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Emotional Health & Wellness

Cancer can deeply affect our emotions and feelings. It is normal to have emotional changes before, during, and after cancer treatments.

Some emotions you may experience include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Guilt
  • Helplessness or hopelessness
  • Fear of cancer recurrence
  • Loneliness or sadness
  • Feeling on edge or overwhelmed

When faced with differing emotions, it’s important to accept these feelings and allow yourself time to heal. It may be helpful to talk with a friend, family member, or a counselor. You might also find it helpful to journal about your feelings.

If you find that your feelings are impairing your ability to work, maintain relationships, or care for yourself, it might be best to seek out advice and assistance from a professional.

Let’s talk about two common emotions people may feel when dealing with cancer: anxiety and depression.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress that can be helpful in certain situations. Everyone experiences anxiety.

Anxiety can become problematic if it becomes excessive and prevents you from managing your work, home life, relationships, or self-care.

If you find that your anxiety is causing you problems in everyday life (such as with relationships, work, school, or self-care), you may want to consider seeking help from a professional. This could be as simple as reaching out to your primary care provider, your oncology team, or getting connected with a mental health professional.

Anxiety can be treated with psychotherapy, healthy lifestyle changes, getting adequate sleep, and/or medications.

The CCSP can help support through:

Depression

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression can have the following symptoms:

  • Sadness or low mood
  • Loss of interest in things you once enjoyed
  • Appetite changes (increased or reduced appetite)
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Fatigue
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Thoughts of death, suicide, or self-harm

You don’t have to have all of these symptoms to be depressed and these symptoms can range from mild to severe.

If you are struggling with depression and it is affecting your quality of life, please speak to a professional. This could be as simple as reaching out to your primary care provider, your oncology team, or getting connected with a mental health professional.

Depression can be treated with counseling, medications, getting good sleep, and/or making healthy life-style choices (such as through exercise or healthy eating).

Body Image Challenges

Cancer treatments can change the way we look, which also can lead to coping difficulties. Here are some common challenges:

  • Hair loss
  • Skin changes
  • Scars from surgery
  • Weight changes
  • Loss of limbs
  • Ostomy

Everyone copes with changes to their bodies differently. It’s ok to mourn your losses and feel angry, sad, disappointed and/or frustrated.

Here are some tips to consider when coping with body changes:

  • Let other people support you. Do not be afraid to ask for help and accept help from others.
  • Seek help from a mental health professional.
  • Give yourself time to adjust. It’s ok to be gentle with yourself while getting used to changes.
  • Look for new ways to enhance your appearance. A new hairstyle, make-up, or clothing may help you feel better. If you are wearing a wig, you can see if a hairstylist can enhance the style.
  • Consider talking to others who have experienced similar changes. Support groups are a great way to meet others who understand exactly what you are going through.

Our group of psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors provide compassionate support and symptom management for the challenges that often come with a cancer diagnosis.

If you or your loved one is interested in speaking with a member of our counseling team or a psychiatry provider, please visit CCSP Mental & Emotional Health for services and contact information.

Resources at UNC

Additional resources