Anxiety and worry

Fear or anxiety in cancer patients, loved ones or carers are often caused by worries about the past, present, or future. A cancer diagnosis can bring on all sorts of emotions, and it is normal to feel anxious or worried. Anxiety after cancer is also common among people, as fear of cancer recurrence can hold people back from living their lives fully.

For most people, feelings of anxiety and worry can settle and become more manageable over time, but for others they can worsen. If severe anxiety and worry goes unmanaged, it can make you irritable and short-tempered, or even cause panic attacks.

When we experience stress, our bodies release a chemical called adrenaline that can cause one or multiple physical reactions: our hearts beat faster, blood pressure rises, hands get sweaty, and mouths can go dry. This is the body’s natural ‘fight or flight’ response to a sense of danger. But if the anxiety is severe, these symptoms can worsen and build to a panic attack.

Worry and anxiety in cancer patients is common but shouldn’t go unmanaged. If you’re experiencing high volumes of anxiety, it is important to let your GP or healthcare team know, so you can receive the care you need.

Anxiety and worry may cause us to go over and over the same distressing thoughts about the past, present or future. While ignoring such thoughts or trying to distract ourselves may work at first, they often find a way to return eventually. Building awareness to detect negative thoughts and having a plan for how to manage them may help you reduce anxiety and worry.

Anxiety from cancer can be challenging to manage on your own, but support is always available. For anxiety in cancer patients, be sure to let your specialist or medical team know so you can receive the care and support you need. In some cases, you may be prescribed anxiety medication for cancer patients.

Identifying whether your thoughts are coming from an underlying belief or perspective can help rationalise your thoughts. For example, if you say to yourself, “If I can’t do everything I used to do, I am useless”, it might be more difficult to feel optimistic about the future.

Anxiety is our body’s response to keep us safe from suspected or potential danger. Which is why it can be helpful to check in with your thoughts and ask yourself if you’re jumping to conclusions or exaggerating the negatives.

If someone you love was in your position and felt anxious or worried, think about what you might say to them. It can be helpful to redirect that same advice, kindness and empathy towards yourself.

Using encouraging thoughts to talk yourself through challenges, rather than criticising yourself, does not come naturally to some people. A counsellor or psychologist can teach you personal techniques to help you be kinder to yourself when you’re having a hard time.

Anxiety and worry can often cause our thoughts to race by quickly but writing down everything can help slow your mind down. It can also be an opportunity to challenge unhelpful ways of thinking.

Our thoughts are always changing. We tend to notice or fixate on some, but there are many we don’t notice. Try to let your thoughts come and go without getting caught up in them. Some people find it helpful to imagine thoughts as clouds passing in the sky or leaves floating down a stream.

Some days it can be hard to find even one thing positive to appreciate, and that is understandable. But if you feel like that every day, check whether you are missing any little achievements or happy moments, like listening to your favourite song on a tough day. They don’t have to be big but recognising the little positives each day may help you to feel more optimistic and reduce anxiety.