What are the critical details you need to know about the emotional impact of cancer on kids?

Cancer is not only a physical battle but it will be impacting the mental and emotional well-being of the individuals very seriously. From the moment of diagnosis through the treatment and recovery, managing mental health will be very critical. Following is the comprehensive guide that you need to know about the practical tips for maintaining mental wellness during the cancer treatment journey with the help of HEME oncology doctors:

1. Initial diagnosis shock: Hearing the words that “you have cancer” could be very difficult for anyone and some of the common initial reactions in this particular case will be consistent anger, anxiety, sadness and fear. All of these emotions are natural as well as valid but a prolonged level of stress will be affecting the treatment outcomes as well as quality of life.
2. Mental health challenges during the treatment: Patients who are undergoing cancer treatment will be facing a significant number of emotional struggles including depression about the future, fatigue, lower element of motivation due to physical weakness and body image issues after the surgery or chemotherapy in addition to the social isolation during the extended hospital stay.
3. Mental health challenges for cancer survivors: After the recovery, the survivor will experience the fear of recurrence, guilt of surviving, and post-traumatic stress disorder and all of these emotions will affect the personal and professional life if they have not been addressed

How can you successfully manage your mental health during the cancer journey? 

1. Building a very strong support system: One of the most important things that you need to take into consideration is to always focus on building a strong support system and for this purpose getting in touch with the haematology and medical oncology doctors will be highly recommended so that things are very well sorted out and you will be very much clear about sharing your thoughts and feelings with the family and close friends. Joining the support groups to connect with people who will understand your experience will be important because the support in this case will be helpful in reducing the fear of loneliness and will be improving engagement levels.
2. Seeking professional mental health support: Getting in touch with a psychologist, psychiatrist and counsellor who will be specialising in cancer care will be important and further you can go for exploring therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness therapy and support groups for emotional guidance. If required you can also go for medication for depression and anxiety as recommended by the doctors.
3. Practising the mind-body techniques: Mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing exercises will be always at the forefront in reducing stress and promoting calm behaviour which is the main reason that going for yoga and meditation will be important because it will improve mental clarity. Journalling in this particular case will be also very important because it will be all about expressing emotions and organising your thought process.
4. Remaining physically active: Encouraging yourself to get involved in light activities like swimming, walking, and stretching will be highly recommended because it will be all about improving energy levels as well as mood further paediatric neurology doctors will be highly recommending that people get involved into exercise because it will be releasing the endorphins that will be naturally boosting the emotional well-being.
5. Focusing on nutrition and sleep: It is highly recommended that people focus on following a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with lean protein so that they can support their physical and emotional health without any problems. Going for approximately 7-8 hours of sleep will be highly recommended because it will help you maintain the emotional balance and you can also focus on developing good sleeping habits like limiting screen time before bed which will improve the rest.
6. It is recommended to set very realistic goals: Breaking the task into small and manageable steps will be very important so that you will be able to enjoy better focus as well as progress and further celebrating small achievements to remain motivated and build confidence will be highly recommended so that things are very well sorted out. This will be helpful in making sure that setting realistic goals will be perfectly done and you will be able to achieve the goals without any problem.
7. Exploring the creative outlet: Getting involved in multiple activities like writing, music, art and gardening will be very important because this is a very healthy opportunity of expressing your emotions and further going for the creative pursuit is highly recommended because it will provide you with a sense of control. In this case, you will be able to remain very focused on positive experiences without any problems at any point in time.

Ignoring mental health throughout the process will lead to poor treatment, weakening of immunity and reduction of overall well-being which is the main reason that studies very well recommend the patient to focus on managing emotional health so that everybody can enjoy better treatment outcomes and a very high quality of life. It is highly recommended that people make sure that they always ask for help as a sign of strength and not as a sign of weakness because establishing priority towards mental health will make making significant difference in your overall cancer journey and further recognising the emotions early will be helpful in offering you with better support and better professional intervention throughout the process.

Additionally, the caregivers in this particular case should also focus on listening to the thoughts of the patients very easily without any element of judgement and further encouraging the participation in counselling and support groups will be important so that monitoring the signs of emotional distress will be very well done. In this way, everyone will be able to take good care of their own mental health very successfully and eventually will be able to enjoy the element of support throughout the process without any problem. Hence being very much aware of the above-mentioned points will be recommended for people so that everybody will be able to enjoy improvement of emotional resilience with overall quality of life by seeking professional help, building a support system and adopting healthy lifestyle habits.