My life has changed a lot this year, with so many challenges and hardships. Recently, I have started developing a fear of getting cancer, and it feels overwhelming, almost like an end point. I hate thinking this way because I genuinely want to stay positive and keep working toward my betterment.
I don’t understand where this fear of disease comes from, but it has become very distressing. Whenever I see posts or articles about cancer, I immediately feel anxious and afraid. What upsets me most is that I know fear and chronic stress are harmful to the body, and yet I feel stuck in this loop of worry.
I want to break free from this mindset and find a way to think more positively, calmly, and rationally. ATP I also need therapy (which I can’t afford now), but for the time being, I am looking for a book that can help me reframe these thoughts and support a healthier, more hopeful outlook on life.
by Blessed_bish
3 Comments
I think therapy books would be more helpful but I don’t know any. So for now I’ll recommend Relax, Dammit by Timothy Caulfield.
I will begin by saying that therapy is your best resource when the time comes that you can afford it. That said, there are some good books, you’re describing something that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is perfect for. As a mental health nurse, I always recommend Feeling Good by David Burns, MD. Learning about cognitive distortions will truly help you to gain a more rational perspective on these fears. The books can look a little daunting, but I usually just recommend people read the first 50ish pages to learn about cognitive distortions and then focus on the chapters aimed at particular issues (like anxiety).
Another book I highly recommend is How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson. It explores stoic philosophy and works in principles of CBT throughout.
Hi, I’m not sure which book would be good, however I did want to say that I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, and in most cases, it’s very treatable. The survival rates have drastically increased for many types of cancer along with the advances in treatments. Maybe this doesn’t help, as anxiety isn’t always a rational thing (I deal with that, too), but once I was in treatment I had less anxiety than I did before. I have gravitated more towards macabre and thriller-suspense type books the past few years, but not any dealing with cancer. I think it might be good to try that as a distraction? Here are a few like that- Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.