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CANCER PSYCHOLOGY: A PROFESSIONAL LISTENING EAR
Receiving a diagnosis of cancer, undergoing unpleasant treatments and learning to adapt to life with cancer poses major challenges which can threaten our ability to maintain our quality of life.
People find that talking to family and friends and health care professionals about the illness and its effects can help, by sharing the burden, getting things off one’s chest and talking out loud for the first time. They can gain a greater sense of support and clarity.
Research has shown that for some people, talking to a psychologist really helps. When difficult feelings, memories or thoughts get stuck in our mind or keep going round and round in our head, it can make us feel miserable and stop us from doing the things we want to do. Talking about them can help us make sense of them and allows us to focus on what we want to get out of life.
Pan Birmingham Cancer Network, together with Macmillan Cancer Relief, now provides Clinical Psychologists who can see cancer patients, their carers and family members.
You can talk to them about things like:
- Dealing with a sense that your future is uncertain.
- Managing the demands of home and family life while caring for yourself.
- Feelings of depression and anxiety.
- Feeling unhappy about the way you look.
- Relationship and sexual difficulties.
- Coping with adjustments and change.
- Coping with treatment and the psychological elements of pain management.
If you are not sure whether or not to ask for a referral, then the self-assessment questionnaire on the right hand side of the page may help you determine whether you might benefit from Professional counselling.
Referrals can also be made by Consultants and Clinical Nurse Specialists. To ask for an appointment or speak to a Psychologist please telephone: Ms Karen Bassett (Cancer Psychology Secretary) on 0121 627 5758.
Page created : ginad (28/02/2007 23:32:16), last updated : MandyW (09/06/2009 12:20:00)
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