Anxiety means feeling uncomfortable, worried, or scared about a real or possible situation. It’s important to recognize anxiety and take steps to manage it or prevent it from getting worse.

In general, anxiety is common for patients with a breast cancer diagnosis.

There are a variety of ways to cope with anxiety. Some may work for you, some may not. Try them out and talk with your doctor or a professional counselor to find the best options for you. It is best not to keep feelings of anxiety inside.

• Relaxation techniques. Any of these techniques may be used alone or together with other types of treatment.
  • Deep breathing. This technique involves taking deep breaths in, holding your breath for a few seconds, then slowly exhaling your breath.

  

  • Progressive muscle relaxation. This is a technique that involves tightening and then relaxing all the muscles in your body in a certain order. You can begin at your toes or your head and then slowly relax the muscles across the body.

  • Guided Imagery. This technique uses words and sounds to help you imagine positive and relaxing settings, experiences, and feelings.

  • Meditation. This is a practice of focusing your attention to the present moment so that other stressors in your life do not disturb your peace.

  • Biofeedback. This technique involves paying very close attention to signals in your body so that you can gain control of those signals. For example, your heart rate, your breathing, or tenseness in your face.

    

  • Yoga. Yoga combines breathing with certain stretches or postures that promote relaxation. This is also a form of physical activity and is also considered a form of meditation by some people.

• Psychological Treatment. Mental health professionals include licensed counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists. They provide tools to help you with coping skills, develop a support system, and reshape negative thoughts. Therapy can be individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, or group therapy.

• Medication. If your anxiety symptoms are moderate to severe (in other words, your symptoms are greatly affecting your daily life), you may benefit from medication. Different types of medications are available and are carefully chosen by your doctor by considering your needs, potential side effects, other medications you take, and your medical history.

Sources:

American Cancer Society, 2020. Anxiety.

American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2021. Anxiety.