CBT For Anxiety & Depression After A Cancer Diagnosis
Feelings of anxiety and depression are common when patients and their loved ones are facing a cancer diagnosis.
Living with cancer is challenging and it is natural to feel grief or worry about the future. It’s normal to feel sadness and anger after a cancer diagnosis, but for some people their sorrow may continue and get gradually worse. This may indicate the person is struggling with depression and needs additional support to help them to learn to live with their cancer diagnosis.
People with any long-term health issue should also seek to improve their emotional health, as by reducing anxiety levels they can improve their emotional wellbeing to help them come to terms with, and accept, their diagnosis.
We understand that asking for help is not easy, but with the correct guidance and support, there are proven techniques which can help to improve emotional well-being for people living with a cancer diagnosis.
How CBT can help with a cancer diagnosis
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of evidence-based verbal counselling that can help those with cancer to better manage their mental health. Cancer can undermine a person’s self-esteem and confidence, leading to stress, anxiety and depression, as they feel they have no control of the situation and may fear for their future.
CBT cannot change a cancer diagnosis, but instead focuses on recognising and questioning the negative and unhelpful thoughts that cause emotional distress. Once the problematic thought patterns are identified, the client and therapist can discuss techniques to manage unhelpful thoughts in a more productive and realistic way.
With help from a cognitive behavioural professional, clients can learn to cope with their life-changing diagnosis, explore their thought process and face up to their challenges to take back control of their lives, away from the anxiety a cancer diagnosis can bring.
Speak to our experienced therapists
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Interventions have successfully helped hundreds of clients understand the emotional complexities of a diagnosis of cancer. The cognitive approach can greatly improve a person’s outlook on life and give them the confidence to learn to live with their conditions and allow them to lead a fulfilling life with reduced levels of anxiety or depression.
