Can't sleep while waiting for a biopsy, MRI or blood test result? Read practical ways to ease anxiety while waiting for test results during the uncertain days.
When the doctor says, "Let's take a biopsy, the result will be out within ten days," you nod. As you leave the hospital and walk to the car park, those ten days stretch out ahead of you like an endless corridor. In the evening you open e-Nabız (Turkey's online personal health record), then the hospital's app, then e-Nabız again. You wake at three in the morning and stare at the ceiling thinking, "What if it's bad?" If a bayram (religious holiday) break falls in between, or the result is delayed because the pathology department is busy, the wait stretches out even further. For many people, the period of waiting for test results is even more exhausting than the result itself. Because during this time you can neither face bad news and take action, nor relax and get back to your life. In this article I will look at the effect of the waiting period on the mind and body, what helps and what does not during these days, and ways of making the uncertain days a little more liveable.
Why Is the Anxiety of Waiting for Test Results So Exhausting?
The human mind does not like uncertainty. Even bad news can sometimes feel more bearable than uncertainty, because once the news is known, what needs to be done is clear too. During the waiting period, however, the mind swings between two possibilities and tries to prepare for both at once. This means being constantly on alert.
Research also points to the fact that people can experience more intense stress in the face of an uncertain threat than in the face of a certain one. In other words, the state of "I don't know yet" can feel heavier than the state of "I know." This does not show that you are weak, but is a natural consequence of the way the mind copes with uncertainty.
The length of the wait also determines the burden. While a blood test result can come within a few hours, biopsy and pathology results can sometimes take days or even weeks. In addition, a repeat test requested "for monitoring purposes" after some investigations means the wait is extended by another round. This repeat, which is a routine procedure for the doctor, often means "So they saw something" to the person waiting, and restarts the anxiety. That is why openly asking your doctor why the repeat test has been requested prevents the mind from filling the gap with its own scenarios.
Symptoms Experienced While Waiting for Results
During this period, many people experience the following:
- Being unable to fall asleep, waking frequently in the night, waking very early in the morning and being unable to get back to sleep
- Loss of appetite or, on the contrary, snacking non-stop
- Difficulty concentrating; not taking in what you read, drifting off in meetings
- Checking the results system dozens of times a day
- Jumping when the phone rings, panicking especially at unknown numbers
- Constantly building scenarios in your head: diagnosis, treatment, work, children, the future
- Muscle tension, headaches, a knotted stomach, palpitations
- Impatience with those around you or, on the contrary, not wanting to talk to anyone
- Avoiding plans for the future: "I can't commit to anything until the result comes"
These are the ordinary reactions of body and mind in the face of uncertainty. Experiencing them does not mean that the result will be bad; it only shows that you are going through a difficult period. There is no connection between the intensity of the anxiety and what the result will be; worrying a great deal is not a harbinger of bad news, and not worrying at all is no assurance of good news. Remembering this distinction can reduce the power of the thought "If I feel this bad, something must be wrong."
Traps That Increase Anxiety During the Waiting Period
Some behaviours, although they seem soothing in the short term, make the wait harder.
Constantly refreshing the results system. With every refresh there is a brief hope followed by disappointment. When these mini-cycles are repeated dozens of times a day, the anxiety never comes down.
Reading the report before seeing the doctor and searching for the terms. Imaging reports and pathology results sometimes appear in the system before you have spoken to your doctor. Let's say you saw an expression in your MRI report such as "non-specific signal change" or "follow-up recommended". When you search for these expressions online, you may come across many frightening results that have nothing to do with your situation. Medical reports are written in a language that specialists use with one another, and when read without context they are very open to misunderstanding.
Reading similar stories. Accounts on forums and social media along the lines of "my result came back like this too" do not represent your situation. Because bad experiences are shared more, this content generally paints a gloomier picture than reality.
Putting life on hold. Not going to work, not seeing friends and not leaving the house, with the thought "I can't do anything until the result comes", leaves the mind alone with nothing but the wait.
Carrying everything alone. A person who tells no one so as not to upset their family carries the whole burden of the wait by themselves.
How Does the Wait Affect Working Life and the Family?
The days spent waiting for a result are not days when the rest of life stops. Bills get paid, children go to school, deadlines at work approach. While trying to carry on with everything as usual, the person also constantly carries that result in a corner of their mind. This double burden makes even tasks that are easily done at ordinary times feel heavier.
At work, whom to tell and how much becomes a separate question. Telling your manager can make taking time off easier, but you may be wary of gossip or of being treated differently. Some people come to work without saying anything and check their phone at their desk all day; productivity drops, and this creates guilt on top. Giving a brief, general explanation, for example saying "I have a health check this week, I might be a bit scattered for a few days", both protects your privacy and reduces the pressure on you.
At home, a different balance is attempted. While parents act as if everything is fine so as not to frighten their children, children often sense the tension in the house. A calm, age-appropriate explanation, for example "The doctor did some tests, we're waiting for the results, and when they come I'll tell you too", stops the child's imagination from filling the gaps with frightening scenarios. Between partners, too, the wait can be experienced in different ways: one may want to talk constantly while the other prefers not to raise the subject at all. Talking about this difference prevents the two people from misunderstanding each other.
Where the extended family is involved, phones ringing one after another, and everyone coming with a piece of advice or the story of someone they know, can make the wait even more tiring. Sharing information through a single close relative is a practical way of easing this burden.
What Can You Do While Waiting for Test Results?
Clarify from whom and how you will receive the information
Ask your doctor when the result will be out, how you will be contacted and what you should do if you see the result in the system. If possible, set an appointment date to go through the result together with your doctor. This date turns an open-ended wait into a period with clear limits.
Set a limit on how often you check
Limit looking at the results system to one or two fixed times a day; for example, once at midday and once in the evening. Even removing the app from your phone's home screen outside these times can reduce the urge to check.
Break your day into small pieces
The thought "ten days" feels heavy. Instead, try to think only about today, even just this morning. A walk in the morning, your work at midday, tea with a friend in the evening. Filling the hours with small, concrete activities limits the mind's escape into the future.
Calm the body
Anxiety is energy that builds up in the body. Brisk walking, stretching and slow breathing exercises help to release this energy. For simple techniques you can use, you can look at the article on breathing exercises for anxiety.
Put your scenarios down in writing
Write the scenarios going round in your mind on a piece of paper: what will I do if the result is good, what will my first step be if it is bad, whom will I get support from? Writing pins down thoughts that are spinning in an endless loop. Most people notice that they feel a little relief when they draw up a road map, even for the bad possibility.
Use your support network selectively
You do not have to share the wait with everyone; but sharing it with no one also makes the burden heavier. Choose one or two people who can stay calm and listen to you. At the same time, you can gently say to relatives who keep asking "Has the result come out?": "I'll let you know when it does."
Plan small kindnesses for yourself
Plan a few small pleasures for the waiting days in advance: a new episode of a series you love, a phone call with a friend you haven't spoken to for a long time, a favourite meal. These don't solve the problem, but they remind you that your day is not just about waiting. Being kind to yourself is the most basic care you can show in a difficult period.
Make a special plan for the nights
Anxiety grows most at night. Put screens away an hour before bed and leave your phone outside the bedroom. When you wake in the night and thoughts come rushing in, try writing them on a piece of paper to look at in the morning and leaving them there. If you cannot sleep for a long time, getting up and doing something calm in dim light is better than tossing and turning in bed.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Experiencing anxiety while waiting for a result is entirely ordinary. However, talking to a mental health professional can be helpful in the following situations:
- The anxiety during the waiting period makes it almost impossible to carry out your daily tasks
- You are having panic attacks
- You have been barely sleeping for a long time
- Your tests are repeated frequently and each wait is harder than the last
- The anxiety does not pass even though the result was good, and turns into a wish for another test
The anxiety experienced while waiting for a result is sometimes part of a wider anxiety about uncertainty. If you are curious about this, the article on anxiety about uncertainty may help. Where the result comes with a serious diagnosis, the article on psychology after a cancer diagnosis can offer guidance on the first weeks.
How Is Waiting Anxiety Approached in Therapy?
Because the waiting period is usually short, the aim in therapy is not so much long-term change as making this difficult period more liveable. That said, for people with a chronic illness that requires frequent tests, or who experience a similar intensity of anxiety with every wait, more comprehensive work is helpful.
Within the framework of cognitive behavioural therapy, the process may include:
- Understanding the relationship with uncertainty: Seeing how the belief "I can't bear not knowing" makes the waiting period heavier
- Noticing catastrophic thoughts: Catching the moments when the mind presents the worst scenario as the most likely one
- Regulating checking behaviours: Reducing refreshing the system, searching for terms and seeking reassurance
- Skills for returning to the present moment: Bringing the mind back from future scenarios to today through attention and mindfulness exercises
- Emotional preparation: Talking in a safe setting about feelings regarding the possible results
In therapy, the waiting period is also an opportunity for the person to see how they have coped with similar uncertainties in the past. What helped when waiting for difficult news before, which kinds of support did them good? These questions help the person remember the strengths they already have.
You cannot decide the result; but you have more say than you think over how the wait goes.
When it is difficult to come to face-to-face sessions because of hospital follow-up, sessions can also take place online. You can find information about individual work on anxiety on the anxiety and panic page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When I see the result in the system, should I read it before going to my doctor?
This is a personal choice; however, reading the report without context and searching the terms online often leads to unnecessary anxiety. If you decide to read it, it is healthier to note down the expressions you do not understand on a piece of paper and ask your doctor, rather than typing them into a search engine. If possible, arrange an appointment at which you will go through the result with your doctor.
Should I tell the people around me during the waiting period?
You do not have to tell everyone, but telling no one leaves you carrying the burden alone. Sharing with one or two people who can stay calm and listen to you usually helps. You decide whom to tell and how much.
How will I cope if the result is bad?
At first it is ordinary to experience intense emotions such as shock, denial, fear or anger. You do not have to make big decisions in these first days; it is important to learn the treatment plan step by step from your doctor and to lean on your close support network. Getting psychological support during this process can also make the emotions easier to carry.
The result was good but I can't relax; is this normal?
After a long and intense wait, it can take some time for the body and mind to unwind. Sometimes, instead of relief, tiredness, an urge to cry or a sense of emptiness comes. However, if the anxiety continues for weeks despite a good result and turns into a search for new tests, it is helpful to talk this through with a professional.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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