The Thing About Cancer: Anxiety During Cancer

Anxiety is an inevitable part of any cancer journey. The patient, the caregiver, the family, and friends, all feel varying amounts of anxiety about different aspects of the treatment and how it affects them. That is expected and even, to some extent, normal. However, if anxiety becomes so aggravated that it prevents us from functioning in our everyday life, it needs to be addressed urgently.

In Episode 2 of ‘The Thing About Cancer’, we speak with Dr Diana Monteiro, an experienced psychologist. We ask her how we can prepare ourselves for cancer-induced anxiety, how we can identify it in ourselves and others, and what practical steps we can take to reduce the anxiety we feel. 

If you find yourself irritable, restless, having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, feeling extremely tired, experiencing muscle tension or having trouble concentrating, you could be suffering from anxiety. There are tried and tested ways that you can use to reduce this anxiety, like meditation, listening to music, connecting with others in a similar situation, reading etc. Also, consider speaking with someone you can trust about what you are experiencing. Watch the video to hear about this, and more, from Dr Monteiro.

If you wish to share your story with us, do write to us on community@onco.com and we will try to help you in whatever way we can.