Given the uncertainties triggered by CFS and FM, it’s not surprising that anxiety and worry are common reactions. 

Self-management strategies such as those below are often helpful, but you might also consider professional help and medications. Counseling and therapy can make worries more manageable. Also, anxiety, like depression, can have a physical basis in the biochemistry of the brain. If so, medication may help.

Use Relaxation & Other Stress-Busting Tools

Learning relaxation and other stress reduction techniques helps reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions and, by doing so, reduces the echo effect in which emotions and symptoms amplify one another. 

A regular stress reduction practice can also lower background worry, the ongoing anxiety that results from long-term stress. For step-by-step instructions, see the article Stress Reduction: Five Practical Techniques.

Use Problem Solving

Taking action to solve a problem counteracts helplessness and worry, replacing them with a sense of control and power.

Change Your Thinking

If you have a tendency to think of the worst that might happen, you can take steps to short-circuit the process in which your thoughts increase your anxiety. 

One antidote is to retrain yourself to speak soothingly when worried, saying things like “I’ve been here before and survived” or “this is probably not as bad as it seems.” Also, you can do “reality checks” by testing your fears against facts and by asking for feedback from others. 

You can learn how to recognize and change habitual negative thoughts to be more realistic and more positive. For instructions, see the article Taming Stressful Thoughts.
 

Stay Connected

Simple human contact is often very soothing. Calling a friend or getting together to talk, share a meal or see a movie counteracts isolation, preoccupation with problems and the low mood often associated with chronic illness.

Exercise

Exercise is a natural anti-anxiety agent. It relieves tension, lessens stress and improves mood. For how to exercise safely when you have CFS or FM, see our section on exercise.

Pursue Pleasure

Pleasurable activities offer a distraction from symptoms, counter anxiety, and help create a good mood. Such activities might include reading, music, games or spending time with friends.

Don’t Worry Alone 

The act of sharing a worry almost always reduces its size and emotional weight. Discussion may help you find solutions and almost always makes the worry feel less threatening. 

Putting a worry into words translates it from the realm of imagination into something concrete and manageable. Seek out people who can offer support and reassurance. 
 

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