator or store has a radio station playing, the music/commercials/talk is too stimulating, hate it.
I don’t like music in waiting rooms. One of my doctors always has it, one sometimes, and one never. It feels intrusive and it’s jarring when I’m already keyed up because I’m visiting a doctor. It also makes anybody who wants to converse (or even talk to the reception people) have to talk much more loudly, which is more noise.
But. I have really good hearing, so this may be a bigger problem for that reason than it would be if I were less…. sensitive?
All the waiting rooms I am usually in are well-lit. I don’t mind if they are a bit dim, though, as long as it’s not like twilight in there.
The waiting rooms are worse than the doctor’s office because there is so much more going on (other people, music, telephones ringing, children) and because I don’t know how long I have to stay there. It’s based on things going on I’m not participating in and can’t observe.
Another but: I’m agoraphobic. All public places in which there are other people make me anxious and uncomfortable. I don’t know how much of the problem is which of *my* problems. So I have no answers for the last questions.
Neurologist tomorrow. I always want to hide when I’m in his waiting room (the one with the music), but there’s no cover at all.
I really just popped over to say hi cause I was thinking of you..but then you had this great post up.
Waiting rooms are stress filled for me too. I like them quiet, and they are usually not. I am talking now about the doc and dentist especially. I have ptst..and the dentist especially sets me on a bad road to hell. I have a good one now..who knows all…and spent 3 hours with me last week, to work on one tooth. He was soothing and patient and told me we would stay until we were done..no rush…no panic. My issues with the dentist is abuse related…and surprise surprise…this dentist has studied the correlation between sexual abuse and dentist phobia.
The waiting room though…yuck. Kids running around screaming and yelling…gossiping going on behind the desk…causes my paranoia to kick it. At my therapists…I always feel like a child. I dont like how I am spoken to by the desk staff…and the air of superiority I sense. Again…is it me…or my illness.
Plain english…I hate waiting rooms.
I don’t have PTSD but I also hate waiting rooms and just started seeing a new therapist whose waiting room is so tiny I almost turned around and left on the first day. It fits two chairs and a table, and not so comfortably. I think it’s really a closet. And the lighting is also dim, but I don’t know if it should be brighter considering how small the space is. Also, the door is locked. It is extremely claustrophobic. The other day I came out of a session and someone else was waiting there and I almost fell on top of her. I have to prepare myself for the waiting room as I come down the hall, and try not to be too early!