From the perspective of breast cancer patients to discuss the psychological problems of patients.
Breast cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in women. For patients, it is not only a physical disease, but also brings psychological troubles. Patients may face many psychological problems during treatment, recovery and tumor recurrence, which not only affect the quality of life of patients, but also may affect the effectiveness of treatment. Today Xiaoyu takes you from the perspective of a patient and tells you that treating cancer not only requires medical support, but also psychological support is very important.
In the process of facing cancer, patients often experience a variety of mood swings and psychological pressure, so how to deal with psychological problems has become an aspect of treatment that needs to be paid attention to. We can explore some coping strategies to help patients relieve negative emotions and better face the challenges of the treatment process:
One, accept your feelings
From the moment of diagnosis of “breast cancer”, patients may feel anxiety, fear, anger and other negative emotions. Research results show that breast cancer patients and their spouses are at high risk of anxiety and depression during diagnosis and treatment.
Postoperative rehabilitation period, if the patient is shrouded in negative mental emotions for a long time, it may cause the decline of immune function, hormone level disorders, for the recovery of the disease is very unfavorable.
When facing cancer, patients not only have to suffer from psychological pain, but also suffer from physical distress. In the process of breast cancer treatment will bring certain physiological side effects, in addition to the majority of patients will be complicated by postoperative pain, breast reduction, etc., a study of Cancer Research UK found that a common side effect of breast cancer patients may occur during the treatment is “hand-foot syndrome”. Symptoms include severe pain, erythema and peeling of the skin on the palms and soles of the feet.
This side effect occurs in about 10-30% of patients, and some patients experience severe symptoms and even need to suspend or discontinue treatment. And these physical problems can exacerbate the impact on a patient’s mental state.
The person should accept these feelings and try to find their own way to relieve them. Consider seeking counseling or a support group.
- Keep a positive attitude
Although cancer is a difficult disease to accept, maintaining a positive attitude helps patients better cope with the difficulties and challenges they encounter during treatment. A 2019 study published in Cancer Medicine showed that optimism was associated with better survival and a lower risk of death among breast cancer patients.
In addition, a study published in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology suggests that a positive attitude can promote recovery by stimulating patients to adopt healthy behaviors and follow doctors’ orders. So you can try to participate in some relaxing activities, such as meditation, yoga and other activities, as well as hearing and reading about positive energy content to relax the body and mind, but also reduce anxiety and depression and other emotional troubles.
- Seek social support
Cancer treatment is often a long process, so it’s important to find someone who can support you. Of course, close family members and friends often provide the most immediate and warm social support. Close connections with family and friends can provide comfort, support and affection during the illness. Sufferers can ask family and friends to help them deal with life problems, listen to their emotions and provide moral support.
In addition, patients can join recovery groups online or offline, and communicating with others who have experienced or are experiencing similar illnesses can provide valuable help and psychological support, especially those who have recovered.
In addition to choosing social support, patients can also use professional counseling and therapy to help themselves face emotional and psychological problems and strengthen their social support.
- Pay more attention to your own needs
Treating cancer can take up a lot of the patient’s time and energy, but remember to be open and listen to your own needs, protect yourself, maybe recognize what’s important to you, and try to get help to reduce your physical and mental load so you can cope better with the whole process.
In addition, while it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of cancer, worrying too much can exacerbate negative feelings. Therefore, patients need timely access to knowledge and understanding of the situation to alleviate unnecessary doubts.