Supportive counseling, also referred to as therapy or psychotherapy, is offered to all patients and their families who are experiencing difficulty coping with the psychological and emotional impact of cancer and cancer treatment.
All individual, couple and family counseling sessions are free to Touro patients and their family members. Sessions are conducted in a private setting where confidentiality can be maintained.
How You Can Better Cope with Cancer
The trauma associated with the diagnosis of cancer can make coping difficult. “Normal” coping strategies may not be sufficient to maintain proper psychological and emotional well-being. As such, it becomes important to recognize your needs and seek out assistance to help you meet the many challenges you will likely face. Because you are unique, there is no one way to cope with cancer. Instead, it is incumbent upon every person with cancer to develop his/her own coping strategy.
While there is no ideal approach, there are some ways of coping that seem to be more effective in helping a person deal with a life-threatening disease. To effectively cope with cancer, your strategy should include the “four A’s”:
· Be AWARE of all your needs.
· ASSESS your ability to cope with cancer.
· ACKNOWLEDGE when you need help.
· ACCEPT the help that is offered.
AWARENESS
A diagnosis of cancer not only affects your physical health, but also impacts virtually every other aspect of your life including your mental, emotional, social, and financial well-being. These non-medical challenges are referred to as supportive care needs and can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Therefore, it is importance to maintain an awareness of your supportive care needs throughout your experience with cancer.
ASSESSMENT
The next step to addressing your supportive care needs involves assessing how able you are to cope with cancer. This can entail a self-assessment or having a formal one done by a healthcare professional. The advantage of a professional assessment is that you will get an objective opinion from someone experienced at evaluating your ability to cope before, during, and after cancer treatment.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Once you have assessed your ability to cope with cancer, the next step is to recognize when and how you need help. Improving your ability to cope with cancer is important to achieving a better quality of life both during and after treatment. Acknowledging what help you need and when you need it is critical to coping with cancer.
ACCEPTANCE
If you are in the habit of taking care of yourself, accepting help from someone else may seem difficult. Whether assistance comes from family, friends, or professionals, your willingness to allow others to provide you with care and support is important to achieving an improved capacity to cope with cancer. Freely accepting help when offered will better enable you to focus on healing your body and mind throughout your cancer experience.
Common Psychological Conditions
There are psychological conditions that commonly appear when a person is experiencing the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. These include acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
To learn more about the common psychological conditions, read the guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic Manual (Note: this information is being offered for informational purposes only and not for self-diagnosis).
> Click here for information on Acute Stress Disorder.
> Click here for information on Adjustment Disorder.
> Click here for information on Anxiety Disorder.
> Click here for information on Depressive Disorder.
PLEASE NOTE: To determine if you are experiencing a psychological condition, consult a licensed mental health professional for a complete evaluation.
Other Issues
The following information is offered as a guideline to help you learn more about a particular issue. This information is not meant to be comprehensive or guarantee the results you seek. If a particular problem persists, talk with your doctor to get the help you need.
REST and SLEEP
If you are having trouble getting to sleep or resting comfortably, there are some things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.
> Click here for more information on Rest and Sleep.
QUIT SMOKING
If you smoke and want to quit or have quit but are having a difficult time staying smoke-free, the I Can Quit program can help. Contact Robert Gardner, Ph.D. at 504-897-8209 for more information or to register for this free smoking cessation program.
> Click here for more information on the I Can Quit smoking cessation program.