Psychological support for cancer patients and caregivers
Cancer patients may experience physical, emotional, and social effects due to the disease. Patients who are able to use effective coping strategies to deal with stress such as relaxation and stress management techniques have been shown to have lower levels of depression and anxiety symptoms related to cancer and its treatment. However, there is no evidence that Improving a cancer patient's psychology may affect his survival.
How can a cancer patient deal with psychological stress?
Emotional and social support may help a cancer patient deal with psychological stress, and can reduce levels of depression, anxiety and symptoms associated with the disease, such as attending cancer education courses or exercising.
How to provide emotional support to a cancer patient?
- A cancer patient should express their feelings to someone (family, friends, cancer survivors, counselors or psychologists) even if they prefer not to talk to others about their disease.
- Thinking about positive things, even if the time is bad or inappropriate, or trying to find hope instead of thinking about the worst, but you must not pretend to be optimistic, as this must come from the patient.
- Trying to focus on wellness and everything you can do to stay as healthy as possible.
- Focusing on the patient's hobbies may help avoid the anxiety that accompanies frequent thinking about the disease.
Who are the caregivers for cancer patients?
A caregiver is a person who supports a cancer patient emotionally or by helping him perform daily activities during treatment.
What do caregivers face?
The caregiver faces many new challenges, and the caregiver can help the patient deal with these challenges and overcome the problems he may face.
The caregiver may find themselves working closely with the patient's care team and doing tasks such as giving medications to the patient, dealing with side effects of treatment, reporting a problem, trying to inform family members and friends of what is happening to the patient and keeping them informed of the latest developments.
The relationship between a cancer patient and a caregiver?
Caregivers go through the stages of cancer side by side with patients. They may feel as tired and anxious as patients do. Caring for someone with cancer brings new challenges and hardships, and things can become more difficult as the disease progresses. It is important for the caregiver to take care of themselves and ask for help. Because by helping himself, he helps the patient. Their relationship extends beyond the treatment phase, so the caregiver's role extends beyond the treatment phase.
Caregivers after completing the treatment period and what they need to do
It is important for caregivers to know that even though treatment has ended, cancer survivors still have a lot to deal with. Often, side effects from treatment appear. They must know how to adapt to these changes that the patient is going through, as they They may not return to their normal lives quickly.
The caregiver must be aware of his or her feelings
The caregiver may be happy and relieved because the patient has passed the treatment stage. He may also feel anxious because he is no longer doing anything to fight the disease. He may feel sad and lost when he sees the patient's family and friends in a weakened state. It takes different times to confront these challenges.
Some common feelings that are very normal:
- Loss of support that the caregiver receives from the patient's health care team.
- Feeling unable to return to normal.
- Avoid going out with others for fear that something might happen to the patient during your absence.
- Having difficulty returning to people who were not by your side during the period you went through.
- The presence of mixed feelings due to the patient's struggle with moodiness, depression, or loss of self-confidence.
- Worry if there are any physical signs that the disease may return.
Some points that help the patient and caregiver face the treatment journey and after the treatment journey:
- Make time for yourself.
- If the caregiver has put their own needs aside, they must now think about how to provide better care for themselves, for example, some caregivers feel the need to give back to others facing cancer, they shift their energy to helping people in their community by joining support groups, or volunteer with cancer organizations, for many, making a difference in the lives of others helps them help themselves.
Here are some ideas that may help the caregiver do something for themselves:
- Return to activities he enjoys doing.
- Find ways others can help you.
- Find new ways to connect with friends.
Allow others to help you
Chances are that both of you (the caregiver and the patient) are still tired and still trying to adjust to life after the treatment period has ended. Telling others about this may let them know the ways in which they can help. It may be family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who remain They may not be willing or able to support you during treatment. However, you should be aware that others may not be able to help you. They may feel anxious about the help or assume that you will return to your previous life (before treatment) and do not need help, or they may have reasons to Personality, such as lack of time or preoccupation with events taking place in their own lives.
Talk to the family
It must be remembered that the post-treatment period is something new for everyone and your family members may also need time to adjust to this new chapter of the patient's life. Good communication with the family, whether for the patient or the caregiver, is as essential and important as it was during the treatment period, as listening to each other, patience and support can make a big difference.
