What does a snake have to do with an MRI exam?

For many MR-techs, it is hard to understand why patients are afraid of undergoing an MRI exam.
You might have tried to reason with such a patient, but most likely without any luck.

Fear and anxiety is a "bottom-up" response that is designed to protect us from dangerous situations, and the end goal is to survive. The problem is that this system might have the wrong triggers, and the trigger could be anything, but the response is the same.

This means that people could get a fight/flight response when confronted with something that is not life-threatening.

Most people are afraid of snakes and it will most likely trigger the fight/flight response. Patients who are afraid of an MR (trigger) will have the same reaction (fight/flight response) you have when you see a snake.

Seeing the situation from the patients' view, and understanding what they experience, will allow you to support them in the best possible way.

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