I’m a world well-known psychologist – listed below are the strategies I used to manage once I had a terrifying most cancers prognosis
A leading psychologist who battled cancer has revealed how to cope with the devastating diagnosis.
Dr Julie Smith, who has more than 10 million followers from around the world on her social media accounts, spoke with Bryony Gordon on her podcast, Life of Bryony, about her cancer journey – and how she broke the news to her young children.
She described how the she handled the fear and anxiety of learning she was seriously ill – particularly at a time which was also a turning point in her career.
Dr Smith was writing her bestselling book, Open When, at the time of her shock diagnosis.
‘I was about six weeks from handing in my manuscript when I found a lump in my breast’, Dr Smith revealed.
‘I just happened to be editing my chapter on fear when I was feeling the most fear I have ever felt in my entire life.
‘I remember telling my children while we were away on holiday. We told them in the car on the way to a theme park.
‘We said: mummy has got this thing and it’s going to turn nasty if she doesn’t get it out.’
Dr Smith is one of the most recognisable mental health educators in the world, amassing a global following of over 10 million people across her various social media accounts.
The psychologist described how she drew upon nearly a decade of clinical experience to help herself cope with the diagnosis.
‘Fear can activate you or it can paralyse you. I was determined to use it to activate me.
‘I knew I couldn’t change the diagnosis, I knew I couldn’t change potentially what the outcome was. Instead, I focused on all those things that could improve the moment.
‘It could have been much worse; if I had dealt with that anxiety and uncertainty in a different way.’
Dr Smith, who is now cancer free, presented Mail columnist and host Bryony Gordon with her professional advice on how to overcome and harness fear to navigate life’s challenges.
She said: ‘People talk about fear as if it’s us getting something wrong, as if it’s a malfunction of the brain. It’s not.
‘When I was going through the diagnosis, I would have thoughts of the worst-case scenario, but I would then make a careful decision to also think of the best-case scenario and some things in-between.
‘Thoughts come and go. They show us how we got stuck, but they also show us the way out.
‘You have to be able to keep things at arm’s length, so you can see them for they truly are.’
Chiming with what her guest was saying, Bryony reflected on her own struggles in breaking the cycle of obsessive-compulsive behaviour and alcoholism.
‘One thing we’re taught when we get sober, is taking a moment. Responding, not reacting.
‘In my case, my first thought is typically something I shouldn’t listen to – my second or third thought is usually something more sensible.
‘I have to take a moment and assess how the situation truly is.’
To listen to the full interview with Dr Julie Smith, search for Life of Bryony wherever you get your podcasts now.
