Illness and being in hospital

Feeling anxious about your health

Being ill or going into hospital can bring up lots of different feelings, and it’s natural to have questions. You might feel worried about:

having to stay in hospital
things hurting or being uncomfortable
whether things will change or be different for you
what will happen in the future
what other people might say or think.

If you’re struggling with how you’re feeling or anything else, you can speak to a Childline counsellor about anything that’s happening. If you're living with cancer then you can get support from the Teenage Cancer Trust.

5 ways to feel calmer:

use the Coping Kit to find distractions, things to do and ways to feel less alone
go to the Calm Zone for help with breathing techniques
talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling
take a walk or do some exercise if you can
draw or write to express yourself.

Coping with hospital and treatment

It can feel scary thinking about staying in hospital, receiving treatment, or having a procedure. But you don’t have to cope alone.

It’s important to make sure you know who’s there to support you in your medical team. Remember that you can ask questions any time about what’s happening, even if you’ve asked it before.

Whatever’s happening, there’s advice that can help:

Preparing to go into hospital

Whether you’re going for an outpatient appointment or you’re being admitted to hospital, it can help to be prepared.

It can help to take:

something to do while you’re waiting
a charger for your device
any letters or information the hospital will need about you
your toothbrush and things to shower with if you're staying overnight.

You can check with your medical team about anything you’re not sure about and ask an adult you trust if you need help.

It can help to write down a list of questions or worries before you go into hospital, you can share this with your medical team to help them support you.

Asking questions

It’s always okay to ask questions, even when you’ve asked them before. Sometimes it can help to write down any questions as you think of them so you don’t forget to ask.

You might want to ask about:

your diagnosis and treatment
what will happen next, or how long things will take
what different words mean
who will be with you at different times
where to go for support if you need it.

It can be tempting to look online for answers as well. This is always okay, but you should always check anything you’ve seen online with your medical team.

Coping with anxiety

Lots of people feel anxious or scared about going into hospital or having treatment. You could feel worried about what might happen, or whether it’ll feel uncomfortable or hurt.

If you’re feeling anxious about what’s about to happen, it can help to:

Let your feelings out
There are lots of ways to let your feelings out. You might want to try saying how you’re feeling, getting creative or writing things down.
Use your breathing
If you’re feeling anxious then it’s natural for your heart rate to go up, and you may feel shaky or tense. This will pass, and using breathing techniques can help you feel more in control and slow things down.
Distract yourself
Whether it’s playing a game on your phone or doing something you enjoy, it can help to keep your mind busy on something completely different. The hospital might have things you can try, or we’ve got ideas to get you started.
Ask questions
Make a list of questions about the procedure to show your nurse or doctor. You can also ask them to show you exactly what they’ll be doing or for them to practice with you.
Take your time
If you need a few minutes to breathe and slow things down, that’s okay. You can also make your own choices about who comes with you while different things are happening.
Tell someone if it gets too much
If things are getting too much or you just don’t want to cope alone then it can help to talk. You can speak to a Childline counsellor any time, or ask for help from someone you trust.

Get more advice on coping with anxiety.

Feeling worried about needles or procedures

Lots of young people tell us they’re worried about needles and procedures, whether it’s for their treatment, a vaccination or when someone needs to take a blood sample.

If you’re worried about needles or other procedures, there are things that can help:

tell the person who’s caring for you about your worries
use your breathing and other relaxation techniques to help before and during the procedure
some people prefer to look away while it’s happening, so it can help to plan something to do during the procedure, like playing a game
think about what’s helped in the past, and whether it’ll help again
plan something fun to do afterwards and focus on that.

Here are 5 things you can do during your procedure or injection:

Focus on your breathing
Play a game, listen to music or watch a video on your phone
Count backwards from 500 in 7s (e.g. 500, 493, 486, etc.)
Sort the days of the week into alphabetical order
Count all of the blue things in the room

Getting help with your treatment

There may be things you feel worried or uncertain about with your treatment, for example:

taking medication, like tablets or having injections
having procedures, like x-rays, changing your dressing, etc.
coping with side effects
understanding your treatment plan, and what you need to do and when.

Your doctors, nurses and medical team are there to help you with anything you’re worried or unsure about. Remember that you can always ask questions, even if you’ve asked before.

It can help to check where you can go for support in the future, and when people will be available to help.

Photograph of three young people sat in a park.

can't stop
worrying

You don't have to cope alone if you're feeling anxious, we're here to help

Waiting for a diagnosis

It can sometimes take time for your doctor or medical team to fully understand what’s happening. You might need to repeat things to different people and have different tests.

It can feel frustrating not having an answer, upsetting when it’s having an impact on your life or leave you feeling like you don’t have any control.

We’re here to support you while you’re waiting, and you can talk to a Childline counsellor at any time during your diagnosis and treatment. As well as talking to us, it might help to:

talk to your doctor or someone you trust to find out what’s happening
spend time with people you care about and your friends whenever you can
speak to a teacher you trust about getting help with schoolwork, if you need it
always check any information you find online with your medical team.

Teenage boy sat at a table with a parent

Visiting your doctor

Dr Ranj answers your questions about seeing a doctor.

Illustration of a young girl walking through a door into an enchanted world.

Calm zone

If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious, we've got calming activities that can help.

Living with illness and injuries

Learning to live with a long-term illness or injury can take time. Everyone is different. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to cope alone.

Coping when you feel low

Long-term illness can be a lot to cope with. Lots of people have times when they might experience low mood because of it. You might be struggling with your feelings after your diagnosis, during your treatment, or the feelings might come out of nowhere.

Low mood is something that can affect lots of people. If your feelings are having a negative impact on your life then it’s important to get support.

If you’re feeling low, you can always talk to us. It can help to visit your doctor as well so they can support you. It can help to use our mental health first aid kit to make a plan for how to cope when things are tough, including if you’ve been struggling with suicidal feelings or self-harm.

Get more advice on coping with depression.

Asking for support

It’s not always easy to ask for help, especially when something has been going on for a while, but there are things that can help it feel easier:

Think about who to ask for help
It could be your friends, family, a teacher, or someone in your medical team.
Find a good time to talk
If you can, find a time when you can talk privately or won’t be distracted. Sometimes it can help to ask someone you trust for a time to talk so they’re not distracted.
Write things down
It can be hard to say things out loud, so writing things down and sharing them with someone you trust may feel easier.
Speak to us
Whatever’s happening, you can speak to Childline about it as much as you need to. Our counsellors can help you to think about ways to cope and feel more confident.

Get more advice on asking an adult for help.

Keeping active

When an illness of injury has affected your life or your ability to do things, you may worry about the future and being able to do things. It might affect your confidence or how you feel about yourself.

It can take time to understand your own limits. Your medical team is there to help you. It’s important to:

give yourself time
remember that you don’t have to cope alone
keep doing things you enjoy, even if you need help
tell people when it’s hard.

If you’re struggling to cope or things are feeling hopeless, you can always talk to your medical team, an adult you trust, or to Childline.

Setting goals for the future

Having goals can give you something to aim for. It’s important to talk to your medical team about your goals to help them support you.

Try setting small goals with someone you trust for a week, a month and a year. If a goal turns out to be too easy or too difficult, that’s okay. You can change your goals any time you need to.

Remember, a good goal is SMART:

Specific – Instead of saying you want to exercise more, try saying that you want to walk more or start playing football.
Measurable – Think about how you’ll know when you’ve met your goal. Decide what counts as success to you.
Achievable – Be realistic and honest with yourself. Sometimes it can be better to set a goal to go walking twice a week than to say you’ll run a marathon.
Relevant – Your goals have to be something you want. Think about what’s important to you.
Timed – Set yourself a time limit, it could be a week or a month. Remember that the time you set yourself has to be realistic.

Feeling upset, overwhelmed or having difficult memories

When something very difficult has happened or you’ve experienced something very distressing, there are lots of ways our body responds. You might notice:

you’re having lots of thoughts and memories about what happened
you’re trying not to think about what happened
feeling numb or like you have no feelings about what happened
feeling upset or remembering what happened when you’re not expecting it
feeling like you have to be ‘on guard’ or alert to danger
you’re struggling with your sleep or concentration.

It’s natural to have these feelings, and it’s part of our body’s way of responding to difficult experiences. For most people this will pass in time, but sometimes it can go on for much longer.

It’s important to get help and support if this is happening to you. It’s always okay to talk about these feelings, and we’ve got lots of advice that can help.

Worrying about someone else

It can feel scary or upsetting seeing someone you care about get ill or knowing that they’re going through a difficult time.

There are lots of things you can do that could help:

Remember that it’s not all on you
Being a good friend can be a big help, but it’s important to remember that it’s not all your responsibility. It can help to talk to an adult you trust about someone you're worried about.
Help them to get support
You could help your friend speak to someone, get support or talk to Childline.
Listen to them
Asking someone how they’re feeling and listening to them can make a big difference to someone. Remember that people might not always be ready to talk, but it’s okay to let them know you’re there for them.
Spend time together
Spending time doing things you both enjoy can be a good distraction and a reminder that things can feel positive.
Help them ask questions
Remind the person you care about that they can ask questions if they need to, and help them to write down anything they want to ask about.
Ask for help when you need it
Supporting someone else can be a big responsibility, if you’re not sure what to do, you’re struggling or need to talk then you can always speak to Childline.