Lung cancer is a life-threatening disease. People who are suffering from this horrific experience of diagnosis and treatment are prone to depression and anxiety. It takes a long time to even process the extent of disease mentally and then go through hospitalization drains all of the energies out of their soul and body. They get depressed because they are not able to find any hope. They believe that their life is over from here. Studies have shown that 47% of the people reported with the cancer experience depression and anxiety to some extent. It is always difficult to cope up with the body pain before the diagnosis and becomes impossible to handle physically and psychologically until the state of remission.
A lot of individuals opt for the conventional cure methods like chemotherapy and radiotherapy while others believe that they should go for more natural remedies like adding multivitamins in their diet or follow a routine of liver cleanse in order to reduce the cancer cells in the body. However, the extent to which a person’s treatment is successful totally depends on how long are they within the progress of their disease. If someone is suffering from stage four cancer, it’s very problematic to bring them back to life. They are left with zero energies to fight the disease as well as live happily.
- Relationship of Depression with Cancer Survival Rate
Fighting disease is more about a person’s psychological state and willpower to fight from within. Surely the therapies and medicines are there to escalate the process but if you give up on life, the breathing cells inside you will give up as well. The long term research with respect to the relationship of both is minimal and is still an unproven theory. The emotional experience of a patient plays a critical role indeed and the health service providers treat the psychological side of things as well. A study by BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver and Surrey concluded that around 30 to 46 % of patients with stage three cancer reports some forms of anxiety and depression even if the factors like ethnicity, type of tumor, treatment, age, and sex are controlled. They deduced that these people have minimal chances of survival rate after they come to know about their condition. This means that their bodies stop fighting against the disease which is eventually fatal for them. Although the researchers are not sure about the direct link between cancer patients and a higher level of depression with the worse outcomes during the treatment sessions, they believe that isolation and loneliness play an imperative role in aiding the deteriorating condition.
- Quality of Life for Lung Cancer Patients
Quality of life can be the well-being of the patients with respect to physical, social and mental aspects of their everyday life. It cannot be measured and only assessed based on the opinions of the person. It is documented that depression and anxiety have significantly negative effects on the quality of life of individuals suffering from lung cancer. Patients also exhibit mood disorders and negativity due to a destructive self-image of themselves and an overwhelming emotional response to the disease. As a result, the quality of life is decreased in those patients with a direct adverse influence on their treatments.
The good news is that these mood altercations can be cured with the help of therapy. It can be a combination of medicine and sessions with a psychiatrist or any one of them depending on the extent of disorder in an individual. If these efforts are able to improve the quality of life in a person than it will be easier to motivate them for life as well.
- Risk Factors attached to Depressed Lung Cancer Patients:
Cancer patients are recommended to overcome their anxiety and stress levels so that they can be on route to remission from cancer. A depressed person will less be able to cope with the difficulty of recovery with a psychological parasite like depression attacking his mind. The National Academies of Science has pointed out a number of risk factors which might become a hindrance in the cure of cancer:
- Stress hormones stand in front of the recovery process obstructing the immune function of the body and damaging the DNA by producing antibodies.
- These hormones become a catalyst for the production of cancer cells by causing inflammation and increase the growth of cytokines. They are the reason for the impairment of our immune system.
- The secretions from the production of vascular endothelial growth factor due to an increase in stress hormones promote the tumor cell growth.
- As the body starts to work on repairs to the DNA because of stress hormones, it becomes impossible to stop the growth of abnormal cells at the same time.
- Psychological Assistance for Lung Cancer Patients
It is pertinent that patients with depression having lung cancer are encouraged to attend psychological therapy sessions. These help them successfully fight through the ambiguities of their well-being. Some of the sessions are:
- Spiritual support is often used to clear the thought of loneliness making sure that the patient remembers that there is a greater source of power in action and God will cure them as well. A person’s faith is a powerful tool at hand. Spiritual counselors help the patients through the cancer journey putting anxiety as a short term hindrance.
- Some people face stress due to limited mobility as a result of their cancer treatment. These emotional byproducts can be reduced by the use of manual therapy, physical therapy and language pathology that increase a person’s quality of life.
- Drug therapy is used for patients suffering from extreme pain and suffering due to depression. The doctors prescribe these medicines to the patients facing hysterical fear, dread, and anxiety. The doctors have to make sure that they are on track with their journey of a cancer-free life by taking their treatments and drug therapy seriously.
Conclusion:
Stress and Anxiety are byproducts of most of the cancer diseases. The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t lose hope against the struggles of life. It is a hugely difficult task to get up in the morning for a depressed person. On the contrary, patients who keep their calm and proactively work to improve the quality of their life have a higher recovery rate. They may include counseling session, psychotherapy and community activities which keep your soul energized. The key to all the success is that you don’t forget the beauties of life and romantic shadows of sunset with your loved ones. It will give you the strength for not only yourself but for your family as well.