Cancer and Anxiety - It's a Real Thing!

I have been seeing more and more posts about the anxiety of cancer – something that there is no shortage of when you get the diagnosis. It may surprise you the most (other than the level of pain) when you really get into the heart of your illness.

For me, I know that I was not prepared for the level of stress and fear that my lymphoma diagnosis precipitated. I suspect it is the same for most people who get the worst diagnosis of their lives.

Doctors warn us a lot about physical symptoms

Pain, chemo, physical exhaustion – doctors will fill your mind with these things when you are first diagnosed with blood cancer.

The medical professionals speak to no end about the different trials your body will go through and some of the things you can do to mitigate them. Mouth sores, bone pain, hair loss – the list goes on and on. And they will spend an entire appointment going over what to expect and just how horrible it will be.

But there's less talk about mental hardships

Doctors rarely speak for more than five minutes about the mental hardships of cancer. That's weird because, in some ways, they can be worse than the physical.

Fear. Anxiety. Loneliness. Anticipation. Isolation. Lack of motivation. Depression. Apathy. These are just some of the emotions and feelings you may experience when you get a cancer diagnosis. It is inevitable – we all go through it. And the sad part is doctors have almost zero good solutions to deal with them.

In fact, some will suggest you just “white knuckle” the problem or try meditation or yoga. Some suggest medication, which can reduce anxiety but also lead to other complications like drowsiness and withdrawal issues.

Blood cancer is mentally draining

On top of all of that, people with cancer often experience a type of fatigue that goes well beyond physical exhaustion. It can consist of a lack of motivation and an increased drain of mental energy, too.

Yet, with all of these mental aspects of living with cancer, all of these emotions that crop up, doctors and other medical professionals often overlook this. They spend more time telling you how to get mouthwash to deal with sores than they do how to find a mouthwash for your brain that will deal with depression.

Anxiety can be irrational but debilitating

Here’s the thing about anxiety with cancer and in general. Anyone who experiences it can tell you that anxiety doesn’t work with the rational side of your brain. You can tell yourself a thousand times over that your fear is irrational and doesn’t have any basis in fact. One side of your brain will totally agree. But the other side of your brain doesn’t care. It doesn’t care at all that your anxiety is flaring up.

You may have read on the internet that one person who had your type of cancer lost their legs because it spread through the body until it reached a toe. Then that toe started growing a tumor that eventually took over both legs and then they had to be amputated. And, oh my god, what if that happens to me? What am I going to do?

Yeah. It’s not rational. That’s the whole point of anxiety. It doesn’t respond to, well, almost anything.

How I find relief from anxiety

So what do we do, then, when the doctors won't really talk about it, and it doesn’t respond to most treatment methods? Well, talking helps. I know you have heard that before. But the reason you have is because it works.

Talking, especially with people who are going through the same things as you are, can really help to quell that inner voice. Fear and anticipation find it much more difficult to thrive when brought into the light of day with other people. What’s the saying? Misery loves company. It really holds true!

I know you are wondering how to find people to speak with. Not to toot our own horn here – well, a little – but our site is perfect for finding stories similar to yours and also finding people going through the same thing as you.

Leave a comment or question below, or check out the conversations in our forums. It may not be a perfect solution, but it’s a wonderful place to start! Talk soon!