I am sorry to learn about your situation. It does sound like this is a difficult and frightening time for you.
Everyone copes with a cancer diagnosis differently; there is no one right way to deal with it.
People can experience a whole range of emotions there’s really no right or wrong way to feel. But we know that talking can often relieve some of the distress and anxiety.
Many people benefit from counselling. If you would like to access counselling services it may be possible for you to receive NHS counselling, but how long the waiting list is will vary from area to area. The NHS website has information about accessing NHS counselling.
The hospital where you are being treated may have a cancer information and support centre, sometimes these are run by the hospital or Macmillan Cancer Support.
Maggies can provide support and information to people affected by cancer. Many of their centres have trained psychologists who can provide one-to-one or group counselling. You do not need to live near a centre. They can provide support over the phone.
The cancer care mapalso lists local support and smaller charities or organisations who also may be able to help.
Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
I suffer the same anxiety and insomnia. I'm not by nature a worrier or anxious person, but this disease does get to me at times and the demons seem to come at night. By daybreak and morning coffee a more balanced perspective returns but am exhausted for rest of the day from lack of sleep. Nurse Tina has provided some good advice worth following up. Talking to other people about it seems to help, for me anyway. I have supportive friends and family too. However the anxiety is mine and remains.
Cheers Ed, much the same I’ve always been very laid back. Run my own business for forty years through thick and thin. Hard to adjust to being pretty much helpless when you’ve been the strong one. Luckily like you I have great family and friends. Hopefully when our heads hit the pillow at some point we’ll find some peace.
You are doing absolutely fine with your computer skills. Like you Ive run my business all my life. Good years bad years. Good decisions and some disterous ones. But always dealt with whatever situation arose. Always resilient and self reliant Now with cancer Im finding it harder to cope. I still do some physical work each day and deal with day to day admin.
Ive had a good look at what causes me anxiety. It is not the cancer or treatment or the end outcome. It is trying to tie up all the ends of my life so they are not a major problem for my family. Contractual obligations tax planning complicated financial arrangements etc. And doing this through a thick fog in my brain. The personal bits like arranging funeral power of attorney making a will clearing out personal possessions has been easy. Cancer cetainly upends life in unexpected ways.
