Head and neck cancer can be a mental challenge as well as a physical one
A person coping with head and neck cancer may feel a lot of conflicting emotions.
When someone is told she has head and neck cancer, she may wonder: Is it my fault?
Am I being punished? Or can I control my body with my mind, and, by thinking positively,
beat cancer? Maybe I just need to relax… But how?
These questions and many others are all a normal part of facing a disease as serious
as cancer. And reducing the stress that comes with a head and neck cancer diagnosis
may help make life with the disease more manageable.
Stay positive, when you can.
One way to reduce stress is to think positively and keep an optimistic outlook.
Yet many people with head and neck cancer won’t feel particularly positive all of
the time. This is normal. Sadness, fear, and other negative emotions are all part
of the experience of cancer, and ignoring them or denying them may do more harm
than good—making those emotions more powerful in the end.
Instead, admitting to negative feelings and looking for emotional support from loved
ones can help. Talking to cancer survivors and healthcare professionals who deal
with cancer regularly can also give new perspectives to what may at first seem like
a hopeless diagnosis.
Knowing your limits.
Just as it’s important to stay positive as much as possible, and to keep facing
cancer with hope and the support of those who love you, it’s important to keep in
mind that positive thought alone cannot cure cancer.
Trying your hardest is great. But people who believe that the power of the mind
can halt the advance of cancer may be disappointed and blame themselves if their
condition gets worse. It’s good to stay positive but realistic, and to forgive yourself.
As far as research shows, good emotions can’t cure cancer. But then, bad emotions
do not cause cancer to grow.
11 quick ideas toward emotional well-being.
If you find yourself scared or overwhelmed as you face cancer, consider some of
the following simple thoughts on how to keep looking forward with hope:
- Let go: Once every day, tell yourself, “Who cares?” If your house
is a mess, if you feel down, if you forget something important—let it go. No one
can do everything, so forgive yourself.
- Talk it out: Talk to someone you trust. Say everything. Hold back
nothing. Be honest, and let each emotion pass through you.
- Cry: Whether you’re alone or having a heart-to-heart with a close
friend or loved one—if you cry, just cry. You may very well feel better afterward.
- Hug it out: The power of touching another person can sometimes
achieve what words can’t.
- Try to have faith: If you were raised in a religion, consider whether
or not it would offer you comfort and insight into the meaning of life’s challenges
today. If you have always been curious, perhaps start attending prayer sessions,
or speak with a priest, rabbi, minister, imam, or other person of faith.
- Be patient: You don’t have to dwell on the diagnosis or what surgery,
chemo, or other treatments will or won’t accomplish. Don’t count yourself out.
- Take naps: Besides replenishing your body, sleep gives your mind
a chance to unwind. When you wake up, you may feel differently than you did when
you laid down.
- Ask for help: Especially if you have children or a partner around
the house, don’t feel like you have to do everything you normally do, and don’t
worry about being a burden. You have enough to worry about already.
- Treat yourself: Do something just for yourself, something that
will take your mind off your condition.
- Join a support group: Find the right place to get one-on-one support.
- Don’t blame yourself: For all the research, cancer is still mysterious.
You are not your cancer. Don’t look for answers to questions like “why me?”
No matter what, remember that you can reach out to others.
There are plenty of people to share questions, anxieties, and hopes with. Don’t
forget that, no matter where you are headed in terms of treatment, you are not alone.
Get suggestions for talking with your doctor
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