Prostate Cancer And Mental Health: Managing Stress

(CTN News) – Psychological distress is often associated with a prostate cancer diagnosis. It is not uncommon for patients to feel depressed or constantly worried that any pain or discomfort may indicate the spread of the disease or a failure of treatment.

Sometimes I wake up with swollen legs or breasts, bigger than my wife’s, or urine in my blood, and I worry all week. At a recent prostate cancer support group meeting in Nairobi, a patient asked if it’s new.

Psychologist Charles Kyangu at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital says cancer treatment and the disease itself can cause constant anxiety.

There are many things that can cause changes to the body, including cancer, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Many patients develop chicken-pox-like rashes, pee and poo more often, or their urine flows more slowly than normal. There are those who sweat excessively. Many men suffer from back pain, stiff necks, fatigue, and a lack of sex drive.

When you are not aware of what is happening to your body, you become concerned. Although your doctor may have explained the side effects of the treatment, the initial shock of the diagnosis makes it difficult for you to retain what is being said. Attend all doctor’s appointments with your spouse, family member, or friend.

There will be a difference between what you hear and what they hear. According to him, your spouse is likely to ask you questions that you are unable to answer.

Being positive is the first step in managing the disease, according to Mr Kyangu. Treatment cures a large number of prostate cancer cases.

It is the most common cancer among Kenyan men, followed by oesophageal and colon/rectal cancers.

Burden of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer kills fewer Kenyan men than oesophageal cancer, but about 3,412 men get it every year.

“There are always people who say, ‘I know of my dad’s friend who had cancer and died.’ But who says people with cancer have to die? The disease shouldn’t trigger depression, anxiety, or personality disorders,” Mr Kyangu says.

“Affirm positive things, like ‘today, I’m getting better’.”. Don’t think negative things like, ‘I’m a burden’ or ‘I’m the problem’. Patients worry so much that they forget to live. Live in the moment and enjoy it, don’t worry about the future. Don’t be bitter, bitterness turns people away.”

According to the psychologist, some patients forget who they were before the disease because they focus so much on the body changes.

“You start calling yourself worthless or useless, forgetting you’re an educationalist who has achieved so much. Remember who you were,” he says, adding, “as you struggle with prostate cancer and its side effects, your self-concept shouldn’t disappear.

Live the sex life you’ve always wanted

Sexual health is a concern for most prostate cancer patients and survivors. Depression can result from this.

Stress kills libido, so it can make erectile dysfunction and lack of sexual desire worse after treatment.

Reimagine what sex life will be like after the disease. Consult your doctor and your spouse,” Mr Kyangu says.

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