Mental health issues for cancer patients
As blog 1 indicated, the mental health side of cancer can be quite challenging. Not only is a cancer patient going through massive impacts physically, the cancer patient on a day to day basis is grappling with the mental and emotional aspects of the journey as well. I take physical beatings with the chemo, but those largely go away. But the mental and emotional scars continue to be there for me. Early in the journey, you need to know there will be issues, and by knowing, you can be ready to handle them when they come up. The challenge, too, is that the mental and emotional issues tend to be unpredictable. Yes, it is predictable the day before I go to Mayo I will be pensive, quite, sullen. But is the random day weeks later, when all of a sudden I am especially anxious, or worried, that continues to surprise me. But, now, while surprised, I am not concerned. I know that I can’t really predict my mental or emotional state.
But you should be concerned about your mental health. And you need to address it. Start this early in your journey.
Where to get support?
While your spouse or partner is a great place to get some support, remember, they will need some support, too. I would not recommend that you assume you will get the mental health support help you need from your spouse or partner.
Try to find professional help:
Ask your cancer care team for resources
Look online for non-profits who support your particular type of cancer –and ask them for recommendations on support
Ask your Primary Care Physician for recommended resources
Facebook Group can be great
Cancercare.org has many support groups
Find a psychiatrist or psychologist or therapist that has expertise with cancer patients. Now, you can have virtual calls with them, which is great. This can take some effort, too. For example, the first therapist I hired was not a good fit for me, so we mutually agreed to change.
Lean on faith leaders to coach you.
Group settings vs individual one on one therapy depends on the patient. I am much more comfortable sharing it one on one versus a group setting, as I am an introvert
In summary, the mental health challenges of dealing with cancer are significant. Not just for you, but for your family as well. Do not neglect these issues and lean on professional support to help guide you. It takes some effort to find what works for you.