Cancer And Stress

Stress Management For Skin Cancer Patients

Receiving news that you have skin cancer, malignant or not, is devastating. Ultimately cancer and stress will go hand in hand while you are receiving treatment and waiting for follow-up appointments.

Easing the stress of cancer is important to your recovery and general wellbeing especially if you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. This section will explore stress management for cancer patients and investigate some recommended tips on stress management to help you build your emotional and physical strength.

There are two types of stress that will impact on your life if you are suffering from skin cancer; emotional stress and physical stress.

Skin Cancer And Emotional Stress

You will be flooded with intense feelings of emotion if you have any serious illness. Common emotions felt are worry, panic, fear, anger, worrying about your family worrying, coping with work, money and finances and dealing with the possible onset of depression.

It is important that you are not alone during this period as having support from friends and family will help you to cope with these emotional changes. Your peers will understand that cancer and stress are a natural phenomenon and their help may play a significant part in your emotional recovery.

Skin Cancer and Physical Stress

Treatment for skin cancer can take its toll on the healthiest of bodies. However, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and even surgical removal can cause unwanted side effects that can wipe out your physical strength and leave you feeling incredibly low.

Pain can cause immense stress, and it is important that you discuss your pain management with your doctor or consultant. Being comfortable can make a huge difference to your mental attitude and outlook. If you are having invasive treatment such as surgical removal or biopsies, be prepared for infections around wound sites, these can take hold very quickly and require immediate medication. Some deep tissue infections can lead to cellulitis which can cause a lot of swelling and a redness that spreads fast. It is also unbearably painful. Recognising infection early will avoid situations like this and aid to a speedier recovery.

Tips On Stress Management For Skin Cancer Patients

• Eat Well - A healthy diet is paramount to giving your body all the nutrients it needs to rebuild itself. Do not skip meals because you don't feel in the mood to prepare food and don't binge on sugary snacks for comfort. One of the best books I have ever read is called The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger by Diana Schwarzbein, MD.

  She describes the impact a poor diet and lifestyle has on the body, with raised cortisol levels being at the root of many health conditions. It is an exceptional read that is easy to follow and understand. There are also very easy to implement food choices that should appeal to most people.

• Sleep Well - Worry, fear and anxiety can have a dreadful effect on your sleeping pattern. Laying for hours on end with everything going round and round in your head will leave you exhausted and irritable. This will affect your whole outlook and you may find yourself being less able to cope with the emotional and physical demands of cancer and stress. Using some of the other tips here should help you find a balance and aid in restful sleep.

• Exercise and Activity - Most of us hate exercise but just being a little bit more active can help your body deal with stress more effectively. There is no need to rush to the nearest gym, of course you can if you like, but simple changes can have more longevity. Walking instead of using the car, taking stairs rather than the lift and more outdoor pursuits perhaps at weekends all add up to a fitter you. Combine this with our book recommendationabove and you will look and feel so much better in no time. If you are more 'gym' orientated, we have found a fabulous exercise program online that maximises results with the least strain. You can even do it in the comfort of your own home and there are videos that you can follow to explain what to do. It's so good, that I have just signed up for it myself! Perhaps we can compare progress?

• Avoid Pick-Me-Ups - Drinking excessive coffee, alcohol, smoking cigarettes etc will absolutely not help you to gain control of your situation. You need to keep a clear head and focus on things that bring positivity into your life and add value. Swamping your body with toxins and chemical stimulants will only further the decline in your health and make recovery slower for you mentally.

• Counseling -A problem shared is a problem halved as they say. Working through your emotions with someone that is impartial can have a really positive effect. It helps your mind find answers to problems and any emotional issues you may have regarding your skin cancer. A good therapist or counselor will be able to guide you through the many traumas of serious illness whilst remaining detached from any feelings themselves. Simply offloading your troubles can lift your spirits, helping you to find your way back to positivity and control.

• Complimentary Therapy - A little 'me time' does wonders for relaxation and de-stressing.Complimentary therapy is slowly becoming more popular for easing the stress of cancer. The most popular treatments are massage, especially aromatherapy massage, yoga or pilates and meditation for mental focus. Massage for skin cancer patients (commonly referred to as Oncology Massage) can help reduce pain, treat aching muscles and promote relaxation thereby helping sleep and reducing anxiety. For those with cancer, massage treatment can give you that short amount of time desperately needed to escape from the trauma of illness. Yoga is an Indian philosophy that has been around for many years. It is thought that it can strengthen the immune system and encourage healing. It involves relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation and posture control. Meditation relaxes the mind, reducing stress which enables better coping and emotional strength. According to Cancer Research UK, meditation can help control pain, tiredness, nausea and high blood pressure.

• Social Support - Make time for friends and family. A support network positively impacts overall wellbeing. Having good friends that you can discuss your feelings with can be as good as therapy for some. Making time to have fun with friends will take you away from the anxiety of cancer and stress helping you to feel 'normal' again.

• Get A Hobby - There is nothing better than finding an activity that you really enjoy. If you don't have any hobbies, try and find something that interests you and see if you can develop it into a regular pastime. It is this type of distraction that can help you relax considerably.

• Spiritual Therapy - According to an article published in The Annuls Of Behavioral Medicine (Volume 24, Number 1 / February, 2002, p49-58), "A significant relation between religion and better health has been demonstrated in a variety of healthy and patient populations. In the past several years, there has been a focus on the role of spirituality, as distinct from religion, in health promotion and coping with chronic illness". Spiritual healing can compliment conventional medicine by treating the body as a whole creating a feeling of relaxation and peace. Derryn Borley, the head of support services at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: “There is evidence that it improves patients' moods and can help with physical symptoms. It also helps people to go through chemotherapy.”

Summary For Cancer And Stress Management

Over the past twenty years, extensive clinical research has revealed that a combination of emotional factors and a sedentary lifestyle may change the body's ability to fight skin cancer by reducing the immune system. Changing exercise patterns and emotional states could therefore play a powerful role in preventing or surviving the disease.