Anxiety - Cancer related

[Scared2023]

Not sure if this is the right place to post.

13 years ago (almost 14) I had a diagnosis of cancer. Thankfully it was treatable and I’ve been clear since. I had lots of appointments over 5 years and follow ups for a further 5 but since that safetynet has stopped I am struggling with anxiety. I hurt my leg a month ago and panicked for weeks the pain was cancer returning; had a cold the other day and my lymph nodes were up - gone down now - and again panicked it was cancer. Some days it really consumes me and I’m not actually living because I’m so scared of it returning. Any help or advice? Any online courses or anything anyone suggests? I’m up now at 4am as I have a headache and worrying even though I know it’s a hangover from New Year’s Eve alcohol

thanks

A course of CBT really helped my health anxiety.

If you talk to your GP you can get referred on the NHS, but the wait will be long- is private an option?

Congratulations on surviving cancer, make sure you make the most of your life - would be a travesty to waste it on excessive worrying 🌷

Thank you for your caring reply. I struggle at the moment to even think if I magically could get scanned monthly again that I’d believe I’m okay. I’ll definitely get some GP advice. I just struggle as family are sick of me talking about it. I asked DP to feel my lymph node the other day and could see the frustration as they reassured me.

I'm sorry you are struggling with this health anxiety

Even if you could have a monthly CT scan or similar, this wouldn't address your fears

You do need some CBT or similar
This counselling directory will help - it's not as expensive as you might think

Cancer already blighted your life, don't let the fear of it do it again

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/?gadsource=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIovuKibS7gwMV3pFQBh0kNwMJEAAYASAAEgI86PDD_BwE

Thank you I’ve just picked a few from that website and emailed.

It truly is a horrid way to feel, I used to feel the same (without the added fear of actually having had cancer)- please don't just wait for this to resolve itself - you need proper help.

Oh good, I hope you find someone who can help you

It might actually be a surprisingly few sessions

Thank you for all the advice. It’s so hard to appear to keep going around my family when I’m genuinely struggling.

No advice but I think that feeling like you do is entirely understandable and many cancer survivors feel/must have felt the same. Edited to say: hope you find someone to speak to about it.

Thank you. Just feels at the moment like so many years of feeling this way I worry I’ll ever be able to feel any different