Cancer has one of the biggest effects on the patients mental health but also the patients loved ones and friends. It is one of the hardest things to get a grip on when the doctor tells someone that they have cancer and a fifty-fifty chance of making it. "The disease can bring many changes-in what people do and how they look, in how they feel and what they value" (Dakota 4). It makes people look at the world and their lives in a different way, valuing now what they took for granted and seeing the bigger picture in every scenario. It is something that no one can actually brace, even after the doctor tells them. Through it all though, the person must remain strong and optimistic because the cancer can affect the person's moods and in return affect the outcome of the person and the chances of their making it
Carr, B. (2013). Psychological aspects of cancer: A guide to emotional and psychological consequences of cancer, their causes and their management. New York: Springer.
The effects of a cancer diagnosis can be absolutely devastating, not only for the patient, but for family and loved ones as well. People affected by cancer have to cope with not only cancer treatments, but also with the stress, financial concerns, and the emotions that are part of living with cancer. Fortunately, nobody has to face these problems alone; The Center for Building Hope has free services that can help. “The Center for Building Hope offers free information, programs, and services to cancer patients, caregivers and family members, while connecting them with others who are going through a similar experience. These services are available through
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This fact is often over looked by people undergoing cancer treatment. Studies repeatedly show that stress will act as a fuel, causing cancer cells to grow due to a combination of endocrin, immune and hormone changes. Learning to manage stress, developing good social relationships and preventing depression improve overall survival.
In "A Problem with How We Treat Cancer and How to Fix it,” Cindy Finch, the clinical social worker, argues that after being diagnosed with cancer five years ago, she could recover from the disease but not from her emotional condition. When she was recurring her medical visits, she noticed that doctors and hospitals are focus on the equipment, and medical resources that help people to survive their diagnosis, but they do not worry about the post-traumatic and emotional support for life after cancer. Finch, suggest that to optimize cancer recovery, medical community must integrate and turn psycho-social healthcare in a new phase of cancer treatment. Using help from a survivor specialist that assist and tech patients and their family, to find
In this case study, we have an eight year old boy who has a malignant tumor. The young man was treated at a city hospital, but the treatment failed him. The physician recommended that he undergoes a surgical procedure, but his family is very religious and they believe in the power of prayer, they are also fearful of the procedure going wrong. The family then refuses the surgery. The surgeon stresses that the surgery is the best option for the little boy if they want him to live, so the hospital is thinking about going over the family’s head and getting a court order approved so they may do surgery and save the boy’s life.
Distress is an unpleasant emotional experience of a psychological, social and/or spiritual nature that might interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms and the treatment that occurs, before, during and/or after the diagnosis (NCCN, 2003). In the Psychosocial aspect of cancer patients and their diagnosis, the distress thermometer is a tool that can help both the patients and staff in beginning a conversation with each other about difficulty going on before or after a cancer diagnosis. People who are at a higher risk of heightened distress, are people with subordinate cancer diagnosis, in reoccurring cancer patients, in younger patients, and in married people.
If people could just understand – really understand –what goes on in the mind of someone who has received a cancer diagnosis, things would be different. Alas, this level of understanding seems to be ever-elusive. What they do not realise is that what they are seeing on the outside does not always marry up with what's happening on the inside. It is possible that people can not relate to it until it happens to them. I have stage 4 advanced metastatic prostate cancer, and many continue to tell me that I look great. After that I don’t hear from them, because they see me as the same person before the illness. Inside, however, I am different, because I still have the cancer illness. How many times have I heard "I don’t know if I could do it?" Frankly,
Psychosocial distress. The literature revealed the majority of cancer patients experience distress; with breast cancer having the highest levels of psychological distress (Cicero et al., 2009; Diallo et al., 2015; Przezdziecki et al., 2013; Segrin & Badger, 2014). Distress can come from the spouse directly or indirectly related to sexual intimacy or relational communication (Levy, 2010; Pillai-Freidman & Ashline, 2015). Distress can come from a lack of social support as the length of time from cancer diagnosis to survivorship increases, leading to complex emotions, not discussed with the primary care provider (Mikkelsen, Sondergaard, Jensen, & Olesen, 2008; Morasso et al., 2010). Breast cancer survivors specifically, identify their psychological distress needs on-going
Many psychologists feel that psychological treatment is also a good way to teach patients how to endure their physical treatments. Many of these treatments present physical problems, but the treatments are almost more taxing on the mind. “Research clearly shows that unrelieved pain can slow recovery, create burdens for patients and their families and increase costs to the health care system.” (Rabasca, 1999). In overcoming anything whether it is a task for work, school or anything that can be physically and mentally draining like cancer, it is important to keep a strong mind and a positive outlook no matter how rough it is. Most patients of cancer are so far
Mindfulness based stress reduction states that most of our stress comes from ruminating on the past, judging the present and worrying about our future (Lopez et al., 2015). Mindfulness is especially important for those dealing with huge life events or stressors. An individual dealing with cancer could easily feel stressed about the past, wondering if they did something to get cancer. They will never know what would have happened if they drank less, or exercised more. Dealing with cancer is a roller coaster, day by day things can change dramatically and its important that individuals take life by the moment and acknowledge all the feelings and changes that are happening without judgement. It is hard not to think about the future when dealing with a potentially deadly diagnosis. Its important to practice mindfulness and not worry about the future, it is what it is. Living in the moment while dealing with cancer or any other stressor is very important. Mindfulness allows individuals to feel every emotion but move past it head without being too critical. Cancer patients have shown a decrease in mood disturbances when practicing mindfulness (Lopez et al., 2015).
A diagnosis of cancer is life changing and affects the whole family. It has been documented in some studies that family members experience equal if not higher levels of anxiety or depression than the cancer patient themselves (Hacialioglu et al, 2010). Hasson et al (2010) found that spouses of patients who had been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer reported more psychological distress than patients and were above the clinical cutoff. These results are comparable with a study carried out by Hodges and Humphris (2009) in which caregivers’ of patients who had been diagnosed with cancer had higher psychological distress and fear of recurrence than the patient. These results could potentially be associated with caregivers’ emotional strain
The fever, aches, pains, weakness and the feeling of death nearby comes by as one never expects it, and this is called cancer. It has become an epidemic as statistics show an increase of deaths from this horrible disease throughout the years. There are many organizations that support the development of new treatments and strategies to decrease these numbers. Although, this battle has been going on for a long time, there is one thing that always has shown to benefit people. As we take a look through medical/scientific research, we can understand the relation between physical activity and cancer.
While the completion of treatment is excitedly anticipated, many cancer survivors would still be disturbed by the emotional and physical tribulation of their breast cancer trajectory (Surbone & Peccatori, 2006). This is because, the impact of cancer remains long even after treatment ended. Besides the common issues that accompany any cancer diagnosis, breast cancer survivors also have to deal with exclusive concerns such as decreased sexual function, relationship issues, fears about genetic inheritability of cancer and complications from this disease such as lymphedema (Hodgkinson, Butow, Fuchs, et al., 2007). Therefore, the completion of treatment does not equate to lesser need for health care. Long term health issues related to breast cancer survivors have thus emerged as a public health concern.