5 common psychological crises of cancer patients

People with cancer often experience 5 psychological crises including fear, bargaining, anger, depression and finally acceptance.

Cancer affects the physical and mental health of patients. Almost all cancer patients are diagnosed with emotional and psychological reactions. Each stage of the disease, the patient will have different emotions. These feelings may persist or persist throughout the course of the illness.

According to American psychologist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the 5 stages of cancer grief are often referred to as DABDA, which stands for denial - anger - bargaining - depression - acceptance.

Denial : Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a traumatic, shocking experience. This experience makes the patient do not believe, accept and have a mentality of denying the truth. Sometimes patients deceive themselves by pretending that this has not happened. Rejection is a common and normal reaction for people with cancer. This emotion usually fades over time and turns into anger.

Anger : Following a feeling of rejection, the person will react angrily to this health threat. When diagnosed with cancer, anger can be an important part of providing motivation to seek treatment and defeat cancer. Some ways to express anger are encouraged such as shouting in the car, writing in a diary, using force on objects, etc.

People with cancer often feel anger at their diagnosis. Photo: Freepik

Bargaining : The third emotional stage of cancer involves hope. During this stage, the patient seeks a "fix". They searched for treatments to get rid of the disease and return to life before the diagnosis. Guilt and guilt often go hand in hand. In addition to finding ways to stay healthy, get rid of a cancer diagnosis, patients often regret, dream about the time in their 20s and 30s and ask questions like "if only I hadn't worked in That's 20 years old, if only I had screened earlier ..."

Depression: Depression is a common mental health condition associated with persistent feelings of sadness, loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities. Depression causes people to lose energy to fight, leading to changes in eating and sleeping habits. One in four people with cancer suffers from depression. This psychological crisis makes cancer treatment more difficult. Studies show that people with cancer who are treated for depression have a better response to treatment and a higher quality of life.

Acceptance : When in turn experiencing feelings of anger, sadness, and depression, cancer patients often come to terms with the reality of their illness. Emotional acceptance often has two sides, the first is acceptance in the form of "it will be over" ie acceptance with the hope of continuing treatment and healing . The second type of emotion is the psychological acceptance of surrender, the "I can't do anything else" kind of feeling.

Studies show that psychological issues play an important role in the outcome of cancer treatment. Cancer patients who know how to deal with mental health concerns can partially improve treatment outcomes and improve quality of life. Good spirit helps patients reduce stress, control blood pressure.

Some tips people with cancer can apply to overcome psychological crisis include: looking directly at the facts; express feelings to trusted relatives, seek out community, cancer support groups; eat a balanced diet , full of nutrients; sleep a lot; engage in appropriate physical activities or try relaxation techniques, such as meditation, mindfulness, breathing, yoga; seek out positive experiences;

For relatives, when friends and family members are diagnosed with cancer, they should listen and share with the patient; spend time with them and give them a break, share interesting stories; Actively learn about your loved one's type of cancer and treatments...