Taking Care of Mental Health Long-Term
- For people living with cancer, there are many different approaches to taking care of mental health from traditional therapy to meditation.
- People who are dealing with an illness long-term may find that some coping mechanisms stop working for them at some point.
- Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman recommends those who are struggling take stock of any patterns of thinking that may be detrimental.
- Once these patterns are recognized, they can be slowly dismantled, either with the help of a professional, or on your own.
“I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, tells SurvivorNet. “Are your coping strategies that you’re using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?”
Read More Dr. Boardman encourages people who may be struggling with their mental wellbeing to take stock of their belief system and ask themselves the following questions:
- Could these beliefs be harming me (like feelings of self-doubt or negativity)?
- Is my mindset holding me back from positive steps forward?
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more “realistically optimistic.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- What type of treatment should I seek if I’m struggling with negative thoughts?
- Are there any local support groups for people in my situation?
- How might struggling with mental health affect my treatment?
- Should I consider medical intervention such as antidepressants?
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
