This article by Zach Norton from Maven Imaging, explains what Carcinophobia is, and gives us 7 helpful tips to try and deal with the fear of a recurrence
Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash
Let’s face it, a diagnosis of cancer is scary. If you’ve battled bladder cancer in the past, your biggest fear is getting cancer again. Those tiny aches or increased fatigue can bring on a wave of worry.
It can seem difficult to overcome this worry of developing cancer. Through this article, we will explore a few ways to tackle those cancer-related fears.
Carcinophobia is the fear of getting cancer. This fear may particularly develop among those who have survived cancer or watched someone suffer through the disease. One study found that women, individuals with less education, and ethnic minorities are more likely to develop carcinophobia.
That being said, most of us struggle with the fear of getting a disease. This fear can be relatively normal and even influence healthier habits. However, with carcinophobia, people observe a notable increase in anxiety about getting cancer.
Carcinophobia can result in anxiety symptoms and unhealthy thoughts about cancer throughout the day. This may leave individuals unable to complete everyday tasks and enjoy their activities and hobbies.
While in a constant state of fear, people often opt for extreme measures in terms of daily routines and diets to evade their risk of cancer. Many may also request regular medical tests and checkups just to ensure that a new tumor has not developed.
Dealing with specific phobias can be debilitating. Fortunately, people can overcome carcinophobia through simple routine changes and help from a health care provider.
Take the first step today, and don’t let fear control your life
Learn how to overcome carcinophobia with the following seven tips:
1. Identify the Source of Your Anxiety
Excessive scrolling through social media, watching movies with cancer as the theme, and searching cancer on Google can fuel anxiety.
For those who have previously battled cancer, scanxiety can play a significant role in the development of carcinophobia. Scanxiety is the fear cancer patients experience before, during, and after scans, such as X-ray, MRI, CAT, and ultrasound scans.
Identifying your source of carcinophobia can be the first step to tackling your fear. Eliminate habits that increase anxiety whenever possible. For scanxiety, relay your concerns to your doctor to allow for more structured meetings before testing.
2. Schedule Time for Worry
This can seem counterproductive for someone who is already plagued with worry. But scheduling time to worry can help structure your thoughts.
Is your carcinophobia increasing due to the movie you watched last night, or is it because your doctor recommended a CT urogram?
Taking 20 to 30 minutes a day to break down such thoughts can help pinpoint why your worry has escalated. It will also help assess whether there is something you can do about your anxiety. Finding actionable ways to diminish worries without dismissing them is a great way to combat carcinophobia.
3. Build a Healthy Daily Routine
A simple healthy routine can help negate several risk factors for cancer. Eating a nutritionally balanced diet, quitting smoking, and minimizing alcohol consumption can significantly reduce your cancer risk.
Exercise is another important factor that plays a significant role in reducing cancer development and easing carcinophobia. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity can decrease the risk of cancer.
Incorporate at least 150 minutes of moderate activity (e.g., yoga, brisk walking, golfing) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (e.g., running, swimming, soccer) per week.
4. Stay Away From Dr. Google
While the internet is an excellent resource for learning about the latest cancer research and breakthrough treatment options, it can add to your carcinophobia.
Among the numerous free symptom checkers available online, constipation and headaches are frequently named the most common symptoms of cancer. There are so many causes for these symptoms, most of them harmless, making symptom checkers a destructive tool.
The American Cancer Society warns against blindly following information online, especially regarding cancer. Such information often comes from various sources, including the general public, cancer interest groups, and not-so-friendly scam artists.
5. Work Through Worry as It Comes
Once you have recognized your fear, try finding ways to work through these thoughts.
Consider keeping yourself busy with hobbies you enjoy or volunteering in your local community. You could also join a pilates class or call a close friend for a chat. If you notice certain moments in the day that increase your anxiety, find specific activities to help you evade thoughts of worry.
Calming methods, such as breathing exercises and meditation techniques, can help manage worry. These have been proven effective for calming anxious symptoms like increased heart or breathing rates.
6. Enlist Community Support
It can be challenging to overcome carcinophobia since every new ache or twinge can feel like the recurrence of cancer. With the ongoing check-ups bladder cancer patients face, the anxiety of cancer coming back is all too common.
This fear can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be dealt with alone. Today, there are many support groups for individuals who have battled various forms of cancer. Sharing and listening to stories on the fight against cancer can provide a sense of safety, support, and community.
7. Seek Professional Help When Needed
Specific phobias, such as carcinophobia, can be effectively treated with psychological counseling. Discussing your concerns with a healthcare professional can often provide a new perspective on your fear of cancer. They can break down what is causing your phobia and teach healthy coping mechanisms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify which fears are excessive and learn more realistic ways to deal with them whenever they come up. Prescription anxiety medications have also proven beneficial in dealing with carcinophobia.
Feeling scared or anxious about getting cancer is natural, especially if you have battled it before. Overcoming carcinophobia may seem daunting, but it is possible with the right steps and support.
Identifying the source of your anxiety, building a healthy daily routine, staying away from Google, working through worry as it comes, enlisting community support, and seeking professional help when needed are all effective ways to combat this fear.
Remember, overcoming carcinophobia is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it may take time and effort. But with the right mindset, support, and resources, you can conquer this fear and focus on living a healthy, happy life. Take the first step today, and don’t let fear control your life.