Self-Doubt

The study examines self-doubt as a distinct phenomenon generated by external scepticism and internalised by patients. Self-doubt did not always mean doubting whether pain existed; some participants doubted severity or cause instead. Participants most centrally described self-doubt as interference with their ability to make decisions about their bodily states. Success does not require silencing doubt but requires enough conviction to ignore it and continue. Negative voices can create a psychological barrier that appears insurmountable. Difficult goals involve confronting negative external and internal voices that predict failure. Patients doubted whether they could survive surgery and recover physically afterward. Dependence on caregivers and possible loss of independence intensified patients' doubts. Expected difficulty with dressing, bathing, and self-care caused distress. Older patients worried that weakened immune systems could prolong or compromise recovery.