抑鬱可能很難發現。實際上，它看起來很像您期望伴隨癌症診斷的悲傷，恐懼和焦慮。但是，如果您不斷取消那個想見麵吃晚飯的朋友，或者您發現早上起床越來越困難，那麼您可能會遭受比悲傷更嚴重的事情。可能是與癌症有關的抑鬱症四分之一癌症患者。
“It’s quite common, probably almost universal, for people to feel scared, worried, anxious and sad when diagnosed with cancer,” says Katherine Puckett, PhD, a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Chief of the Mind-Body Medicine Division at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). “But clinical depression is different from sadness, with specific criteria and symptoms, and it may make it harder for patients to seek treatment in the first place, or to remain in treatment once it’s begun.” It’s important to spot the signs of depression early so you can keep it from affecting your quality of life, and, possibly, even您的治療結果。
原因和症狀
As a cancer patient, you may develop clinical depression for a variety of reasons, including concerns over your diagnosis, the amount of pain you’re experiencing, your family history of depression or other mental health issues, the number of outside stressors you’re facing, and how much support you’re getting from the people around you. Maybe cancer treatment is changing your body in ways you don’t like, or your therapy appointments are keeping you from that yoga class you look forward to each week.
臨床抑鬱症的症狀包括：
- 一種絕望的感覺
- 對您通常喜歡的活動缺乏興趣
- 失眠（睡眠中斷）或“高血壓”（睡眠過度）和持續的疲勞
- 集中和/或記憶的煩躁和難度
- 重大，無法解釋的體重減輕或體重增加或食欲變化
- 自殺思想或感受，或反複的死亡思想
抑鬱症的影響可能很嚴重。您可能會到達不值得治療的地步，或者您不想再負擔護理人員的負擔。一些生活質量較差的癌症患者，尤其是那些因抑鬱症而受到治療的患者，可能有自殺的風險。這就是為什麼這些跡象很重要，要發現和地址。
Puckett博士建議，如果您有抑鬱症的症狀，請尋找有執照的心理健康專家來幫助您努力。您可能想詢問醫生，值得信賴的朋友，牧師或當地健康中心進行推薦。精神衛生專業人員可能能夠通過社會支持和專業幫助，例如谘詢，藥物，運動和冥想來幫助您管理抑鬱症。
照料者也受到影響
癌症患者並不是唯一應該注意抑鬱症的患者。它通常也會影響護理人員。Many of those caring for loved ones fighting cancer report feeling helpless and overwhelmed, either because they find it hard to see their loved one suffering, they don’t have the medical training required to care for their loved one, or they don’t know how or what to do to help, Dr. Puckett says. “Caregivers are encouraged to make things as easy as possible for themselves at home, such as relaxing their housekeeping standards, during the time that they’re a caregiver,” she says. “They may also find it helpful to talk about their feelings with someone who will listen, and take care of themselves as they would take care of their loved one, even when it’s hard to find the time or energy to do so.”
抑鬱症在癌症幸存者中也很常見 - 有時甚至在他們完成治療後很長時間。對癌症複發的恐懼，過去療法或幸存者內gui的揮之不去的身體影響可能會使您容易受到抑鬱的思想或情感的影響。為了幫助減輕這些感覺，請嚐試與您所愛的人一起度過時間，抽出時間來玩樂，並在日常工作中定期進行鍛煉。另外，尋找機會與某人分享您的感受，而不是讓他們在裏麵積累。普基特博士說：“與其他人分享艱苦的事情可能有助於減輕負擔。”
