For many, cancer means an above-mentioned situation with many feelings and thoughts. Most people find ways to deal with them, either by themselves or with support from their surroundings. Sometimes it is not possible. Then there is support and help to get. How can cancer affect my thoughts and feelings?
Cancer often affects life a lot. It is common to be sad, dejected, worried or angry. Many people may feel stressed or difficult to concentrate or remember things. It is also common to start thinking a lot about things that have been and about the future. Some may end up in a crisis.
There are various ways to deal with thoughts and feelings. Doing so will prevent them from limiting your life. It can also be easier to cope with cancer treatment. What can I do for myself?
Many people find it easier to move or to do something that they like, which has nothing to do with the disease.
Move
Physical activity helps the body recover from cancer. Moving on can help with depression, anxiety and sleep problems and can prevent depression. You who are related and want to get started on moving can get advice on training.
Do as you please
During and after cancer treatment, you may need to find ways that allow you to regain energy or to feel calm and in balance. Do things that you like and what feels good to you.
It can also be a good time to make life changes if you wish. Maybe there is something you have stopped, that you would like to get started with again. Maybe there is something else that you no longer want to spend so much time on.
It is good to try to plan so that you can regularly do what you feel good about.
Mindfulness can reduce stress and worry
Mindfulness is a method that is used in many places in health care to reduce stress and anxiety. There are courses in mindfulness both inside and outside care.
There are different ways to find out if you need support or help to manage your thoughts and feelings. One way is that you fill out a form. You receive the form where you receive care. You can fill it in yourself, with a relative or with someone from the healthcare staff.
It is common for needs to change. You can fill out the form several times. The contact nurse will ensure that your completed form is included in the care plan.
Help you get it right
The contact nurse will guide you in the care and can also tell you what help can be found outside the care. The curator and the doctor can also often give tips.
For some, it makes it easier to talk to someone. It may be a close relative or another person you trust. If this is not possible, there are various forms of call support within the care and outside care.
Sometimes you need more help, for example, if the depression turns into anxiety or depression.
Call support from healthcare
The contact nurse is special support for you if you have cancer or are related. The contact nurse can refer you further if you need more support. The curator is often easy to reach. It may also be possible to obtain support from a psychologist or from the hospital church.
Contact nurses, curators, psychologists, and priests are used to talking to people about things that feel difficult. They have an education for it.
You do not need any pre-formulated problem to get call support. On the contrary, it is often in the conversation that you can get help to formulate, so that you can find solutions or live with the situation as it is now.
Everyone who works in the healthcare sector has a duty of confidentiality. It also has priests. This means that you have to give your explicit consent for them to tell someone else what you have said or even that you have contacted them.
Psychotherapy and other psychological treatment
Sometimes you need more help or other help than call support. Then psychotherapy or other psychological treatment may be an alternative. There are various types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which are the most commonly abbreviated CBT, family therapy and psychodynamic therapy. Here you can read more about psychotherapy and psychological treatment. Medicines can help sometimes
You may need medication, for example, if you have been diagnosed with depression or if you have anxiety or have difficulty sleeping. Discuss medicines with your doctor. Support together with others
Many people find it good to meet in groups and share their experiences with others in the same situation. Such support is also available on the internet.
Support groups in health care
Some hospitals have support activities for patients with cancer. The contact nurse or the curator can tell you more.
Support groups outside care
Patient associations exist for the most common cancer diseases. The associations can provide both information and other support. Sometimes they organize local support groups. It is common for both patients and relatives to participate. You can find information on the hospital’s bulletin boards about what the patient associations offer. You can also look at the association’s websites.
There may also be local support groups organized by other organizations, such as the Red Cross or the Lions. The curator knows if there are such activities.