“Why me?” – by Adrian Pogacian

Probably, the present-day question of every oncological patient.

Our world is vast and complex – this is the unchanged thing of everyday reality… Nowadays, we are experiencing tremendous times in our vast and complex world; events follow each another quickly, the entire international social environment being itself in a real Brownian movement and, paraphrasing a famous literary line, time seems to have no longer patience.

One of the consequences of our chaotic reality is cancer, which belongs to that class of diseases that impacts the physical health of the patient and its family; life after the oncological diagnosis will never be the same for any human being. The first and most important aspect is that cancer influences the emotions and personality of every patient:

Emotions: cancer is fear – the word itself stirs up an imminent danger; cancer is sadness – the word itself suggests the threat of loss; cancer is anger – the word itself can bring to mind the thought of a limited life.

Personality: available data indicate that 1 out of 2 oncological patients suffers personality change or disorder fighting with the disease. In this regard, Psycho-Oncology is one of the first domains of health and clinical psychology that have been developed at the borderline of medicine and psychology. Hence, Psycho-oncology is gaining subspecialty status by currently bringing a set of clinical skills in counseling, behavioral and social interventions in oncology, by providing training programs that teach basic knowledge and skills in the field, by creating a body of academic research concerning relevant clinically aspects in the care of cancer patients.

But despite the progress in medicine and technology, cancer remains a relentless disease. The news that a person have cancer is terrible not only for the patient, but also for the family members, and it can bring unexpected changes in the relationships with and between them.

After such a diagnosis, there will be changes in responsibilities and priorities in any family life, and during treatment and recovery, there will be many more other challenges.

… TBT

by Adrian Pogacian,
Clinical Psychologist with focus in Psycho-Oncology