What Do I Do Now? - 111

111
EMOTIONAL HEALTH /// CHAPTER 70
Anxiety
It is normal to have anxiety when experiencing cancer.
There are so many unknowns and facing uncertainty
can cause anxiety. You may very naturally find yourself
worrying about the future in a way you never did before,
which makes it hard for you to focus on the present. Your
body probably feels tense and you may have trouble controlling
your thoughts, making it difficult to relax and to sleep. No matter
where you are in the cancer process, you will likely develop fears of the cancer worsening
or returning - we call this " fear of recurrence. "
Facing cancer means thinking about life and death, it means thinking about surviving a life-threatening disease. THIS IS
SCARY and of course leads to anxiety. Others around you may not understand how your anxiety continues even after the
cancer has been treated. While experiencing anxiety in this situation is expected, your thoughts can also get away from you
and you may find yourself thinking only about the worst-case scenarios. You may be forgetting about other possibilities. It is
important to learn how to notice when thoughts are not accurate or helpful and to develop more realistic ways of thinking. It
is also important to learn how to " power down " and relax in healthy ways.
Coping with anxiety:
» Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques. There are lots of helpful apps available
» Practice progressive muscle relaxation before sleep (look on YouTube for a visual demonstration)
» Exercise. Best to work out at least 3-4 hours or more before bedtime so sleep isn't affected
» Write down your fears. Sometimes we haven't even identified our anxious thoughts and the act of writing helps name
them.
» Question some of your anxious thoughts. Are there other possible outcomes you are not considering? Try to balance your
" worst case " thinking with " better " and " best case " thinking.
» Engage in healthy distraction. Take your mind off cancer: talk with friends about anything BUT cancer, play video games,
read a book, listen to uplifting or calming music, run an errand.
» Learn from an expert. Behavioral therapy can help you recognize unhelpful thought patterns and learn tools to manage
your anxieties.
» Face your fears. Maybe you have been afraid to have a conversation with someone or talk to your doctor about a
symptom - having the conversation may actually be the best way to reduce your anxiety in the long run, even if it's
difficult in the moment.
Anti-anxiety medication:
There are no perfect medications for anxiety. It will require either the removal of the stressor and/or work to rewire your
brain's reaction to the stressor. There are, however, lots of medications that can be helpful to reduce anxiety that aren't
addictive and won't make you a zombie. Some antidepressants work well to reduce overall anxiety, allowing you to be in a
place where you can work to improve your response to stressors. If you are struggling with sleep, behavioral therapy can be
the most effective method, but there are also non-addictive medications that your physician can prescribe to help reset your
sleep habits. Talk to your provider to determine if a medication may be a good option for you.

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What Do I Do Now?

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