Hey bud, asking this question is a sign of anxious thinking (as I always say, there's no judgment - we've all been there). Of course you should go to the concert! Forget about concerts and dental appointments making anything worse -
the only thing making life worse for you is the constant loop of anxious thoughts. Your anxiety still needs to be addressed and managed in a way that allows you to get back to fully living life again.
Listen to your doctor. You
do not have hearing loss. It's funny - as a freshman in college, I thought my hearing was going. The doctor at student services flushed out some earwax, and then I was completely fine. It was totally harmless. Even if you do have extra earwax in your ear, it's harmless. Health forums will try to convince you otherwise, but
they don't know what you and I know about anxiety. Don't forget this.
And there is no way in hell you're going to be damaged at the dentist's office. Absolutely not. I have no clue who you're talking to or what health forums you're on, but please believe me when I say that they're likely dealing with a host of internal issues you don't even know about. These are not people who should serve as role models or digital doctors - they're nothing more than Dr. Google's assistants.
You do not have to be them. What they're saying isn't applicable to you, and I'm willing to bet that a number of them could benefit from mind-body work.
I once went on a fibromyalgia forum out of curiosity. Man, I saw people talking about being confined to their beds, applying for disability, taking nearly half a dozen medications, moving back home with mom and dad, losing spouses and friends, etc. It's all the mind-body connection! You cannot believe everything you read on health forums.
I also remembering going on the NeuroTalk forums and reading the story of someone who was apparently diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy caused by anti-depressant withdrawal. Her doctor said it was the first and only case of neuropathy from anti-depressant withdrawal he's ever seen. Yeah, no kidding - he's never seen it before
because it's impossible. Nerves can be damaged from autoimmunity or high levels of toxins or blood sugar, or physical injuries or extreme pressure, but not from the lack of an SSRI/SNRI medication! It's obvious that her body was experiencing withdrawal that threw her sympathetic nervous system out of whack after stopping the medication, and it simply needs to readjust. Unfortunately for her, nobody told her that anxiety can prevent the sympathetic nervous system from readjusting (even well after serotonin receptors heal), and the BS diagnosis and health forums have her convinced she's damaged. The good news is that she can turn this around anytime. None of this is permanent. This is why you can't take many of these stories seriously.
You aren't just going to be OK - you are already 100% OK right now. But until the anxious thought patterns are addressed, there's always going to be another ailment and more symptoms. There's nothing wrong with you. Go out and have some fun.
