Alma Seidel, Team Coach at AlmaSeidel.com, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Something that often remains unseen, is the long-term emotional and psychological impact on caregivers, especially parents.
When my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, she was just a baby. And because of the risk of infection, I avoided asking other family members for help, so most of the responsibility fell on me and my husband (but he got to keep his work – thankfully)… So, for me, it was an incredibly intense and isolating time.
And of course, over time, the impact on my mental health became significant, and although I had access to psychotherapy early on, at that time, I wasn’t in a place where I could even begin to process what I was going through… I first needed to stabilize, to sleep, to eat, to feel like I’m able to function.
What I find is often overlooked is that the psychological impact doesn’t end when the treatment ends. Years later, when I tried to return to therapy, I was met with the question: ‘But your daughter is doing well now, right?’ And while well-intentioned, that response didn’t make me feel better. It was like if my experience had an expiration date, simply because her treatment had been successful.
But the truth is, caregivers carry a lasting emotional burden as well, and it doesn’t automatically resolve when the medical crisis is over. There is often delayed processing, unaddressed trauma, and the need for support at times when it isn’t always recognized.
So from my perspective, one of the ‘overlooked realities’ in cancer care is this: We need to extend care not only to patients, but also to caregivers, and not just during treatment, but long after.
I loved today’s discussion.
Thank you, Adrian Pogacian, Atefeh Sadeghi, the whole WCE team, and everyone who joined and so openly shared their experiences and perspectives during the webinar.
I love to be part of this.
And because at Women Cancer Europe we want to be part of the solution, we are launching today our Wellbeing and Support Services.
We are here for you,
Alma.”
Adrian Pogacian, Founder of INCKA Psycho-oncology Center, shared Alma Seidel’s post, adding:
“Great discussion regarding the overlooked realities in cancer care.
Thank you Atefeh Sadeghi and Alma Seidel for inviting me to share my thoughts regarding this important topic!”
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