Emotions during the diagnosis stage of cancer will impact you and your family and friends. You will feel fear about the changes you face – all of them unwanted. Your friends and family will be fearful for you. You may experience confusion or a numbness of emotions. No matter what you feel, it is important to let your emotions out and not internalize them.1
Many people immediately ‘shut down’ when they hear that the mole they have been watching on their face is skin cancer or the skin lesion on their back is more serious than they thought. Up until now you may have thought you knew what the mole was, but when you actually hear the diagnosis from the doctor you become overwhelmed with doubts, questions, and fear.
The Reality
Everybody will respond differently when they receive their initial skin cancer diagnosis. Some cancer patients put all of their emotions into facing the condition head on. They immediately separate their emotional response from the physical reality of the situation – while still remembering that emotions will play a part in the outcome of the disease.
These patients ask serious questions and take charge of their treatment. The do research and gain as much knowledge as possible about their condition. They scan the internet and other sources for new and cutting edge skin cancer techniques and treatments. A strong motivation keeps this type of patient motivated to succeed through treatment. This type of response leads to positive psychological adjustment.2
For some patients, the reality of a skin cancer diagnosis is too overwhelming. They can be thrown into a state of denial. They may look like they are not dealing with the situation but their denial is their way of coping with their diagnosis of skin cancer and the resulting emotions.
Denial is used by people to cope in a multitude of situations. It is no surprise that it is one of the ways people respond to a cancer diagnosis. Denial allows the skin cancer patient to slowly adjust to the new diagnosis. It negates feelings of being overwhelmed. It leads to more support from friends and family.
Fortunately, denial is a stage. People normally move out of denial quickly as they adjust to their diagnosis. They begin to face the reality of skin cancer and begin to sort out their emotions and take positive steps toward treatment.
Keeping Up the Hope
Accepting the reality of a skin cancer diagnosis brings along other emotions. In the best cases, once a patient overcomes the shock of a diagnosis he or she can pinpoint their emotions toward the future. Optimistic attitudes are a big factor is successful skin cancer treatment.
While doctors and health care professionals can tell their patients to keep positive for their own good, it is not an easy road. You can be hopeful while still feeling like you lost the Lotto, (you did get skin cancer, right)?
Some people fear optimism. They may think…Look at all the people who have tried too hard and fought so long, just to die a painful and long death. If you are so lucky why do you have skin cancer in the first place?
Patients also feel optimism can be presuming. It goes like this: If so many other skin cancer patients have not responded well to treatment what makes me think I will do any better?
When you feel emotions of optimism you may automatically tell yourself that you are not focused enough on worrying. You may feel that you are asking for problems. Plus, if your prognosis during the diagnosis stage is more positive than other people you might again feel conflicting emotions – how can you enjoy success when others are experiencing failure?
Express Yourself
During the diagnosis stage you must learn to express your emotions before you become overwhelmed. Research shows that many patients who are able to express themselves have a higher cure rate.3
There are many reasons to express your feelings during these difficult times. You will give yourself an outlet for confusing and overwhelming emotions. Once you express your feelings you can begin to work through them. Moreover, expression of your feelings will bring other people – your friends, family, and caregivers, a chance to get on board early, during the diagnosis stage.
Support
Every skin cancer patient needs their own support network. Support options vary within families, within communities, and across the country. Patients who have even a small support network fare better psychologically after their skin cancer diagnosis than patients without support.4
If support is not available in your family or with your friends you must immediately go outside your network and build your own support group using local resources. Many communities offer cancer support groups for specific types of cancer, including skin cancer. The skin cancer survivor network is another large support network.
Be Proactive
Take charge of your skin cancer diagnosis. Do not sit back and let skin cancer happen to you. You may work through several stages of grief, similar to the death of a loved one. You are the biggest participant in your health care team. Learn everything you can about skin cancer so you can help make informed decisions. Being an active part of your health care team will empower you and help you corral your emotions from the diagnosis stage and further. It will help you turn negative thoughts and emotions into proactive actions.
References
1 A Message of Hope: Coping with Cancer in Everyday Life. (n.d.). Retrieved from American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/EmotionalSideEffects/
CopingwithCancerinEverydayLife/a-message-of-hope-emotional-impact-of-cancer
2 Cancer Diagnosis: Advice for Dealing with What Comes Next. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer-diagnosis/HQ00379
3 Why Do I Feel So Ovewhelmed? (n.d.). Retrieved from Cancer Council: www.cancerwa.asn.au/patients/coping-with-cancer/emotional-effects/
4 Ibid
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