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Psychosocial Support
Psychosocial
support includes cognitive and behavioral intervention, group and
individual counselling, informational and educational treatment,
peer support and complementary therapies.
Under this
category of interventions are methods that focus on changing
specific thoughts or behaviors and on teaching coping skills. This
would include problem solving, goal setting, lifestyle management,
stress-coping training, identifying dysfunctional concerns,
attitudes and beliefs. Also included under this category are
behavior modification or reinforcement, progressive muscle
relaxation training, meditation, hypnotherapy, desensitization and
guided imagery. Not only do these interventions decrease anxiety,
worry and depression but they also have potential to reduce
anticipatory nausea and other symptoms from radiotherapy and
chemotherapy.
Coping Skills Training
Each individual
will be impacted by the personal meaning that they assign to a
diagnosis of cancer and this will affect their coping strategies.
Cognitions, or thoughts, are powerful determinants of how we can
feel and the choices that we make. When a belief or thought is
based on a premise that is irrational or distorted, an increase in
distress may be experienced unnecessarily. With cognitive
restructuring or coping skills training, you can be taught to
identify and challenge negative automatic thoughts that are
underlying your anxiety or depression. With cognitive reappraisal
you can learn to focus on the positives, identify personal
strengths, and improve your goal setting and problem solving
skills. Psychological distress can be significantly lowered by
learning these skills. Since the mind and body are connected, when
you lower your emotional distress you have the ability to impact
your body in a positive way as well.
With coping
skills training you can experience a positive change in your
emotional adjustment, social functioning and overall management of
your illness.
Supportive Psychotherapy
Supportive
counselling can be experienced in both an individual or group
format. The goal of supportive care in either approach is to
enhance quality of life by allowing women to discuss their feelings
and concerns. Having a safe environment in which to express the
emotional reactions to cancer facilitates being able to cope with
anger, fear, anxiety, loss of control, changes in body image, guilt,
grief or sadness. These are powerful emotions that need to be
validated and understood. To internalize these feelings could have
a negative impact on your body and its ability to heal and recover
in an optimum way.
Although it is
common and normal to experience intense, unpleasant and distressing
emotions surrounding the diagnosis, treatment or recurrence of
cancer, these adjustment challenges can compromise psychological and
physical health. Both individual and group intervention can provide
a tremendous amount of emotional support to enhance coping and
improve quality of life.
Pain Management
While pain can
have physiological causes, it can also be caused by emotional stress
alone. To the cancer patient, pain can sometimes be a frightening
experience. When we are afraid, our body often becomes tense and
this tension can in turn create more pain and more fear. You can
learn to interrupt the cycle of pain that you may be experiencing.
Applying relaxation and mental imagery techniques can help in
reducing the tension which can lessen the pain. You can also learn
to strengthen your belief in your ability to manage the pain better
and thereby decrease the fear component of pain.
Body Image and Rebuilding Confidence
Although it is
often difficult to talk about, many women feel concerned about how
they will look and feel about their bodies after surgery and
treatment. It is important to be able to discuss how you may feel
about the changes in your appearance, concerns about reconstruction,
scars, prostheses, the impact on your self-image and sexuality.
Being able to grieve the changes in your body image and learning to
rebuild your self-esteem and confidence are important parts of
recovery.
Guided Imagery & Relaxation Training
Progressive
Muscle Relaxation is a technique that has been widely used to teach
individuals how to manage the tension and pain that can be a
habitual response to stress. With the releasing of muscle tension
your pain condition and emotional distress can be positively
altered. People with high degrees of anxiety particularly in
anticipation of surgery and treatment can benefit from relaxation
training. This includes PMR and also meditation and guided
imagery. Significant reductions in anxiety and depression can be
experienced when a person learns to apply these techniques. Guided
imagery is a method of self-direction where one visualizes images
that reflect desired health outcomes. This process can also bring
about attitude changes, all of which have the potential to enhance
your health and recovery in some ways.
When you master
these skills you may begin to reclaim your feelings of being in
control. When we experience a sense of mastery over aspects of what
is happening to us, we also feel better about ourselves.
PsychoEducational
Information
A lack of
information can be a barrier to a personal sense of power over one’s
choices. Programs that offer supportive counselling and knowledge
building components can decrease anxiety, enhance understanding and
provide you with information that allows you to take action.
Education about breast health, treatment options, diet, exercise,
information on the disease and current research can facilitate your
adjustment to the illness and enhance a sense of mastery. Different
health professionals are valuable resources for you to access to
enable you to learn how to cope better and improve emotional
well-being. Information about complementary treatment that can
enhance quality of life and improve mood is available and can be
used in conjunction with medical treatment of the disease.
Spirituality Faith and Healing
There is often a
belief in a higher power that an individual brings with them as they
face the stress of surgery, cancer and possibly death. Many people
also believe in the efficacy of prayer for their healing and
recovery. If you have spiritual practices, you can implement them
and bring comfort in the face of your diagnosis. Whatever your
preferences may be, it is possible to allow the strengthening of
spirituality to bring peace of mind, security and safety. Since
spiritual beliefs form a vital part of the way some people view
life, it is possible to use this framework to reach a sense of
meaning and purpose and to transcend above the disease and have
gratitude for other aspects of life.
Empowerment & Hope
Positive effects
on emotional adjustment, treatment and disease-related symptoms are
experienced when the person with cancer takes an active role in
their well-being. Emotional adjustment includes feeling less
depressed and anxious and also improving ones’ mental attitude
toward the illness. Improved self-esteem and coping styles
contribute to increased feelings of personal power and control.
As you learn to
manage the illness and impact on your life, social functioning can
improve as relationships with family, friends and work can become
less stressful. With time you can learn how to balance self-care
with other responsibilities and recreation. Problem-solving and
decision making are skills that are improved as you learn to
mobilize your personal and external resources. Relaxation therapy
can teach you to have increased control over pain, fatigue and
stress.
There are many
things available to you in assisting you to enhance your ability to
cope with an illness, with surgery and in your healing and
recovery. Although there may be things about your illness that you
do not have control over, the healing spirit within your mind and
body has the power to influence your sense of well-being in a
positive manner. Having the courage to access this inner resource
can bring you a sense of peace, comfort and gratitude for what you
value in life. It is my hope that you would know that you are not
alone in this journey.
Click here to email SoulSpring Counselling for further
information and to register for the Breast Cancer Support & Healing
program...
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