By Stan Popovich
You go to your doctor for your yearly check-up and your doctor tells you that you have cancer or some other devastating illness. Suddenly, you become overwhelmed with fear and anxiety and do not know what to do.
Here are six tips on what you can do to help ease your fears and anxieties when dealing with an illness.
Get All Of The Facts
The first step you need to do is to get all of the facts regarding your situation from your doctor. Do not rush to conclusions about your sickness. Get all the necessary information and details of your condition from the professionals before rushing to any judgements.
Determine Your Options
Once you get all of the details about your illness, the next step is to go through your options with your doctor. Determine what you can do to get better. It is also recommended that you get a second and third opinion from other doctors. You do not want to rely on one person’s advice when making a life altering decision regarding your health.
Stay Positive
Remain positive and avoid negative thinking if possible. Read some self-help books that have a lot of positive affirmations and statements. Reading these statements can help you to remain positive and replace negative thoughts during your stressful times.
Pray
Prayer works for some individuals. There are many inspirational magazines and books on how people were helped through the power of prayer. Read some articles to get an idea on how effective prayer can be in your life.
Join A Support Group
Try to find a local support group that helps people in your situation. There are many programs out there that provide assistance to you and your loved ones while you are in a midst of a health crisis. Many of these programs are free. Talk to your doctor or a mental health counselor for more information.
Spend Time With Friends
Develop a network of friends and get involved in different social activities. Friends can reduce loneliness and they can give encouragement regarding your situation. A person can also volunteer their time to help others. Volunteering can give you the perspective that there are people out there that are worse off than you.
Stan Popovich is a Penn State graduate and the nationally known anxiety author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear”— an easy-to-read overcoming anxiety book that’s helped thousands of people to confidently manage their persistent fears and anxieties. Stan has over 20 years of personal experience in dealing with fear and anxiety. For more free mental health advice visit Stan’s website at managingfear.com and read Stan’s articles and his blog. The above is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Mr. Popovich is not a medical professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.
