mental health impact of cancer treatment

I agree Eddie that the mental issues associated with the different treatments should not be underestimated. It is not only the memory that can be affected but also the depression that hormone therapy in particular can cause which is just as debilitating as the physical side effects. This depression is very different to stress and worry and needs dealing with either by drugs or by talking therapies. Personally it has been a balancing act for my husband as he has had PTSD for many years before being diagnosed with prostate cancer. As a carer it can be difficult to know what to do for the best when your loved one becomes tearful, withdrawn, angry - a whole range of emotions and behaviour which is not usual for them. Getting help is vital and certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

Hi Alwayshope I couldn't agree more with everything you said, I have no experience of PTSD, but i do with depression, "though thankfully  not myself", which is a very serious condition, and can have a huge long term impact, and is far more common than you would think especially among women, If you think 3% of people will get it and about 3% of those will commit suicide, that's a lot of people, and how many of us would know how to help someone with depression. take care.

Eddie

Very often it is the carers who come on here looking for help, either for themselves or for a loved one. Caring can take its toll on all of us and move from stress and anxiety into depression as well. Trying to strike a balance between caring for our loved ones and looking after ourselves can be very difficult. For information I have attached a link to an article on 'Carer Burnout' which lists things to look out for along with some coping strategies. It is definitely something which should not be underestimated. The NHS do offer a caregiver assessment which may be of help to some.

https://www.homecare.co.uk/advice/carer-burnout-what-burnout-is-and-10-tips-to-recover

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/

Hello eddiel - I fully understand your thoughts on this one - it's a very difficult subject for many people and they will shy away from it at any opportunity. 

There are so many things connected to your mental health and the "spectrum" is very wide. In my own personal opinion we are all there on it somewhere - I know when I come home with shopping all the tins in the cupboard have to be facing the right way and old ones moved to the front - now am I organised or somewhere on the "spectrum?

As you say on Hormone Therapy or Chemo there's "brain fog" - In the last few months I took an empty milk bottle to the bedroom instead of putting it on the door step - old age or brain fog?

I have a pretty good understanding of mental health as I am married to a registered general / registered mental health nurse - but it's a massive playing field. As I read Community members posts it's something (among quite a few other pointers) I am aware I should be looking out for.

Thanks though for your post - it's something we should all be aware of.

Kind Regards - Brian.

Hi Brian, It is a frightening subject though how much of that fear in based in reality, as you say once you get to our age how many of us can say they are 100% mentally. is there such a thing as normal. I wasn't sure about the post, it took some time for me to decide to post it, talked to friends on the community and the moderators  who supported my decision as my concern was those who were deciding on treatment options may see the memory issues associated with HT and opt for surgery even if HT+RT was the better choice, Happy Easter to you and your family.

Eddie

Hi Eddie

As you quite rightly say - it's something that's always at the back of my mind and we have had family members with "issues" to put it kindly.

I always look out in member's posts to see if there are any tell-tail signs - I am also aware of how anxiety can develop too so I would say to anyone who has any worries on this subject and is reading this post - initially please give our support line a ring for that little bit of extra help 

0808 808 00 00

You know - it costs nothing and the re-assurance is there. Better to be in safe hands than to bottle up your worries.

Enjoy the rest of Easter and best wishes to you and your family.

Kind Regards - Brian.

It is strange that in these posts we can talk about very personal details regarding our bodily functions and sexual activity,  but find it hard to open up about mental health.  Definitely something to do with age as anything ‘mental health’ was only whispered about when we were young.  After 7 years on HT I  am not aware personally of any real issues,  maybe get more anxious near appointment times but I put that down to age.  I certainly haven’t seen anything to put me off HT and without it would certainly be dead.  

Hi Brian professional help is so important, I couldn't agree more, I have a cognitive psychologist. I also see a counsellor every week and would recommend counselling to everyone.

Eddie 

I'm not sure I agree. My reading of it is that the symptoms of treatment are variable and there is little understanding as to why some people get certain symptoms and other have more or less none. I'm considering hormone therapy and radio therapy here rather than more advanced palliative treatments etc. THese are, IMHO, two different topics of discussion.

First consideration is that the impact of stress/worry can be physiological, emotional, and cognitive and can be life changing and long lasting. A high level stress reaction can impact on the body's chemistry for and indefinite period of time (possibly a lifetime). The physiological changes to a high level stress reaction - changes in cognitive function, e.g. memory - can similarly last for an indefinite period of time. Different people react in different ways to stress and what is stressful to person A may not be stressful to person B. There are some events that are pretty much universally stressful. A diagnose of a serious disease, even a life threatning one, is not necessarily stressful. However, the circumstances and the way in which the diagnosis occurs combined with the life history of the individual is typically what will determine the impact and reaction/s.

Second, lifestyle has an impact. The physiological, emotional, and cognitive functions all obey the iron law of 'use it or lose it'. And they all interact. As a general rule if you eat properly, don't consume alcohol, don't smoke, don't sit in front the TV, exercise properly, ensure you maintain movement and strength, you are 33% of the way to mitigating the most serious consequences. Similarly for cognitive functioning - if you keep your mind engaged, develop your learning, don't vegetate in front of the TV, &c&c that is 33% of the way to mitigating the most serious consequences. Emotionally if you build and maintain social capital - mix with other people, take part in groups, talk to your friends, family and neighbours, &c &c that is the other 33%.

Point is that while some of the symptoms of treatment are almost certain, and in some cases pretty much a definite - especially if you ignore the health and wellbeing trinity - others are likely to be as a consequence of the interaction between treatment and other factors completely under your control.

It is easy to say all of this. It is a lot of work to link it all together and provide the evidence - and evidence is a flimsy construct at the best of times and especially so when it comes to the institution of medicine.

Also, some things, such as, say, mixing with other people and building and maintaining social capital, are difficult for some and easy for others. Similarly for a whole host of reasons some people may find it hard to be physically active that'll own maintain their physical health and wellbeing.

This is largely where support seems to fall down. Let me pose that as a set of questions specific to prostate cancer: what support is there for healthy eating/living for men, and their partners and families, with prostate cancer (note, not leaflets saying what to/not to eat but actual support)? what support is there for physical activity - especially weight training which is overall one of the most important activities anybody over 50 can undertake, for men, and their partners and families, with prostate cancer (not leaflets)? what support is there for cogntive activity for men, and their partners and families, with prostate cancer? what support is there for building and maintaining social capital for men, and their partners and families, with prostate cancer? (Noting here that this same health and wellbeing trinity can be applied to all cancers at least in principle.)

Knowing the county that I live you are spot on  Ie there is none