The Department of Health of Dénia has a new psychooncologist. His name is Javier Murcia, is part of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) and aims to help cancer patients and their families in all those psychological and emotional aspects of health and disease.
What service provided by the AECC in Dénia Department of Health?
Portfolio Care Services in the Spanish Association Against Cancer includes individual and group psychological care for patients and families (also bereaved), Health Guidance and Social Care. There is also a Volunteer Service for support and assistance to cancer patients and their families in the hospital.
And what is the specific work of a psychooncologist?
We try to help patients and families cope in an adaptive way the disease process and reduce the negative psychological and emotional consequences of it. We also try to foster positive attitudes and behaviors that help overcome the disease or adapt in the best possible way to it.
After receiving the news, who usually react worse, the patient or family?
Depends on the person. We all react differently to stressful life situations. It depends on our previous personality, the moment that we are living and the circumstances of our lives. It also influences the family and social support we have, if there are other problems, our spiritual beliefs, etc.
Are we mentally prepared to face such a hard disease like cancer?
Yes and no. I say yes because the human being is able to cope with almost any situation, that is extreme, and we have examples of it everywhere and historical moments. We would be talking about the concept of resilience, which refers to the ability of people to overcome and cope with adverse situations, and that is not the same in all people, so there are people who need more support than others. I also say no because our education as individuals and as a society does not include us about social skills and coping with negative situations. It is something that we are forced to learn the hard way when we come up with these things.
Can one therefore working mind prior way to deal with a possible situation like this?
Social and coping skills can be learned and train. I focus focus on emotional education. Learning to identify, understand and express our emotions in a healthy way, as a way to be prepared when those emotions are very intense and we run the risk that overwhelm us. We should do it rules in schools, as education for life.
A training or specific therapy to help cancer patients require family?
Undoubtedly, the families and friends could benefit from training on what may or may not happen to your loved one to be physically and emotionally, and how they can support you in the best way. This support does not always have to come from a professional, but can be received from family and friends, but sometimes psychological professional help in the family itself is necessary.
From the emotional point of view. What stage of the disease may be more difficult to overcome?
It depends on each person. Some may have more difficulty coping with the first diagnosis. Others find more obstacles in the survival phase, when they are no longer sick; Some of them suffer during treatment or palliative care phase. We have also found people who suffer when they have to care for a sick family member and even there they encounter greater difficulty facing mourning for a loved one. When treating someone, it matters much more the person who comes to see the problem that brings, for the same situation can cause many different reactions.
What advice would you give to a cancer patient who has suffered a relapse after a period of improvement or stabilization of the disease?
I will probably not give any advice a priori. People in this situation should be aware that a relapse or second diagnosis does not mean much less all is lost; but now perhaps more than advice, what they need is support and help in adapting to this new blow, which can be a great frustration and discouragement.
Physical and aesthetic changes that occur during the process, how often affect patients?
The physical consequences are an important consequence of cancer and its treatments, and sometimes greatly affect the person emotionally. From consequences of certain surgeries like losing one or both breasts, or having to wear a colostomy bag, others such as losing hair, see affected nails, skin, etc.
The person may be greatly affected emotionally by these things because they are a visible sign of their disease and treatments that remember them. Sometimes the person does not recognize itself, or is afraid to see how they look, or just feel fear of what other people think or feel when she saw them. Work in consultation is important, but also provide the person a full and adequate information of auto beauty care to look and feel their best.
How you can help them psychologically cope with this harsh reality?
Help to cope with them includes learning positive coping styles, techniques for reducing unpleasant symptoms such as anxiety and depression, help sleeping and eating better, facilitating good social support from relatives and internal emotional work and psychological that the person can do.
Meditation, aromatherapy, yoga ... complementary therapies are needed to alleviate the symptoms of cancer?
It depends on the person, what help you feel better. These activities have proven effective in achieving better adaptation to the disease, and others like moderate exercise, laughter therapy, tai-chi, chi-kung, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, etc.
-The experts also agree on the importance of oncologic exercise. Is it more difficult to motivate a cancer patient to start practicing sports?
Always it depends on the physical condition of the person, their mood and motivation level. A practice of moderate physical exercise, adapted to the abilities of the patient, can be positive for reducing stress and anxiety, improve mood, reduce pain and help sleep hygiene.
To what extent psychology can help overcome cancer?
I would not speak to beat cancer, but face it. Psychology can help when the person needs, to promote a more positive coping and better adaptation to the disease. With greater emotional well-being, the person will be able to follow their treatments and better care, and this will favor increasing quality of life of patients and their families. Care for people with cancer should be multidisciplinary, as it is comprehensive patient care that has been proven optimal.
Would you give to the psychological care of the sick all the attention and resources it deserves?
Cancer patients receive very good attention from magnificent professionals. But everything can be improved. There are certain aspects of the disease, such as social, labor and economic, the social reintegration of survivors and vision that society has of the disease have yet to improve. Psychological care to patients remains, in many places and hospitals, still insufficient, and attention to patients in palliative care, although much improved in recent years, could improve more.
