Coping with a cancer diagnosis: Emotional & psychosocial effects

Coping with a cancer diagnosis: Emotional & psychosocial effects

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event in anyone’s life. It is a destructive disease-causing vita psychological problems among the patients and their family and friends. Psychological agony is a significant and continuing problem for those suffering from cancer who are heavily affected by the time of diagnosis, in the first year after the diagnosis, and commonly during their treatment.

Their mental health needs should be handled with care, but are often ignored as they are not always properly recognized and understood. In the past ten years, there has been a growth in implementing and spreading screening methods for the psychological outcomes of cancer, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, isolation, hopelessness, distress, and demoralization. Also, guidelines and agencies dedicated to the management of the psychological consequences have been developed and supported by several scientific cancer associations.

Physiological consequences of cancer

By just hearing the word “cancer” said the doctor can have a major effect on a person’s mental and physical health, and relationships with our loved ones. While treating the physical consequences, patients should not ignore the emotional issues related to cancer. One can improve their life by learning more about cancer which may help to make the disease seem less frightening and mysterious.

A patient’s financial, psychological, and social situation may all change due to cancer and its treatment. Here are some of the most common mental effects on a cancer patient:

• Reduction in the performance and functional activity, poor memory, and concentration, disrupting sexual activity are important in influencing the physiological response of cancer patients.
• The loss in the stability of one’s emotional position( e.g. anxiety, fears, sadness, and worries), the reduction in self-esteem, the need for dependence on others, and feeling hopelessness is often experienced by the patients. The change of certainty about the future is also an example of emotional effects during this illness. This also includes the changing whole set of personal values, about our importance, questioning the meaning of one’s own life and existence.
• Social intercourse and skills, communication between the family, and close relationships are also affected by cancer.
• Feeling of sadness, loneliness, abandonment, panic, problems in returning to work, or even hiding their medical condition from others are common issues related to cancer patients.
• The most common effects of this diagnosis are mental disorders including major and minor depression, stress and adjustment-related issues, anxiety disorders, emotional distress, sexual disorders, and demoralization syndrome.

All of these aspects may be shown in the different phases of the disease from diagnosis to treatment or medical care. Patients tend to adopt variable emotional, cognitive, and behavior toward the disease.

Consequences of physiological problems and disorder

Psychological distress and disorders have magnificent negative effects on the patients and even on their families and loved ones.

• Cancer patients experience huge levels of cancer-related disorders which may heavily affect their health, quality of life, and the chance of survival in a negative way.
• Distress involves a range of feelings from endangered to sad to depression, anxiety, isolation, hopelessness, and panic. But importantly, general severe distress has an impact on cancer evolution.
• This type of distress results in disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and activating the sympathetic nervous system that has a devastating impact on the cardiovascular immune and the endocrine systems.
• These disturb the biological activities such as catecholamine production, changes in circadian cortisol levels, cellular immune suppression, activation of proinflammatory cytokines, and regulation of leukocyte and tumor cell gene expression, that can promote cancer growth and spread of cancerous cells in a different part of the body.
• An increased rate of suicide is also associated with cancer.

TLS usually develops within a few hours to 2-3 days after the start of the chemotherapy. The mortality rate of patients suffering from tumor lysis syndrome is less the 20%

Care and Treatment

Attend support groups

A good social support network has always been associated with an increased and improved quality of life for those patients who are suffering from cancer and undergoing treatment and its distress. Knowing about cancer can make the patient feel less scared and more empowered. Nearly all studies have shown an improvement in physiology for cancer, attending support groups. Social groups help patients in reducing their pain and anxiety.

Routine screening

Screening should be part of care and clinical practice guidelines, these were developed a few years ago and are extremely helpful to clinicians in providing wide-ranging care for cancer patients and their families.

Converse with your doctor

The patient should try to talk openly with the doctors, one of the main reasons why the doctors are unable to distinguish between the general sadness and the severe distress as the patient doesn’t talk openly to the doctors or their caretakers. One-third of cancer patients experience severe distress but about 5-6% can get through it. There is no shame in sharing the problems openly and asking what you need and lack.

Proper healthy diet

Patients should be provided with a healthy and nutritious diet, these improve the physical condition of their body exercise, when possible is important. Studies show that this helps to keep the mind calm, improving memory and concentration, and strengthens the body. This also allows the patient to spend time with others.

Express your feelings

It’s okay to feel a certain way at a point in your life. But it’s also healthy and common to express how you feel to your loved ones. Don’t fear expressing strong feelings like anger or sadness, let go of them as much as possible. Talk about your feelings to a close member of your family or friends, or with other cancer survivors and support groups. If you still find it difficult to discuss your condition with others, express your feelings by thinking about why you feel them or write them down.

Quit blaming yourself or plead guilty

You are strong and brave. Don’t let any condition weaken your spirit and question your mental health. Most cancer patients tend to blame themselves for getting cancer. Although it’s completely incorrect, even scientists don’t know how a person gets cancer and how someone else doesn’t. All bodies are different and cancer can happen to anyone, from a triathlete to a programmer. It’s not up to us.

Dominate the positive, over the negative

It’s always easy to come across a negative when a condition worsens or you are under a problem. It might sound cliche, but life has both dark and light moments. Try to look for the good part of all things even in a bad time or be hopeful rather than thinking the worst. How we perceive the world, the world also becomes the same for us. So try to focus your energy on getting better, and staying healthy as much as possible. Express love to your loved ones for being there with you in misery and fortune. When you start to think of the good, you’ll get many reasons to be happy about in life.

Be in Incharge of things

Just because you’ve got cancer doesn’t mean you are helpless. You can completely control and take charge of your life like you did before. Stay involved in your health care, try to learn about the medicines, keep up with your appointments and make good lifestyle changes to turn things better accordingly. Scheduling your day daily is a power move, it gives you a great sense of control. Not just physically, controlling your thoughts can help. Although you can’t control every thought, try not to think about the worse or fearful ones, instead try to look up for the positive things like someones’ birthday, anniversary, next picnic, or a good book.

Don’t pretend, feel free to feel down

Don’t try too hard to follow the rules as well. Staying positive and thinking for the best is an ideal way to live but it’s completely normal to feel sad or gloomy once in a while. Have freedom over your feelings.

Decide when you want to discuss cancer

Cancer is still very unknown to people and often they tend to talk to you about your conditions. It can be overwhelming and tiring to discuss cancer so frequently with every relative or well-wisher you meet. Even when the loved ones mean well, you must let them know what and how you feel about the subject. If you don’t want to discuss them, politely express to them that you are not comfortable talking about them.

Rely on a long-lost hobby

Hobbies are always fun to explore. Bring back your old hobbies such as woodworking, reading, art & crafts, paintings, photography, or watching movies, listening to music, or dancing all night. Look for things to enjoy with kids in your family, take your mind off on a fun and interactive tasks.

Enjoy Solitude

Relaxing by yourself or doing an activity that helps you unwind and enjoy silence can be a great escape from the chaos that comes with cancer. Try to do relaxing activities such as meditation, exercises, guided imagery, and others to help your body and mind relax and release stress.

Stay Active

Don’t just lie on your bed all day. That won’t help with anything in life. Getting out of your house and going for a little jog, or doing exercise or gentle yoga can keep you fit and active.

Book an appointment with the Best Cancer Specialist at Oncoplus Hospital.