Tag: psychological

Most of the time when we talk about cancer, much of the attention diverts to the physical effect.

But experts have predicted that what kills people diagnosed with cancer faster is the psychological effects of cancer.

The uncertainty and the feeling that one is now a ticking time bomb causes more disaster even when it turns out that it is curable.

In our update today, we shall give a comprehensive rundown of the psychological effects of Cancer while also detailing how best to deal with people diagnosed as well as how to manage your mental health as a cancer patient.

There are so many psychological effects of cancer but, with the help of our research experts and professionals in health management fields, we have narrowed our search to the core psychological effects of Cancer and how best to overcome it.

Psychological Effects of Cancer

Even cancer survivors suffer from the aftermath of psychological effects and stigma. Nonetheless, with support groups, social media online communities, and other cancer support schemes, both survivors and patients are afforded the opportunity of getting the needed counseling while being surrounded by people who understand their struggle and are very much willing to help.

Cancer is not a life sentence as many think. Rather, it provides an opportunity for one to re-evaluate his/her life and offer amendments while there is still time.

Below are the core psychological effects of cancer in modern society.

• Depression

Depression accounts for over 70% of the psychological effect of cancer. Even the thought of cancer and going for chemotherapy is enough to plunge some people into depression.

The feeling of having your life flash before you and not being able to do anything about it creates a big vacuum that can make the person struggle every day to create a healthy mental balance.

• Anxiety

Almost immediately after diagnosis and even before diagnosis, cancer survivors and patients are already anxious about the worst possible outcome.

They remain in a state of anxiety with the thought that the worst might just be about to happen. The fear, discomfort, and distress keep mounting.

It is important we recognize these signs and take proactive measures in helping the person involved.

• Loss of Self Confidence

Imagine losing your blonde hair, having your arm amputated, loss of fertility, and physical independence.

All these and many more aftermath of cancer battle or cancer management leads to loss of self-confidence. Support groups should be suggested to help the person see that he/she is not alone in the struggle.

• Guilt

There is cancer guilt both on the side of the diagnosed person and others related to them. Survivors are sometimes burdened with the guilt of why they survived, and others didn’t.

While relatives, wives, children, siblings of the diagnosed patient will feel they did not do much to help the person or curtail the bad habits that led to cancer in the first place. It tends to be worst when the person didn’t survive.

Those in these kinds of places should be introduced to psychotherapists and psychologists.

• Stigma

It is not surprising when you see people relate to you differently after being diagnosed with cancer. Even survivors still suffer the stigma as some friends, co-workers or even family members might start isolating or relating with you differently because of the fact that you have been associated with cancer.

 It is best you seek relationships with people outside that circle that understand what you have been through and are very much willing to make you see how valuable you still are.

• Spirituality

Many survivors find that life takes on a new dimension after cancer and will renew their devotion to spiritual activities and organized religion.

Analysts suggest that spirituality enhances the value of life through a sound social support network, adaptive coping, reduced depression, and improved physiological function.

How to handle the Psychological Effects of Cancer

Just like we said earlier, cancer is not a death sentence as many see it. But with the right information and proper self-management, one can still live a fruitful life even as a cancer patient.

Below are some of the ways to get ahead and overcome the psychological effects of cancer.

• Treatment:

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, it is very important you adhere to the treatment plans suggested by your doctor. Don’t act ignorant of their warning because at the end of the day it will still come back to you.

• Support Groups:

Join the circle of like minds. both survivors and patients. Their stories can offer a ray of hope for you to know you are not in the struggle alone. Do not be scared to ask questions and interact freely among them.

• Social Media and Information:

Thanks to the internet, one can now access tons of information from the comfort of his/her house. In dealing with cancer, we advise you to scout for every inch of the information relating to that cancer.

This way you can be able to broaden your knowledge of the ailment and how best to go about it. But always consult your doctor and don’t engage in self-medication.

There are many social media cancer support groups. Engage with them and remain optimistic in your fight against cancer.

Conclusion

Cancer remains a menace in modern society. Killing even before the actual death approaches. Health experts advise regular medical checkups for families as early detection of cancer leads to a high possibility of survival.

Also, assist in awareness campaigns and remain nice to people diagnosed with cancer as that might be the only support you can give them in their battle.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are the top answers to most of the asked questions on the psychological effects of cancer.

• Can Cancer Affect Your Mental Health?

Cancer can affect mental health in a variety of ways. Ranging from anxiety, distress, depression, e.t.c. However, this can be avoided with proper mental health management and therapy.

• Can Cancer affect you Socially?

Amputation, loss of hair, e.t.c can affect self-confidence and make one isolate from relating to other people. Because he/she feels incomplete as a result of the physical changes and tends to isolate or cut off socially from society.

• Can Cancer cause Behavior changes?

Ranging from aggression, irritation, mood swings, etc. Cancer can cause quite a number of behavioral changes. This is mostly seen in those diagnosed with brain tumors.

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Today, we will unveil the Psychological effects of death of a loved one. This is an essential piece since death remains inevitable.

Missing the presence of a loved one can be overwhelming, talk more of when the person dies.

Overview of the Psychological effects of death of a loved one

Getting to experience the death of a loved one can be a series of emotions falling on someone all at a time; it tends to make the psychological and emotional state of the bereaved family members, friends, or colleagues unhealthy, that is why it is good to get support and allow healing of the mind to take place.

Death is a part of our lives, that’s why people with spiritual beliefs pray for long life; death sometimes helps individuals to make the essence of their life, while some lose the meaning of life.

The death of a loved one can bring about a series of emotions on different levels, it comes with the feeling of pain, sorrow, fear, anxiety, guilt, anger, shock, weakness, humiliation, depression, despair, and sometimes regrets.

These feelings could alter the life of the bereaved, so it is necessary to get the necessary help to make meaning of life, after losing a loved one.

What The Bereaved Could Feel

After the loss of a loved one, the next emotion that proceeds is to grieve and mourn. To grief has to do with the immediate reaction after getting the news of the death of a loved one, it could be loud screams, tears, passing out, and for some, it is the feeling of numbness that comes with it.

The reaction of the individual after the news depends on the relationship with the deceased, the importance of the deceased, and sometimes, the cause and period of death.

Furthermore, the point of grief is also a determinant of the psychological state of the bereaved. If the psychological state isn’t well treated, it could lead to trauma and other deteriorating emotional feelings, one with strong emotional intelligence will quickly accept the reality of the loss and start finding means to adjust to the vacuum, although, in most times, the feeling can be unbearable, with the necessary support, and moderate mourning, the bereaved will get to find relief, it just might take a little time.

The extent of feelings that the bereaved will have will be based on the personality type, the incidence surrounding the death of the loved one, and sometimes the level of support and empathy that the bereaved gets.

For instance, a child losing a parent will hit differently on the sibling of the lost parent, in fact, the overall feelings and actions of that child can be dependent on the loss, as that is a lifelong blow, but the reality is, the living has to live and move on.

The psychological disorder tends to occur when a loved one is gone, the thought of not seeing the person again, the thought of not getting love from the person or just living without the person can be overwhelming, cases of emotional stress will stem up, loneliness, financial crisis, PTSD, lack of interest and energy are samples of disorder that the bereaved might feel.

Change of behavior is another way to pick out the psychological disorder of the bereaved. Some people might feel numb and be oblivion to happenings around them, some might become violent, sometimes irrational, while others become more gentle and might not trust people and processes. When in these down moments, it is best to remember that life is precious and you should seek support or help to aid in living a better life.

Support from family members, friends, and even professionals could go a long way in helping to handle the emotional imbalance and psychological disorder that comes with losing a dear one.

Mourning Could Be Therapeutic

Mourning has to do with the expression of sorrow. Sorrow is an emotion and needs expression, just like any other emotion. If bottled up and not expressed, it could lead to other series of complicated emotions, and maybe physical illness too.

However, the thin line to mourn excessively shouldn’t be crossed; it could lead to other losses, lack of interest in life, suicidal thoughts, despair, and illness such as stomach ulcer as the bereaved might lose interest in eating.

In cases of people losing their partner, the psychological disorder can be more intense, the story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example. Therefore, the manner of  mourning differs from people based on the scenario and situation of the bereaved and the death

One could be wondering how mourning is sometimes therapeutic, it heals the bereaved because it allows them to express how they feel; expressing how one feels is soothing to the mind, but if bottled up, it could be more disastrous, If, in that situation, it is advised to express the down feelings, but should not get to the state of harm, simply express to heal.

Mourning allows the bereaved to accept the reality of loss, it will open one’s eyes to the fact that there is a void created, and one has to move on with courage nevertheless, it is better to express the pain, the shock, anger, and all other emotions, but disallow getting to the state of hopelessness, as life is precious, while death helps to make meaning of it.

Mourning helps one to feel the pain, process it, and think through it, these stages, of course, will come with emotional imbalance, but the difference is how one backs up for the loss and finds ways to still live and be happy.

If one avoids mourning or expressing pain after losing a loved one, it is deceitful to the mind, as the state of mind remains the same without expression, this could lead to a series of disorders, and mental illness; it could even make existing health condition worsened or cause a new sickness.

The things one might feel if mourning isn’t done could be the same if done excessively, in essence, allow yourself to feel the pain moderately, and then brace up and live.

Staying Heads Up After the Pain From the Loss of A Dear One

As earlier said, it is better to find ways to still stay alive and disallow the pain from weighing you down, the following are guidelines to stay heads up above  Psychological disorders after losing a beloved:

• Be Around Supportive People: After losing a loved one, it is better to stay with supportive individuals who can empathize with you. Your family members, friends, good neighbors, and maybe colleagues will do.
• Continue to Stay Healthy: After losing a loved one, one might be tempted to ignore the well-being and might start skipping meals, get addicted to alcohol, drugs, and junk; avoid cases like that. Staying healthy will allow you to focus on life and other loved ones around; it will also prevent health complications. Eat healthily, drink a lot of water and rest adequately.
• Talk it Out: As mentioned, the best way to heal from psychological disorders after losing a loved one is to express how you feel. Talk about your feelings, even fears to a trusted person, soothing words will relieve the clogs in your head and mind, always express to heal, never bottle it up, it can be harmful. Do not shy away from your feelings, feel it and communicate it to a trusted person who can understand and even empathize with you.
• Move On: Moving on takes courage, gathering enough strength to move on without being rash will help to heal a lot. Heal at your pace and move on from the vacuum, for instance, it’s unwise for a young adult to become jobless because of the death of a parent. Another angle is to accept that the loved person is gone, do not fight away the thought of the person, rather, feel comfortable thinking of the person, relishing good memories created together.
• Be Patient: Healing comes with processes and time, the death of a loved one can strike one with an eternal void, hence, to heal, one needs time to heal and become strong to stand the loss. In taking delicate decisions such as remarrying, selling off properties, one has to be careful as such decisions can make or mar one’s life.
• Get Support: If at some point, the feeling is overwhelming, get professional help, therapists were trained appropriately to heal people. They will assist in walking one down the lane of healing. Meanwhile, it is not a weakness to seek support, it is a big strength and a sign of a person who is certain about the things they want to get from life.

A final thought on the Psychological effects of death of a loved one

Losing a  beloved is heartbreaking no doubt, the feeling can be terrific; pain, anguish, shame, helplessness, anxiety, confusion, depression can descend on the bereaved; it’s heartbreaking no doubt, however, it is best that the bereaved mourn in moderate, express how they feel and try to heal and ease of the pain.

Seek support when necessary, stay healthy; then your state of mind and emotions will be comforted. Also, give support to any bereaved around you.

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