Understanding Psychosocial Support Services Having cancer is hard and going through it can be very involving, devastating and complicated. It affects the person with cancer,
family members or loved ones socially, economically and emotionally. This is known as the psycho-social effect of coping with cancer.
Common reactions to cancer
- Shock
- Anger
- Bitterness
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Helplessness
- Hopelessness
- Feeling out of control
- Feeling that there is nothing they can do to help themselves or their situation
- Feeling guilty, worthless and like they are a burden to other people.
These feelings continue during treatment or when there occurs unexpected changes in the course of treatment. The feelings also occur to family members who feel completely inadequate when it comes to taking care of the patient. Negative feelings related to cancer often come and go. They usually improve with time as the person and family members accept the cancer diagnosis and treatment eventually gaining the required coping skills.
Why are social and emotional issues a problem?
Social and emotional issues can be difficult for the affected person and for the family members. They are difficult to understand and to talk about. This is because they do not know who to trust or to talk to although they have so much to share. Eventually this can lead to other problems, like depression. Just as there are cancer treatment teams and surgical teams, there are also teams of experts, each with a different focus on mental or social health, who understand how cancer affects the patient and the family. Psycho-social team plays the role of offering the patient / family members the Psychological and emotional support needed during this difficult period.
Psycho-social support includes mental health counseling, education, spiritual support through prayers, support group meetings, and many other such services. These services are usually provided by mental health professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, counselors, specialized nurses, clergy, pastoral team, and many others. These professionals might also refer you or your family to other sources for help if they identify other needs.
Support Groups
Support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe environment to share their feelings, express their doubts and to talk about their challenges. They also allow people to interact and learn from others facing similar situations. Groups offer support through a variety of ways. Each person should find the group that works best for his or her needs. The following are different types of support groups:
- All individuals with cancer or cancer survivors
- People with a particular type of cancer, such as breast cancer or prostate cancer
- People of a certain age group e.g. youth
- Caregivers, such as family members and close friends
Tumaini Cancer Support Organization
At Tumaini we offer Psycho-Social support amongst other services. Some of the services we offer include:
- Visiting the cancer patients / their families to encourage them and to pray with them
- We offer Psychological / Emotional support through counselling
- We offer education on cancer prevention and early detection
- We already have a support group for cancer survivors which meets once a month to share experiences and challenges.
- We can help you start a support group in your own community.
Cancer is a reality. We can all work together and make the world a better place.