![Grief, terror, anger, depression and other overwhelming emotions can all affect cancer patients. Mental health support can be a crucial pillar of cancer treatment to improve quality of life and even physical treatment outcomes.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/prostate-cancer-chemotherapy.jpg?output-quality=75)
Cancer not only affects a person’s physical health, but it can affect a person’s emotions. A cancer diagnosis can bring up feelings that people are not used to dealing with, and feelings can be intense.
People think about and cope with a cancer diagnosis in different ways but may patients go through emotional stages when they are first diagnosed, including:
- Shock: may range from complete denial to just acting as if nothing is wrong
- Fear: people are worried they are going to die
- Guilt: people may blame themselves for choices they made in the past that could be related to the diagnosis or feel guilt for burdening loved ones
- Loss: a person’s sense of self can be taken over by cancer and treatments
- Acceptance: slowly and gradually, people adapt and move forward
Other common emotions experienced by cancer patients include:
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Being diagnosed with cancer may make some people feel as if their life is out of control
- They may wonder if they will live or die
- Doctor’s appointments and treatments disrupt everyday life
- Patients may feel hopeless
- To cope with feeling overwhelmed:
- Learn about your cancer and ask questions
- Stay busy and participate in activities you enjoy
- Being diagnosed with cancer may make some people feel as if their life is out of control
- Anger
- This may stem from fear, frustration, anxiety, and helplessness
- It may be directed toward healthy loved ones, caregivers, or even God
- To cope with anger:
- Don’t try to pretend everything is ok
- Talk to loved ones or a counselor
- Anger can also help motivate people to take positive action
- This may stem from fear, frustration, anxiety, and helplessness
- Stress and anxiety
- This is normal, but stress can prevent the body from healing
- To cope with stress and anxiety:
- Tell your doctor
- Talk to a counselor
- Take stress management classes
- Sadness and depression
- A loss of health and the life people had before the disease can lead to sadness – this is normal
- If feelings of sadness don’t go away or interfere with normal activates, it may be depression
- To cope with depression:
- Tell your doctor and seek counseling if you experience depression
- A loss of health and the life people had before the disease can lead to sadness – this is normal
- Loneliness
- Cancer patients may start to feel distant from others due to being sick or feeling no one understands what they are going through
- To cope with loneliness:
- Talk with others
- Join a support group
- Seek counseling
- Hope and gratitude
- Hope and gratitude often follow acceptance
- Chances of living with cancer are higher than they have ever been and many people with cancer lead active lives
- Cancer may be seen as a “wake up call,” allowing people to enjoy the little things in life
- Many patients focus on embracing the things that bring them joy
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References
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings
https://www.foxchase.org/blog/the-emotional-stages-of-a-cancer-diagnosis
https://www.foxchase.org/blog/the-emotional-stages-of-a-cancer-diagnosis