How cancer survivors can navigate health anxiety during times of uncertainty
This article discusses how cancer survivors experience heightened anxiety during global crises, offering insights into mindset shifts and embracing inevitable life changes.
Takeaways:
Global healthcare crises evoke familiar feelings of vulnerability and loss of control for immunocompromised cancer patients.
Cancer survivors already possess valuable experience in isolation, germ precautions, and navigating health uncertainty.
Sensory overload from news and social media can trigger dormant medical trauma and health anxiety.
Reframing focus toward what remains rather than what was lost helps foster adaptability during major life disruptions.
The last time I wrote an article, COVID-19 was not something we were so worried about in the United States. It was just something we were watching unfold in China and Italy, but in a blink of an eye, it started to unfold in New York City.
I think a lot of us, myself included, thought that this was not that big of a deal—we are a powerful country with some of the most advanced healthcare systems. As I saw one of America’s beautiful cities start to crumble and the death toll start to rise, so did my and my fellow cancer survivors’ anxiety.
Why do global crises trigger past cancer trauma?
Maybe it is because global crises, a little like cancer, are so unknown. You do not know who is going to get sick, how it will affect you, or if you will survive. These are the exact same thoughts that a cancer patient goes through during the first days of hearing "you have cancer."
What type of treatment will I have?
How aggressive is it?
How will I survive?
It is scary at first with all the "what ifs." Cancer survivors already understand what it means to "shelter in" and stay away from people and germs.
When going through treatments, your white blood cells are low, so you must be extra cautious since your immune system is already compromised. It was like we already had inside information on how to get through a lockdown as the world shut down around us.
How do you manage sensory overload and health anxiety?
For me personally, I did what I always do and jumped into action. I set up online yoga and spin classes to keep my health and mindset above the line because I knew in the back of my mind that we were in this for the long haul. My friends were hopeful that this would be over in a few weeks.
Then days turned into weeks, and as reality set in, months passed. Hope turned to fear, and fear turned to anxiety for many. Social media outlets bred worry, doubt, and anger. Breakdowns of friendships occurred in plain view. Heated tensions rose.
With news outlets talking about health threats daily and social media amplifying conflict, our cancer community was scared to leave home, fearful of death once more. All of this created sensory overload in my heart. Everyone has a valid reason for fear of the unknown.
How do you cultivate the courage to accept change?
Months later, as we wait and see what happens with fears and anxiety running high, life presents another long pause. It is an opportunity to take a real look at what is most important, step back, and enjoy the present moment—or re-evaluate your future.
If you can change your mindset to see what you have been given versus what has been taken away, it becomes easier to accept change and pivot toward what your future looks like.
Only time will tell, but ask yourself: Do you have the courage to embrace change? Because one thing is for sure—change is inevitable.
xo Shay
Learn more about embracing vulnerability and mental well-being during seasons of high stress.
You don't have to navigate this alone.
High-stress global events can easily resurface anxiety from your treatment journey. Let our community provide a grounded, safe environment for you to reset. Connect with our virtual and in-person survivor support groups today.