Anxiety and brain tumours

An expert’s view on anxiety from a brain tumour

We asked Dr Clare Jacobson, Specialist Clinical Psychologist at Guy’s Hospital about anxiety.

“Everyone will react a bit differently to news of a brain tumour, but there’s no right or wrong way – it’s about finding a helpful way,” says Clare.

“Often, after diagnosis, people go into action mode and focus on what they can do, like starting treatment. But after that, there’s an adjustment to living with the effects of the tumour and/or its treatment. That is often when the psychological challenges begin.

“We need to change society’s view that anxiety is something awful to get rid of. Without anxiety we wouldn’t have survived as cavemen. 

“If our ancestors were confronted with a tiger, their fear response released adrenaline to give a burst of energy to fight or escape (the ‘fight or flight’ response), enabling survival.”

When this response is triggered, blood moves away from our digestive organs and head, causing symptoms such as ‘butterflies’, nausea or dizziness, and our hearts pump oxygen more quickly so we’re ready to attack or run. 

But this is less helpful when we can’t solve the problem by fighting or fleeing – we can’t fight medication or run from the scanner.

Without a burst of energy the adrenaline stays in our system, causing the unpleasant sensations we associate with anxiety, such as rapid breathing, pounding heart, shaking, sweating and a general sense of ‘impending doom.’

Clare also points out that the location of a brain tumour could itself cause anxiety, if it’s in a part of the brain that regulates emotions and arousal. “In this case it’s important to understand that anxiety can just be meaningless physical sensations,” she says. 

“You experience similar sensations if you drink too much coffee or you’re out of breath from exercising, but you interpret them within those frameworks, so they don’t activate ‘worry thoughts’ as a result.”

When should you seek help for anxiety?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) classifies anxiety as a set of symptoms experienced for at least two weeks, impairing your functioning in some way – for example, your ability to work, study or manage your house.

Clare says most people know when to seek help. “You’re the expert on how much distress you’re in. You’ll know when it’s impacting enough on your quality of life to be a significant problem,” she says. 

“Anxiety can impact your mood, sleep, appetite, relationships, libido – almost every aspect of life. On top of that, people often judge themselves negatively for experiencing anxiety, and that can activate low mood. These are signs to notice if you think someone may be experiencing anxiety.” 

To get help, Clare suggests contacting your GP or searching online for Talking Therapies services in your area.

Can you learn to live with anxiety?

You may have to accept that there will be times you’ll feel anxious, such as waiting for scan results (known as ‘scanxiety’). 

Clare advises, “Don’t let the presence of anxiety itself make you believe there must be something wrong. Try to accept anxiety as part of life. Allow it into the room and accept that it’ll take up space. 

Sometimes it’ll feel huge and overwhelming and that’s okay – it can’t stay that big forever. At other times it’ll shrink down to the size of a peanut. You’re in a relationship with anxiety, it’s not a part of you. 

Think of it as the uninvited party guest who you have to tolerate and try out different ways of relating to.”

Coping with anxiety