Anxiety at a glance
Anxiety—a general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease—is common among people with cancer. Identifying and managing anxiety may be important parts of your cancer treatment plan. Triggers include fear, uncertainty, and conflict. Symptoms of anxiety include excessive worrying, restlessness, agitation, difficulty concentrating, and more. Anxiety is linked to worse inflammation—a body terrainthe internal conditions of your body, including nutritional status, fitness, blood sugar balance, hormone balance, inflammation and more factor linked to cancer—and cancer outcomes.
Several self-care practices and complementary therapies can help you manage anxiety. Those with the best evidence of effectiveness are listed here. Anxiety may also be a symptom of stress. If stress is contributing to your anxiety, managing your stress will be important in reducing it.
Top practices and therapies for managing anxiety
The effects of these practices and therapies on anxiety are described on What approaches can help you manage anxiety? ›
Therapies and practices we have reviewed
Further therapies
Therapies recommended in clinical practice guidelines but that we haven’t yet reviewed; see guidelines ›
Hypnosis
Meditation
Music therapy and other forms of expressive arts therapies
Psychosocial therapies:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM)
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
- Supportive/expressive therapy
More therapies are listed on What approaches can help you manage anxiety? ›
Seek professional help if needed. Diagnoses such as anxiety can require therapy from trained practitioners for management. We encourage you to explore the options available to you through your cancer team and others. Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health.