Does anyone have any tips on how to cope with the news a parent has stage four cancer. I am a very emotional person and don’t know how to manage this with work, university and my relationships.
Does anyone have any tips on how to cope with the news a parent has stage four cancer. I am a very emotional person and don’t know how to manage this with work, university and my relationships.
Hello aanonymous and thank you for contacting the online community.
I’m sorry to hear your parent has stage 4 cancer. It’s not easy when someone close to you is diagnosed and it’s understandable you feel emotional. Managing these different emotions can be difficult, especially when you have other things in your life that demand your attention.
Do the people around you, such as your employer and university know about your parent’s diagnosis? They may be able to support you at this difficult time. Some employers have ‘Employee Assistance Programmes’ (EAPs) and you can sometimes access counselling, wellbeing and mental health support through universities.
When someone you care about has cancer, it may help to talk about what is happening and how you are feeling. Talking to someone about how you feel can help you cope with your emotions. It is often the first step in helping you feel better.
Talking about your thoughts and feelings can:
It might be a good idea to talk to someone other than your parent, as this will take some pressure off both of you. The person you talk to could be a partner, good friend or family member. Or you may find it easier to talk to someone you do not know, for example one of our advisers on our support line.
Our publication Cancer and relationships has information about coping with your feelings when someone you care about has cancer. It is for anyone who is close to someone with cancer, including partners, family members and friends. It also has information about getting support and dealing with relationship changes.
Our Online Community forum Family and friends is the place to share your feelings and get support from others who are going through something similar.
We’re here if you’d like to discuss this further of course. We also have a team of Cancer Specialist Nurses on our support line if you have any clinical questions you’d like to ask.
Take care.
Alex, Information and Support Adviser
Remember you can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or by email.
