{"id":325,"date":"2017-10-20T10:55:45","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T14:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/therapistnutritionistorlando.com\/wordpress\/?p=325"},"modified":"2017-10-20T11:04:57","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:04:57","slug":"3-ways-cancer-can-impact-someones-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/therapistnutritionistorlando.com\/wordpress\/3-ways-cancer-can-impact-someones-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways Cancer Can Impact Someone’s Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Article Author <\/a><\/div>\n
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Cara Tompot<\/a>, Contributor<\/div>\n
Social Media Addict, LGBTQ+ Advocate, Feminist, Cancer Activist<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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3 Ways Cancer Can Impact Someone\u2019s Mental Health<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
10\/19\/2017 10:01 am ET<\/span> Updated<\/strong> 18 hours ago <\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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Because cancer affects more than just the body, survivors often experience a variety of mental health challenges after a cancer diagnosis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Imagine being told that all the things you plan, all the moments you hope to have and all the achievements you aspire to may not happen. That\u2019s what it is like when you hear a doctor say, \u201cYou have cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While many people know others who have battled or are currently battling some form of cancer, hearing those words never gets easier. Just because medical advancements have greatly improved the chances of remission and a long, healthy life doesn\u2019t mean that diagnosis won\u2019t drastically change your life. Because that\u2019s the thing about life-changing diagnoses like cancer: They change everything.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When people imagine the experience of a typical cancer patient, what often comes to mind are physical symptoms like hair loss, nausea and fatigue. However, some of the biggest challenges a patient and their loved ones have to face are mental.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhen I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, I had a six-week-old baby. I wondered whether I\u2019d see her grow up, whether she\u2019d remember me when I was gone,\u201d my mom explains. \u201cI was told to get my affairs in order and hope for a year. What did that mean for my family? How would my 12-year-old son cope?\u201d Fortunately, my mom beat the odds and is now entering her 24th year of cancer survivorship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The types of thoughts my mom had after receiving her diagnosis can take a toll on a patient\u2019s mental health and overall well-being, according to Dana Nolan, a licensed mental health counselor in central Florida.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Being diagnosed [with cancer] does not make someone mentally ill. But, in my experience, most cancer patients develop symptoms of anxiety and depression at some point during or after their treatment. While it is normal to experience mental health challenges, it is not necessary to simply suffer through it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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No two people respond the same way to difficult news, but there are several common mental health issues that may develop after any type of cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cancer survivors and their loved ones may experience anxiety, depression and grief at various times of a cancer battle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Anxiety<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Cancer offers plenty of chances to worry both during and after cancer treatment. After you or someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, anxious thoughts and worries like these may become impossible to ignore:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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