Mental health is equal or sometimes more important
aspect of an individual's wellbeing. Diagnosis of a disease that can be life
threatening can really affect the psyche of a person. They suddenly feel like
their life has no meaning and they lose hope very easily. It is important to
understand what goes on in the head of an individual when he/she is diagnosed
with cancer mainly if you are their primary or secondary support system. It helps to understand that they will have negative
thoughts, feelings or emotions as part of their coping mechanism, some of which
are listed below.
1. Anxiety
As social animals, we always plan our life well
ahead and try to meet our expectations. If a barrier arises in between, our
whole life may seem upside down. Anxiety is a very common phenomenon that
cancer patients will undergo. Symptoms include fear, dread, uneasiness thinking
about unsure factors of the present and mostly future.
2. Emotional difficulties.
Cancer patients and survivors experience various
emotions at different times of their lives. Guilt, anger, denial, sadness,
hopelessness, anxiety, etc. are emotions that occur during the course of their
treatment. Even the drugs used to treat can alter moods and cause fatigue in
individuals.
3. Depression.
Depression may seem common among
cancer patients but is also very dangerous as it may interfere with the
treatment that the patient undergoes
for cancer. Depression really brings down a person to an extent where they
may even lose the will to live. They stop fighting and that in turn can cause
the treatment they are undergoing to fail despite its success rates. Assign
them to a support group, or take them to a therapist as it is important to
think positive in order to stay positive. Depression can be treated with the
right amount of care and support.
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