Psycho oncology -why does cancer patients require psychotherapy?

Research reported the risk of cancer patient’s life is much higher if undergoing depression episodes.

Depressive mood changes our body’s endorphin and our immune system. It incurs undesirable behavior from the cancer sufferer such as giving up treatments or suicidal ideas. Cancer sickness also changes a person’s view on future, the life style and the relationship with their family. Cancer creates psychological problems to the patient and their family members such as anxiety, anger, hopelessness, depression etc.

Psychotherapy is to help them to cope with the sudden changes which are beyond their normal coping capacity.

Palliative psychotherapy (late stage) – Dignity therapy

This is to create a life-time diary of the patient directly from the patient’s words. The diary is meant to give the patient the notion that life may end but the patient’s achievement will not be deleted from the family and close friends.

This diary may also include items such as unfinished business, unspoken words, expectations or hopes for the patient’s loved ones, photos and song.

This job best done by a third party psychotherapist. This would be the Last thing the cancer patient needed to finish.

Therapy for cancer recovered patient

Psychologist in Oncology reported over 50% of the people who have recovered from the cancer illness suffers from anxiety disorder and depressive disorders.

The stress we encounters in our daily life affects ex-cancer people much heavily. Stress directly lower our immune system and also increasing the chance of re-occurence. For the cancer recovered patients,stress more easy affect their their body.

Regular Psychotherapy is to lower the chance of recurrence by assisting the client to manage their mood by helping them to maintain their perception on negative events.