Being diagnosed with any serious illness can lead you down a long and bumpy road. Even if you have suspected long before you got a firm diagnosis, having your doctor say “You have cancer” or “You have MS” or “You have COPD” can be a tremendous shock. It certainly was for me.
A diagnosis of that kind tends to turn your life upside down initially. Suddenly you have so many things to consider, or in my case, worry about. What will this mean for me, short-term and long-term? How will this affect my family? Will I be able to work? What happens if I can’t take care of myself? What kinds of treatment are available to me? Will I be able to afford those treatments? Will I have to deal with a lot of pain? The list of questions goes on and on, and it’s easy to find yourself in a situation where there are so many things to think about that you can’t concentrate on any one of them.
When I received my cancer diagnosis, I was shocked, angry and deeply saddened. I knew that I had lots of things that I needed to take care of, so many that I found myself taking long naps in order to escape my reality.
My mind was constantly spinning from one thing to another, which meant that I never really spent the time that I needed to on any one issue. The issues that go along with major illness are very difficult to think about, a big part of which has to do with facing your own mortality.
At first I resisted tapping about how overwhelmed I was. I didn’t want to think about all those painful issues. The book “Even Though I Have Cancer” by Emma Roberts really turned things around for me. Reading all the insightful things that Emma had to say, as well as her lovely tapping scripts gave me a different perspective and moved me to start tapping. Tapping bought me the peace of mind that I hadn’t had since my diagnosis.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed too, I’m hoping that the tapping script below will help. It can also easily be modified for dealing with overwhelm not related to illness.
Tapping Script for Overwhelm
Setup – Karate chop:
- Even though I feel like my life is spiraling out of control, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though my illness is making my life so complicated that I don’t know how to deal with it, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though I’m completely overwhelmed right now, I’m open to the idea that this situation can change for the better, and I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Reminder phrases:
Eyebrow: I’m sick, and that has turned my life upside down
Outside eye: I feel like I have no control over my own life
Under eye: I’m so overwhelmed that I don’t know which way to turn
Under nose: I can’t seem to get a handle on things, and that makes me feel worse
Chin: How can I concentrate on healing when I can’t think straight?
Collar bone: I need to focus on myself right now
Under arm: Maybe I can get rid of this feeling of overwhelm
Top of head: And find a place of peace and healing.
Eyebrow: That feeling of overwhelm keeps me from functioning
Outside eye: I’m ready to start letting go of that feeling
Under eye: Breathing out the overwhelm with every exhale
Under nose: And breathing in peace with every breath that I take
Chin: Releasing those feeling of confusion
Collar bone: Taking back control of my life
Under arm: I choose to be in a calm and healing place
Top of head: And I’m moving toward that place right now.
Eyebrow: I’m breathing in peace and relaxation
Outside eye: And I feel that sense of peace settling over my body
Under eye: My muscles are becoming more and more relaxed
Under nose: As I let go of more of the overwhelm and confusion
Chin: Letting go of the last of the overwhelm
Collar bone: And embracing a positive attitude about my health
Under arm: Now that I feel calm and in control, I can take better care of me
Top of head: I love being in this place of relaxation and healing.