How a Scary Diagnosis Taught Me to Cope With Stressful Uncertainty

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Studies have shown that exerting control over your situation proactively can help relieve the stress associated with waiting. As helpful methods for quelling anxiety, research participants waiting for medical-test results have cited familiarizing themselves with their insurance policies, researching the best doctor to see, and investigating what clinical trials are available, even before they received a diagnosis.

It can also be useful to look for silver linings in bad news before it arrives. Kate Sweeny, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, who studies so-called high-stakes waiting periods, calls that “pre-emptive benefit finding” or “predemption.”

In one study, Sweeny asked people undergoing a breast biopsy, “Is there any good you can imagine that might come out of it, if you find out you have breast cancer?” Although Sweeny worried the question might be insulting to even ask, roughly three-quarters of the participants said, yes, they could envision such a thing. Appreciating their family more, being a role model for their children and getting healthier were among the positive outcomes; articulating these possibilities helped them cope while waiting for their results.

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