How are cancer patients related to depression?
People diagnosed with cancer are often found battling with flood of feelings like anger, sadness, fear, trauma, helplessness and more. Out of various emotions experienced by a cancer patient, depression is the most common one found in almost every individual suffering from a disease.
Living with the reality of cancer requires more than physical exhaustion due to the illness, it also involves going through series of chemotherapies, radiation, surgical operations and more. The painful and tiring experience felt by a patient suffering from cancer is enough for him/her to go through stokes of depressive moods. While some cancer sufferers are found depressed due the wear and tear of physical and psychological strength, there are others who are insecure about leaving their loved ones, kids or family members alone.
Even the fear of dying is strong enough to inculcate symptoms of depression in many cancer victims. More than half of the cancer patients are found depressed due to the fact that they are dying.
Change in lifestyle, regular visit to chemotherapist, spending more time in surgical procedures, losing stamina and anxiety due to financial expenses are major factors pushing cancer patients towards depression. Chemotherapy and radiations as well as operations required in a cancer treatment are costly and cause various physical changes within a body, which adds to depression causing factors among individuals diagnosed with cancer.
The best way to deal with depression among cancer victims is the cancer support group and help from family or friends. Some people require psychological support from their loved ones to fight with their dreadful disease and some need money, depending upon the situation. Objective of counseling, therapy or family support is to add in the zeal for fighting with the disease, mood improvement and the interests in living.
Symptoms shown by cancer patients suffering from depression are problem in concentration, agitation, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, constant sad mood, suicidal thoughts and ideas, loss of appetite and lack on interest in going through the treatment for cancer.
If untreated, depression can cause hindrance in recovery from cancer in some cases, as the person stops undergoing medication and chemotherapy and give sup any hope of recuperating from it. Some of the cancer related risk factors involved are failure to mange pain, advanced cancer, pancreatic cancer and more.
Suicide or death is major cause of worry among depressed cancer patients, because such people are found doing suicidal talks, attempting suicide or waiting for their death by not going under the treatment.
Depression among cancer patients can be treated by pharmacological and psychological treatment. Diagnoses and treatment of depression plays a significant role in the process of curing or surviving the cancer.
