We all feel worried at times in our day-to-day lives and anxiety is common in people facing new or stressful situations. Anxiety may feel like nervousness, tension, panic, fear, or feeling like something bad is about to happen. Anxiety can also be experienced as physical symptoms such as upset stomach, sweaty palms, fast heartbeat, shaking, or flushed face.
Feeling anxious when facing a life-threatening illness is normal. The goal is to reduce and cope with anxiety, not to eliminate all anxiety.
Your goals
- Learn how to cope with anxiety.
- Get professional help when needed.
Important signs and symptoms to report to your doctor or nurse
- Continuous feelings of dread and apprehension for several days.
- Physical symptoms such as sweaty palms, shaking, rapid heartbeat. Keep in mind that these symptoms can also be caused by side effects of some cancer treatments.
What you can do at home
- Recognize that anxiety during treatment is normal. Getting help in dealing with anxiety is not only normal; it's smart.
- Try to understand what thoughts trigger the anxiety. For example, if you are anxious about a medical procedure, ask yourself what it is about the procedure that upsets you. Then ask yourself how you would change the procedure, so it doesn't make you so anxious. Your health care providers might be able to help make those changes, so talk with them.
- Getting the facts can help. For example, if you are worried about pain or discomfort, you can get information on how to manage these conditions.
- Thinking about doing things that are pleasant and relaxing can help to reduce your anxiety.
- Relaxation, a learned skill, can counteract anxiety. It's nearly impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time. Your health care providers can help you learn relaxation techniques.
- Get professional help when needed. If anxiety doesn't improve despite your efforts to reduce it, discuss it with your nurse, doctor or social worker. Clinical social workers can evaluate and treat your anxiety.
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