the DAT and Anxiety

[niagra_falls]

Im having trouble managing my anxiety levels while studying for the DAT , i have tried yoga , meditation, studying outside, simple breathing exercises. but its seems nothing is working for me. this poses a real issue for me because i tend to study as much as i can in a day ( around 4-6 hours) but then my anxiety hits me and its like i cant do anything any more. my exam is in the middle of October and i have been studying over the summer but i still cant manage my anxiety of this exam. if anyone can give me some tips on staying level headed throughout this whole journey it would be much appreciated

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[IsIt2021Yet]

Sometimes anxiety can be good. But if it's affecting your quality of life, see your doctor about getting prescribed something that may help. If you're predisposed to high anxiety or other mental disorders, why trigger something that may last a lot longer than the duration of your DAT preparation? It's hard to "out-think" your brain. Also, consider taking the test sooner!

 

[niagra_falls]

Sometimes anxiety can be good. But if it's affecting your quality of life, see your doctor about getting prescribed something that may help. If you're predisposed to high anxiety or other mental disorders, why trigger something that may last a lot longer than the duration of your DAT preparation? It's hard to "out-think" your brain. Also, consider taking the test sooner!

my anxiety skyrocketed as soon as i started studying for the DAT , i know its because i want to do well and the thought of failing and getting anything below a 21 is making me anxious but not anxious enough to make me take prescribed addictive drugs. I'm just asking for better anxiety managing skills that don't involve me taking SSRI's or whatever

 

[rebecca_chatul_tov]

OK, so first thing first: You're not alone. I am in the same boat with the DAT. I am postponing it until mid-October because my daughter is due 2nd week of September. I worry because I have about 9 weeks to get strong on this material and so far I have been treading water. I can completely relate to where you are coming from.

The most basic piece of advice I can give you is don't make this into a catastrophe. Let's say that you don't get the AA score you were hoping for in October- You have the option to take it again in 90 days. If I don't get the AA I need then at the end of January I will be doing this again. It's not the end of the world. Sometime little details don't fall precisely into place, you have to adapt and overcome. The DAT is not a hard test. It's rote memorization. Time & effort in = upward trends in score. How much time and energy it takes to get X score depends on the person, but the more you study the better your score will be. Keep going until you get where you need to be based on your GPA.

Piece of advice #2: Cardio. I don't know what your fitness level is, but instead of yoga do something cardio that will release endorphins. You don't have to be a runner to get the dopamine drop. Go jump on an eliptical or treadmill and get your heart rate up for 45 minutes. When I am not pregnant I run ALL THE TIME because the endorphins help me to not murder my god awful sociopath coworkers.

Piece of advice #3: Get a massage, drink a beer or a glass of wine. I didn't say go on a bender mind you. If a drink helps take the edge off then do that.

Piece of acvice #4: Zanax or anti-anxiety medication. Not a popular suggestion and I am sure that someone will jump in and have a contradicting piece of advice. Talk to your doctor, but if this life event is causing you so much anxiety that you are having trouble managing a daily activity like studying then it is appropriate to at least consider medications. Let me revisit the subject of my two sociopath coworkers. Can I deal with them without resorting to medication? Yes, absolutely. However, a very low dose of prozac (10 mg) makes my life much easier because I am not giving myself an ulcer every morning worrying whether today is the day that one of these ladies will have another hysterical temper tantrum because someone called her a secretary instead of an executive assistant, or whatever. The lessened apprehension allows me to focus my energy on other tasks and makes me more productive.

 

[IsIt2021Yet]

my anxiety skyrocketed as soon as i started studying for the DAT , i know its because i want to do well and the thought of failing and getting anything below a 21 is making me anxious but not anxious enough to make me take prescribed addictive drugs. I'm just asking for better anxiety managing skills that don't involve me taking SSRI's or whatever

Do you think it will be different/less stressful in dental school? Best to nip it in the butt now and at least talk to a professional. Even talking to someone you trust helps a ton!

 

[IsIt2021Yet]

OK, so first thing first: You're not alone. I am in the same boat with the DAT. I am postponing it until mid-October because my daughter is due 2nd week of September. I worry because I have about 9 weeks to get strong on this material and so far I have been treading water. I can completely relate to where you are coming from.

The most basic piece of advice I can give you is don't make this into a catastrophe. Let's say that you don't get the AA score you were hoping for in October- You have the option to take it again in 90 days. If I don't get the AA I need then at the end of January I will be doing this again. It's not the end of the world. Sometime little details don't fall precisely into place, you have to adapt and overcome. The DAT is not a hard test. It's rote memorization. Time & effort in = upward trends in score. How much time and energy it takes to get X score depends on the person, but the more you study the better your score will be. Keep going until you get where you need to be based on your GPA.

Piece of advice #2: Cardio. I don't know what your fitness level is, but instead of yoga do something cardio that will release endorphins. You don't have to be a runner to get the dopamine drop. Go jump on an eliptical or treadmill and get your heart rate up for 45 minutes. When I am not pregnant I run ALL THE TIME because the endorphins help me to not murder my god awful sociopath coworkers.

Piece of advice #3: Get a massage, drink a beer or a glass of wine. I didn't say go on a bender mind you. If a drink helps take the edge off then do that.

Piece of acvice #4: Zanax or anti-anxiety medication. Not a popular suggestion and I am sure that someone will jump in and have a contradicting piece of advice. Talk to your doctor, but if this life event is causing you so much anxiety that you are having trouble managing a daily activity like studying then it is appropriate to at least consider medications. Let me revisit the subject of my two sociopath coworkers. Can I deal with them without resorting to medication? Yes, absolutely. However, a very low dose of prozac (10 mg) makes my life much easier because I am not giving myself an ulcer every morning worrying whether today is the day that one of these ladies will have another hysterical temper tantrum because someone called her a secretary instead of an executive assistant, or whatever. The lessened apprehension allows me to focus my energy on other tasks and makes me more productive.

Great advice!

 

[niagra_falls]

OK, so first thing first: You're not alone. I am in the same boat with the DAT. I am postponing it until mid-October because my daughter is due 2nd week of September. I worry because I have about 9 weeks to get strong on this material and so far I have been treading water. I can completely relate to where you are coming from.

The most basic piece of advice I can give you is don't make this into a catastrophe. Let's say that you don't get the AA score you were hoping for in October- You have the option to take it again in 90 days. If I don't get the AA I need then at the end of January I will be doing this again. It's not the end of the world. Sometime little details don't fall precisely into place, you have to adapt and overcome. The DAT is not a hard test. It's rote memorization. Time & effort in = upward trends in score. How much time and energy it takes to get X score depends on the person, but the more you study the better your score will be. Keep going until you get where you need to be based on your GPA.

Piece of advice #2: Cardio. I don't know what your fitness level is, but instead of yoga do something cardio that will release endorphins. You don't have to be a runner to get the dopamine drop. Go jump on an eliptical or treadmill and get your heart rate up for 45 minutes. When I am not pregnant I run ALL THE TIME because the endorphins help me to not murder my god awful sociopath coworkers.

Piece of advice #3: Get a massage, drink a beer or a glass of wine. I didn't say go on a bender mind you. If a drink helps take the edge off then do that.

Piece of acvice #4: Zanax or anti-anxiety medication. Not a popular suggestion and I am sure that someone will jump in and have a contradicting piece of advice. Talk to your doctor, but if this life event is causing you so much anxiety that you are having trouble managing a daily activity like studying then it is appropriate to at least consider medications. Let me revisit the subject of my two sociopath coworkers. Can I deal with them without resorting to medication? Yes, absolutely. However, a very low dose of prozac (10 mg) makes my life much easier because I am not giving myself an ulcer every morning worrying whether today is the day that one of these ladies will have another hysterical temper tantrum because someone called her a secretary instead of an executive assistant, or whatever. The lessened apprehension allows me to focus my energy on other tasks and makes me more productive.

you are completely right about this exam , i sometimes forget that its only just a test and thank you for taking the time to write me back . ill start doing a little bit of cardio every day and see how it effects me .

 

[niagra_falls]

Do you think it will be different/less stressful in dental school? Best to nip it in the butt now and at least talk to a professional. Even talking to someone you trust helps a ton!

go away , you didnt help at all

 

[IsIt2021Yet]

go away , you didnt help at all

Huh? I don't understand your response. If you don't think seeking medical advice will help with anxiety, it doesn't mean it won't help someone else. This is a public forum, and the reason I responded was to not just help you but others suffering from the same thing. Any current/past dental student that can chime in about the relative difficulty of dental school? Maybe I'm wrong and its really not bad at all.

 

[zxe1996]

You are not alone in having anxiety about this exam. I believe its normal considering this is the biggest test most of us have faced in this stage of our lives. That being said, I think the point maymom is trying to make is that it only gets harder from here. An average semester your first year of dental school is equivalent to taking ~ 24 credit hours at a university. Not to mention the board exams that will come shortly after that. I'm mentioning these things not to scare you but rather to remind you that dental school is a struggle, but once you have completed the journey you will finally be able to reap the fruit of your labor. That being said, you should remind yourself why you want to go into dentistry and go do dental related things to pump you up about taking the DAT so you can become one step closer to your goal. Like many others have said the DAT is part a mental game. You must be strong minded and think positively, remember that having negative thoughts & doubts do nothing but hinder your studies and ultimately your DAT score. The more you study and the more you see yourself improving the more your confidence will increase, so feed off of that to continue pushing through, after all this is only 2 months out of your life to get you closer to what you love.

 

[DocDoom]

The more full simulation you take the more comfortable you'll be on the real thing.


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[KKUO]

Oh trust me I know how you feel! I was in this position. The best way is to TAKE BREAKS. Your test is in October which i recommend you to take a day off and just do whatever you like. Remember one day won't hurt you it'll only benefit you from your anxiety. For me, I went to Vegas for 3 days after studying for 5 weeks because I had to take a break. After that, I studied everyday in that five weeks for 10-12 hours. Just remind yourself it's not end of the world if you don't do well. If you put effort in it you WILL do well. I'd say start taking Bootcamp's mock tests and see where you are at. If your score is too low just keep grinding and if you can also push it back (there's no shame in that). Remember worrying about Dat is only gonna hurt you, just relax and do all the questions. Again, if you study and don't cut corners, you will do well. There are so many dentists in US so I'm sure if they can do it you can do it too! Not all of them are geniuses they are humans too

 

[Dentalco2020]

if this is affecting you this much, you can go see a doc and get medicated for it.
Beta blocker will calm your nerves down a little so you don't feel like you are riding on the edge all the time.

This will actually help you on your test day too if you have test anxiety and cannot perform well due to anxiety attack.

Some people may not agree with what I suggested, but if you are having difficult time controlling your anxiety, this can potentially help.

 

[Michael_Scott]

Been there, done that. Got into dental school.
You are not alone.
I would say see your physician. They might suggest either therapy or meds or exercise(best).

Also avoid caffeine products as they make things worse.
Your focus should not be a 21. Your focus should be the BEST score YOU can get.
Work hard and you will get there. Keep a strict schedule(Ari's DAT schedule) and when you feel anxiety creeping in, take a walk, stand up or deep breath.

Do you think it will be different/less stressful in dental school? Best to nip it in the butt now and at least talk to a professional. Even talking to someone you trust helps a ton!

dental school is stressful but if OP starts managing right now, it should not be a problem. Many(most) students have anxiety in professional schools (dental, medical etc). More common than you realize.