Cancer not only affects your physical health, but also infects you with different kinds of feelings that probably you did not have to cope with before the diagnosis. Sometimes, cancer and its gruesome treatment exacerbate the negative emotions that you are already living with. Furthermore, these feelings, which are not a particular type but a mix of several depressing and negative emotions, keep changing daily, hourly or more frequently. These feelings, though very disturbing, are absolutely normal.
The values instilled into you during your growing up years play a crucial role in determining how you will deal with the negativities. Here is an example to explain the matter:
- Some feel it important to stay strong and support their near and dear ones.
- Some seek support from their family, friends or other cancer survivors.
- Some seek help from professional counsellors.
- Some find solace in spirituality to cope with stressful conditions.
According to an eminent counsellor working at a reputed cancer special hospital in Kolkata, no one can decide what is right for you. Only a cancer patient knows what will work best for him/her and make decisions accordingly. However, your friends, family members and well-wishers should help you feel comfortable and share information with you in this regard.
Some feelings are very common among the cancer patients. Here is a snippet of those:
Overwhelmed: After you receive your cancer diagnosis, everything might seem to have come to a standstill. The first thought that strikes you is how long you are going to live. Your normal daily routine is surely going to change during the course of treatment. You feel helpless, lonely and think more about your loved ones.
Anger: You may feel like screaming out “Why Me”. Religious people curse even God after getting their cancer diagnosis. It’s irrational to think that way but your close ones need to understand your anger and anxiety. Anger often results from fear, frustration, helplessness, anxiety and panic.
Guilt: Some cancer patients feel guilty. They tend to think their disease and treatment will be a big burden on their near and dear ones. Like many, you may curse yourself for choosing an unhealthy lifestyle and think it gave you cancer.
Sadness and Depression: It’s common for the cancer patients to feel sad and depressed even after they are done with the treatment. However, sadness and depression are common responses to any critical illness. A sense of loss – physical and financial – may overwhelm you and it occupies your mind until these are not recovered.
Fear and Worry: Despite so much advancement made in cancer treatment, it is still the scariest disease. This is simply because; medical science is yet to find out a CURE for cancer. You may get worried or scared for pain due to cancer and/or its treatment, looking strange during cancer treatment (patients get bald as an effect of chemotherapy or gain/lose weight during this phase), medical expenses, managing your job, death etc.
Stress and Anxiety: Cancer patients feel stress not only after a diagnosis and during treatment but also throughout their life. Fear of recurrence also makes them tensed and stressed. Keep it in mind that if you are undergoing treatment, excessive tension and stress can delay your recovery.