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Anxiety often is managed simply by learning about the type of cancer you have and what to expect while undergoing treatment. Such knowledge helps you feel more in control of your situation.

Your professional caregivers are trained to screen, assess, prevent, and provide information to help you manage anxiety. Anxiety may be a side effect of some drugs. If a drug is causing the problem, a medication switch can be made.

Poorly controlled pain and even changes in metabolic functions (such as low blood sugar or high blood calcium) also can cause anxiety. The right medications can help resolve these physical problems, which, in turn, can minimize or eliminate anxiety.

Many things can be done to lessen anxiety. The type of treatment depends on how the anxiety is affecting your daily life.

Often, a combination of treatments can help-such as cognitive-behavioral therapy plus changing a medication. The operative word here is "help." Get help from your oncology nurse or other healthcare provider if you experience ongoing anxiety.

Many effective treatments exist for alleviating anxiety when cancer is present.

Most Helpful

You want to know what to expect with your condition and its treatment. Education about cancer, its therapy and management, how to deal with disease-related crises, and how to manage symptoms throughout the course of the disease are highly effective in lowering anxiety.

In addition, the following psychosocial treatments have proven to be very effective.

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a goal-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that helps you recognize and change maladaptive thinking or behaviors.
  • Individual or group counseling sessions can help you work through cancer issues, either individually or with a small group of people in similar circumstances.
  • Psychosocial support links you with hospital-based and community resources, such as cancer survivor support groups.
Likely to Be Helpful

A number of drugs can relieve anxiety symptoms. Your oncologist may recommend specific agents based on your symptoms, the type of cancer you have, and what medications you currently are taking.

Many antidepressants are effective in reducing anxiety symptoms.

Full therapeutic effects may not occur until you have taken the medication for a month or more.

Other antianxiety drugs (benzodiazepines) can be given to calm the activity of your nervous system.

Massage therapy manipulates the body's soft tissues to assist in relaxation, aid in sleep, relieve muscle tension, and diminish cancer-related depression.

 Not Enough Evidence

The medical community hasn't completed enough large studies to show that these recommendations will help most people who try them. 

Many treatments in this category are forms of complementary medicine. Although the techniques may differ, the goal is the same-to calm "over-firing" of the nervous system.

  • Art therapy
  • Distraction techniques
  • Homeopathy
  • Meditation
  • Reflexology
  • Reiki
  • Relaxation therapy
  • Therapeutic touch

In addition, exercise has been proven to reduce stress.

 

Drugs

steroids, some antinausea drugs, bronchodilators, some other drugs

 
 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

type of therapy that teaches you to stop thinking thoughts that make you anxious and to focus on calming images instead

 
 

Antidepressants

drugs that affect the level of one or more neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in the brain and nervous system

 
 

Benzodiazepines

medications that are used to treat anxiety by calming the activity of the nervous system