Pay attention to psychological abnormalities in cancer patients

All cancer patients experience emotional reactions from diagnosis to treatment. Spiritual care for cancer patients plays a core role in improving the patient's chances of survival and quality of life.

In cancer patients, the general psychological development usually goes through 4 stages:
Surprise and suspicion: after learning that they have cancer, the patient is surprised, some people fall into depression, melancholy. , angry with everyone. After a few days, many patients will turn into a suspicious state, not knowing if the doctor has correctly diagnosed the disease. They will go to many doctors and medical facilities for examination and hope for the possibility that they do not have cancer. Hope: the patient's mental stress is relieved, trusting the opinions of doctors and medical staff, hoping that surgery and other treatments will help cure the disease. Acceptance: after surgical intervention or using other therapeutic methods, the patient accepted his disease, continued monitoring and followed the treatment direction. They no longer think much about death and feel no guilt about illness. Waiting: terminal cancer patients accept death, not too concerned about how the cancer dies, but put their hope in a future life in another world.

2.1 What is anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of tension, restlessness, or fear that alerts the body to react to threats. However, anxiety of intense intensity and duration can be a disorder that interferes with a person's relationships and daily functioning.

There are two types of anxiety: acute anxiety and chronic anxiety. Acute anxiety lasts for a short period of time, while chronic anxiety persists for a long time.
Many cancer patients experience symptoms of anxiety such as:
Fear of treatment or side effects of treatment. Fear of cancer recurrence or metastasis after treatment. Worried about the instability of the cancer. Worried about losing self-control. Worry about changing relationships. Fear of death. Anxiety can make it more difficult for patients to choose cancer care and treatment options.
2.2 Symptoms of Acute Anxiety People with acute anxiety frequently experience the following symptoms for a short period of time:
Intense fear. Indifference to self or surroundings. Excited, heart beating fast. Increased blood pressure, chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling of suffocation, sweating, chills, dizziness or lifting sensation, tremors, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain,. ..

2.3 Symptoms of Chronic Anxiety Chronic anxiety includes acute anxiety attacks accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms, persisting for a long time:
Excessive worry. Feelings of restlessness, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating. Muscle tension. Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up in the middle of the night. Hesitancy, or difficulty making decisions.

There are many ways to help cancer patients deal with anxiety, stress, or negative thoughts. Specifically:
3.1 Relaxation techniques Relaxation techniques can be used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments. The relaxation methods that are commonly applied today are:
Deep breathing. Stretching: involves stretching and relaxing muscles throughout the body. Visual relaxation: use language and music to help patients visualize positive scenes, experiences, and emotions. Meditation: focus attention in one direction to achieve a state of calm and reduce nervous tension. Hypnosis. Yoga: Coordinate breathing and exercises in various poses to promote relaxation.

3.2 Psychotherapy Mental health professionals help patients navigate positive thoughts. Psychological treatment options include individual therapy, pair or family therapy, and group therapy. In addition, psychologists can also prescribe medication for patients to use more.
3.3 Medication For cancer patients with moderate or severe anxiety, stress, and medication, the doctor may prescribe medication. Your doctor will choose a medication based on your medical condition, potential side effects, medications you're taking, and your medical history. Patients need to share with their doctor about the medications they are taking so that the doctor can prescribe them accordingly because some drugs can interact with anti-anxiety and stress medications.
Some cancer patients improve psychological symptoms 2 weeks after taking the drug. However, for the full effect, patients are usually advised to take the drug for 6 to 8 weeks. In addition, the use of drugs may not be effective enough to treat anxiety and stress, but needs to be combined with psychological treatments.
In addition, cancer patients can also experience the service of examination, counseling and outpatient treatment of psychological problems at the Psychology Clinic - Vinmec Times City Hospital. Thanks to the modern machinery and a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses, the hospital's Psychology clinic can deploy psychological tests and in-depth psychotherapy to best serve patients. medical examination and treatment, providing customers with the highest quality service.
The Psychology Clinic of Vinmec Times City Hospital is currently cooperating with leading experts from Hanoi Medical University and frontline hospitals in the country as well as around the world to diagnose and treat diseases. mentality.
The medical team of psychologists at the hospital includes:
Master, Resident Doctor Pham Thanh Luan: trained at prestigious universities and practiced professionally in France. Dr. Luan has 5 years of experience in researching, examining and treating diseases in the Psychiatric specialty. Master, Resident Doctor Nguyen Van Phi: has 7 years of experience as a lecturer in Psychiatry - Hanoi Medical University and a psychiatrist at Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Central Geriatric Hospital . Master, Resident Doctor Nguyen Thi Hoa: has more than 04 years of experience in research, examination and treatment of diseases in the Psychiatric specialty. Master, Resident Doctor Nguyen Thanh Long: has experience in researching, examining and treating diseases of the Psychiatric specialty. Dr. Long was trained at prestigious universities and practiced professionally in the French Republic. Location at Vinmec Times City:
Room 4063, 4th floor, General Internal Medicine Department
Clinic working schedule from 8:00am - 12:00pm, afternoon 13:00-17h00