Many patients report that they develop anxiety due to a very severe disease. But is this the only cause?

In order to reflect on this, I have to go back to my childhood. I consider different situations by reflecting on when I felt fears. These unconsciously return in a time of crisis.

First and foremost is probably the fear of change. For example, when my mother rearranged the furniture for the tenth time and I felt insecure. Also when someone died or had been severely ill and it had been kept from me, but I could sense that something bad had happened, I felt tension.

But how can I deal with the past?

One method is to bring the past into the present, for example, by writing stories, poems, writing a diary and journaling; I also enjoy neurographic drawing, music, meditation, conversation, dancing, and others. I decide what is good for me.

The second cause is the fear of the future. It is often unrealistic, for example, to continuously ask “how long will I live?”. Since it is self-generated fear, nobody knows even if someone is sick or if they will be involved in a tragic accident. How can I reduce irrational kinds of fear?

Mind over matter thinking! I have to take action and plan the future by thinking through different possible scenarios. What do I do when a certain situation occurs? What about medical care in the event of disease? How do I ensure the supply of essential items when I am ill? If the future is regulated, there will be less or no fear. In short, I prepare in advance as much as possible, just like I would prepare if inclement weather was predicted by stocking up on water and non-perishable food.

Fear of the future also arises because of wrong life decisions such as poor relationship choices, career choices or employment relationships. This is particularly painful but if you cannot find a solution like resolution through couples therapy or changing employment or obtaining more schooling, these decisions will follow you all your life.

The third area includes everything that you consider as threatening. This would be physical symptoms that cannot be assigned to the disease, like heart palpitations, panic attacks, adrenal overload. Feeling like you are being expected to do something that contradicts your sense of justice. “Fight or flight” reactions. This list goes on and on, since everyone’s life experience is so varying.

Fear that arises from situations that cannot be explained are met by knowledge by asking questions and seeking answers diligently. Use medical journals, join groups to increase your span of wisdom on the topic. Ask your doctors questions and insist on answers.

Sometimes these fears combine and occur at the same time. Many years ago this lead me to an anxiety-ridden depression which I experienced for five years. And I got over it in the way I described.

What can I do in the here an now?

I also changed my way of life, reviewing existing relationships and making new contacts. I decided to eat more consciously and a very important thing (which is something I had rather avoided before) was becoming active on a regular basis. The emphasis is on being active regularly; I was not taking part in competitive sports!

In summary, these are probably all mindful activities. If every aspect doesn’t work right away, don’t give up! Keep moving forward with small steps because it is a life time process.

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