Anxiety and terminal illness

You may experience anxiety if you’re living with a terminal illness, or you’re close to someone who is. Anxiety is a natural response to the uncertainty, fear, and loss of control you may be feeling. On this page, we talk about ways to manage anxiety, get support, and how to support someone else with anxiety.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear. In the short term, it helps us be alert and ready to act if we’re feeling under threat. But if you’re feeling like this a lot of the time, then it may affect how you live day to day.

Having anxiety may make it harder for you to cope with your illness or health condition. Or, if you’re close to someone with a terminal illness, it may feel harder to be there for them.

Different people can have different symptoms. If you’re living with a terminal illness, some symptoms may be overlooked as being part of your illness. But if something does not feel right, speak to your doctor or nurse.

Anxiety symptoms can include changes in both your body and mind.

Changes in your body:

Changes in your mind:

It’s natural to feel anxious if you’re feeling uncertain about the future. There are many reasons why someone might feel anxious. You may have anxiety about death and dying. Or you may be worried about losing control. Some people are anxious about what will happen to the people close to them, or about finances and plans. You might not know what’s making you feel anxious – or there might be lots of different things contributing to your feelings of worry.

Worries can build up over time, or come on suddenly. You might find that you feel different levels of anxiety at different times. It’s natural for feelings to change over time or when things in your life change.

Anxiety can come from not knowing:

It’s natural to feel worried because of uncertainty of what the future will look like.

Anxiety can come from a fear of losing control of what’s happening. You might be worried about not having control over:

Sometimes, it can help to focus on the things that are still in your control today.

Anxiety can come from having to think about future care plans, or managing affairs. You might feel worried about needing to put a Power of Attorney in place, make a Will, or think about a funeral. Making plans like this can feel time consuming and emotionally draining. But making plans ahead of time can help you feel more in control.

You do not have to cope with anxiety on your own.

If anxiety is affecting your day-to-day life, speak to your doctor about treatment and support. There are things you can do that can help you manage anxiety and that support your wellbeing.

Your doctor may refer you to a specialist for more support. This might be a psychologist, psychiatrist, counsellor or specialist nurse.

You can ask your GP about being referred for psychological therapy. Or you may be able to refer yourself by contacting local NHS services directly. These services are usually free. But you may need to wait to get an appointment.

You can also to pay to see a counsellor privately. This is usually quicker.

Some people find self-help resources help them to manage their anxiety. This can include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) techniques, or mindfulness.

There are also apps that some people find helpful for dealing with symptoms of anxiety. Search for trusted mental health apps on Mind app library.

If your anxiety is severe and is affecting your wellbeing, your GP may prescribe medication.

Types of medication that can be prescribed for anxiety include:

Doing physical activity regularly can help reduce anxiety. It can also lessen other symptoms caused by terminal illness and caring, such as fatigue. It might also help alongside other ways to manage anxiety, like talking therapies.

You may have good days and bad days, so just do what you feel you can do. Any type of movement counts. It may be going for a short walk or gentle exercises in bed.

Practise mindfulness or meditation.

Try to avoid:

Ask your doctor or nurse about complementary therapies that may help with relaxation and managing feelings of anxiety.

Support groups are a way to meet people going through similar experiences and can help with feelings of anxiety and depression. You can find out about local support groups through organisations like Anxiety UK.

You may find it helpful to speak to others going through similar things on an online forum.

Sometimes, you might need to manage your anxiety straight away. Here are some things that might help relieve some of the physical feelings of anxiety in the moment. Everyone is different. Do what feels right for you.

Anxiety can affect you as a family member, friend or carer. It’s natural to feel worried about the future, the person’s illness, or how you will cope.

The person’s healthcare team is there to support you too. Speak to someone about how you’re feeling. You might find it helpful to ask the person’s healthcare team to:

Carers, family members and friends might worry about:

This feeling of anxiety is sometimes called anticipatory grief. This is where you have feelings of grief while the person is alive. It might feel like sadness, fear or panic.

Many people experience anticipatory grief. It’s a natural reaction when someone’s illness is having an effect on your life. It can impact your wellbeing. So, it’s important to look after yourself, and get support.

If you’re a carer, family member or friend of someone with anxiety, you may want to understand how best to help them.

People cope with anxiety in different ways. Some people prefer to sit and talk, while others need practical help.

Knowing what’s causing someone’s anxiety, can help you find the best way of supporting them. Find out what support is available locally by asking their healthcare team or visiting the NHS website.

People with anxiety often say it helps them when they feel listened to. Here are some tips for talking to someone about their anxiety:

If anxiety is affecting someone’s daily life, their GP may be able to help. You could ask the person if you can contact their GP for support on their behalf. GPs may suggest medicines or psychological treatment. They can also suggest self-help resources and local support services.

If someone’s anxiety is caused by practical problems, such as money or housing, other professionals, such as social workers or legal professionals may be able to help.

Some people may seek comfort from a spiritual or faith leader.

Most people feel low or sad some of the time. But if these feelings last for weeks or months and start to affect your daily life, it could be depression.

Life-limiting and terminal illnesses cause changes that can be hard to deal with. You may feel sad that you’re no longer able to do things you’d planned. You might feel a loss of who you were before the illness, or a loss of your normal routine or activities. These feelings can affect people living with an illness as well as the people around them.

If you’re struggling with these feelings, speak to your GP. They may recommend things like talking therapies, medication, support groups, and self-help techniques. You might also be able to get support through your local hospital or hospice.

If you’re having suicidal thoughts, or feel like you need urgent help, it’s important to tell someone. Speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

To speak to someone in an emergency call the Samaritans free helpline on 116 123. It’s available 24 hours a day. Or for medical help, call 111 or your out-of-hours GP service.