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Normal to have anxiety about leaving home?

Page last modified on: September 11, 2008

Question from Carol: I have anxiety about leaving my house and going out. I am 6 months post treatment and getting more and more "homebound." Is this common, and is there something I can do to help me get back to "normal"?: Answers —Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: I have seen this happen quite often with patients at the Breast Center where I work. People come from all over the world to be treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and during treatment they talk about their eagerness to return home. However, when treatment is finished, they're often apprehensive about going so far away from their treatment center. Anxiety is often heightened when treatment is finished because you're no longer protected by medication and the constant attention of the medical staff. With time, this anxiety goes away. Life just intrudes, forces people to return to the life they had before, and that increased anxiety diminishes.; Diane Thompson, M.D.: I agree with Roz that this usually gets better with time, but not in every case. If you find that you are spending more and more time in your home, or experience panic or anxiety attacks when you leave home or try to leave, then it is very important to let your physician know about this. If this is disabling, there are certainly treatments that can be helpful. Both medication and/or talk therapy may be necessary.

On Wednesday, March 19, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Overcoming Depression. Rosalind Kleban, M.S.W., Diane S. Thompson, M.D., and Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about medication and lifestyle changes that can ease depression along with to put hope, fun, and pleasure back into your life during and after breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. is administrative supervisor for psychosocial programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Lauder Breast Center in New York City, where she leads weekly support groups for women with early and advanced breast cancer.

Diane S. Thompson, M.D. is director of clinical research at Queen's Medical Center and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.