Fear
Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C Program Manager, Oncology Social Work
JUNE 08, 2017
Without a doubt, fear accompanies cancer. The immediate urgent terror is : Am I going to die? That is generally followed by fear of the prescribed treatments; people sometimes die in surgery; we have all heard horrific stories about chemotherapy; how can I accept radiation when I have spent my whole life avoiding that exposure? There is fear, or at least worry/anxiety, about side effects, about hair loss, about nausea and pain. We worry about the impact on our families. Will I be able to keep working? What is the financial hit? The worry list is endless.
Even as a little time passes and we settle into some kind of a routine, fear accompanies us. It is probably especially intense around a scan or an important doctor's appointment or if we notice a new symptom that might be a sign of more cancer. We manage this anxiety in all kinds of ways, but this entry is about a new program developed in Canada.
From Health Day News:
Conquering One Big Cancer Side Effect: Fear
FRIDAY, June 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer can be a frightening,
nerve-wracking disease, and
medical science often overlooks the emotional toll it takes on patients.
Now, a trio of new studies shows that three therapy programs can help
people deal with the turmoil and
stress of cancer.
One study focused on a brief series of therapy sessions developed by
Canadian researchers to help patients
with advanced cancer manage the practical and emotional problems they face.
That program, called CALM, consists of three to six 45- to 60-minute
sessions delivered by trained health
care professionals.
CALM sessions focus on ways to best handle health care decisions, personal
relationships and fears related
to the end of life, said lead researcher Dr. Gary Rodin, head of supportive
care at the Princess Margaret
Cancer Center in Toronto.