This is slightly different to my usual type of post, but a while ago I decided that I was going to be a lot more open with my experiences with anxiety on my road to recovery on the blog, so wanted to share my experience with anxiety when I got my nose pierced a week ago. I'd been wanting to get my nose pierced for a while and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that I actually ended up getting it pierced along with my mum. Yes, you read that right, my mum! I was in utter shock when she mentioned that she'd like to come with me and get it done too. My mum has always been very supportive of my piercings and tattoos but isn't really one for them herself, or so I thought, until now! I was thrilled that she wanted to share this experience with me though, and is what has actually lead me to writing this post as I found it really interesting how different our thought processes were before and during the experience.
When I'm about to do something that causes me anxiety I like to prepare myself as much as possible for whatever situation I'm about to put myself in. For me this meant watching as many nose piercing videos on Instagram and Youtube as I could, seeing every way possible that my nose could be pierced and peoples' reaction to it. For my mum, who doesn't have anxiety, doing something like this she said would make her more nervous to go have it done but for me I find comfort in knowing exactly what to expect.
On the Saturday morning we went to get our nose piercings, I woke up feeling rather anxious, so did as much as I could to relax myself. Which mainly involved having a bath, one of my favourite ways to relax, and practicing my breathing exercises (which I was hoping would come in handy during the piercing too). I had a lot of anxious thoughts racing through my head but after speaking to my mum I realised how different our thoughts were in relation to the piercing. My thoughts were all situational; What would the place be like? Would the room be big or small? Would it be busy? Would it be hot? What would the lady who was doing the piercing be like? What if I had a panic attack? Whereas my mum's only thoughts were how long will it take? Could she freeze it before doing it? How much would it hurt?
I just found it quite fascinating that throughout this whole process not once had the thought of how much it would hurt entered my mind, yet it was my mum's primary concern. I was so focused on my anxiety that the thought of the pain of the piercing hadn't even crossed my mind. This has led me to wonder how different my experience may have been if I wasn't an anxiety sufferer, would I have been worried about the pain involved? Even during the piercing, and watching my mum getting her nose pierced first (she only agreed to go through with it if she got to go first, ha ha!), the thought of the pain still didn't cross my mind. I remember feeling really hot and anxious when we got there, so having my mum go first actually worked in my favour by enabling me to adjust to my new surroundings (as silly as it sounds new environments that I have never been in before give me major anxiety), do a few breathing exercises to calm myself and speak with the piercer to get more comfortable with her. I also mentioned to her that I had anxiety, as I've found this is one of the most helpful tools in managing my anxiety recently, the less I feel I have to hide it the more I am able to relax.
When it was my turn I jumped up on the bed and before I knew it my nose was pierced! It was honestly that quick and I just remember feeling a slight pinch when the needle went through. When I think back on it now, I realise that I was so wrapped up in my anxiety and focused on trying to keep myself relaxed and not have a panic attack that it kind of removed my head from the situation and I barely noticed the piercing as I was so removed from it. My mum said the worst part for her was when the tiny tube was left in her nose that was used to pull the nose ring through, whereas I didn't feel it at all. This also makes me wonder if I wasn't suffering from anxiety and had been more focused on the piercing itself, would I have felt that too? In the end though I am just happy that I was able to manage my anxiety well enough to go through with my nose piercing. I love it and now can't wait for it heal so I can change it for a dainty hoop.
What is your experience with piercings? Do your nerves ever stop you from going through with something like this?
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