The Emotional Aspects Of Having Cancer

By Kathi Whitten, LCSW

No. VA Psychotherapy Associates

. http://www.kathiwhitten.com/

More Cancer Awareness Articles

The Emotional Aspects Of Having Cancer

Over one million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year. Understandably, this diagnosis often brings anxiety and/or fear. Many people living with cancer right now are facing all the challenges this brings.

Every illness has an emotional component. With cancer, as with all major diseases, a comprehensive plan, including appropriate medical treatment and social and emotional support, is optimal for the best outcome. Psychotherapy is important for helping patients manage and cope with complicated feelings and changes that arise.

Therapy is also helpful for people who’ve survived the disease and now seek to resume a normal lifestyle. Post-cancer adjustment can be difficult for some people.

The idea of serious disease, including pain, may frighten people. A diagnosis as serious as cancer is shocking, and many don’t initially know how to handle the reactions they’re having. People fear medical procedures, disfigurement, pain, and death. They worry what will happen to themselves, their families, their jobs. How will they manage? What will happen? Can they handle what’s coming?

Having a good medical team that you trust is your first priority. But additionally, there may be a range of inner emotional responses, and many social and practical changes will accompany the treatment. Working with a therapist experienced in helping people manage the complicated feelings and adjustments that accompany serious disease and pain can be useful.

People have strong ideas and beliefs about illness, pain, healing, and asking for help and support. These include ideas about being sick in general, having cancer in particular, medical treatments, and what the future holds.

Some of these ideas are based on things they’ve heard or conclusions they’ve drawn (for example, life will be diminished in the future; nobody in their family lived past a certain age; they might have no control over what will happen to them; or they won’t be able to handle the procedures).

There may be stories about friends and family members who’ve had cancer that lead to fear, and, sometimes, there can be a lack of coping skills for handling medical conditions and pain. There is often a need for help from others with emotional support and re-arranging job, childcare, household duties, and more.

Psychotherapy is useful in helping people move through the different stages of diagnosis, treatment, and follow up; to acquire coping skills and social support; to manage complicated emotional and family concerns; and the practical aspects of dealing with a serious disease.