We chatted to the team at 'Talking Change' about mental health struggles related to a cancer diagnosis. In this blog post we share, insights and advice from their professional team.


Talking Change is a mental health service in Portsmouth, they have lots of useful online resources and in this article we share links to regional services.


Talking Change are a group of therapists and researchers that specialise in the treatment and understanding of common mental health difficulties, providing free and confidential support.


Talking Change is part of the NHS service: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT).


Find Them Online:

Website: https://www.talkingchange.nhs.uk/

Youtube: Here



Why is mental health important?


According to the latest research*:


Worldwide, 1 in 4 people will struggle with their mental health at some point in their lives.


About 450 million people are currently struggling and mental health is one of the major threats to our wellbeing worldwide.


Over the past week in England, 1 in 6 people had a mental health problem.


Across the UK, 2 out of 3 people who suffer from a long-term physical health condition struggle with their mental health.


*Reports published by the World Health Organisation, the British Mental Health Foundation and the British Department of Health and Social Care.


What mental health concerns can come up after a cancer diagnosis:


Following a cancer diagnosis, it is normal to experience common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Causes of common mental health problems can include: difficult or stressful life events, difficult family dynamics, changes to our physical health, and changes in hormones. All of these are things we may be experiencing after a cancer diagnosis.


Depression is a prolonged sense of sadness and low mood and its symptoms include feeling hopeless, low self-esteem, irritability, tearfulness, and lack of motivation or interest in things. When facing a cancer diagnosis, we may experience a change in role and lifestyle, and a sense of loss, which may contribute towards feeling low. To read more about Depression please see the NHS link below:


https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/clinical-depression/

How can someone living with breast cancer help themselves if they are struggling?


We all may feel anxious at some point in our lives, especially when facing a cancer diagnosis. We may be left feeling uncertain about the future, whilst juggling changes in ourselves both physically and in our day to day lives. It is when this feeling of anxiety becomes constant and starts to take over our daily lives however, that it might indicate an anxiety disorder. To read more on Generalised Anxiety Disorder, please see the NHS link below:


https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/


Here are some tips for looking after your mental health if you are struggling:


Make some time for yourself to do something you enjoy. Scheduling even a small amount of time to do something we enjoy, whether that is a relaxing bath, painting, watching our favourite TV show, or whatever it may be, can have a positive impact on our mood.


Gentle exercise. Evidence shows that exercise can have huge benefits for our mental health, reducing our stress and increasing our mood. Even a short walk or gentle yoga session can have a positive impact to how we are feeling.


Breathing exercises. Slow, rhythmic, breathes can help us to feel calm and reduce our anxiety. There are lots of mediation apps, or breathing videos on YouTube, to help guide you with this. We recommend searching for ‘square breathing’.


Talk to someone. Sometimes it can really help to talk. If you have someone in your life that you feel is a good listener, being a family member, a friend, or even a colleague, sharing how you are feeling can help you with coping.

Seeking support: It is okay to ask for help. Whether it is support with your mental health, or more practical support, there are services out there to help you. It might be worth having a conversation with people involved in your medical care as they may be able to signpost you to local services.


Reduce social media use: Social media can be a great way of keeping in contact with people, but it can have its downsides. It can be very easy to compare ourselves and our lives with others which may have a negative impact on our mood. Reducing the time we spend on social media can help to limit this.


Be kind to yourself: You are going through something extremely difficult and you may be feeling a whole range of different emotions. It’s understandable if you are finding things hard.


Get writing: Writing down how you feel, can be a great way of processing how you are feeling and getting your thoughts out of your head and on to paper. Once you have done this, you may want to show it to someone to help express how you feel, you might want to keep it private, or you might even want to just destroy it which can be just as beneficial.



What signs should I look out for that someone isn’t coping well and might need help?


It can sometimes be hard to tell if someone isn’t coping well but some things to look out for are:


Starting to withdraw or spending more time on their own -

Finding less pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed, often resulting in avoiding these activities altogether


They may be more restless and fidgety than usual, or they may have lower energy and find it hard to do day to day tasks.


Changes in mood, for example being more irritable than usual or crying more.


Changes in sleep pattern, either sleeping more than before or finding sleep difficult


These are just some general indicators, but if you suspect that someone is struggling then the best thing to do is just ask them how they feel and allow them space to talk. Let them know you are there for them.

How can I help a friend or a member of family who is struggling?


If you identify that someone is struggling, then there are a few things that you can do:


Listen. Providing them the space to be heard without judgement can make a difference and help them to realise that their feelings are valid and that there is someone there for them.


Ask. Ask how you can help and what they need from you to feel supported.


Signpost. There are plenty of services available that may be able to provide support, whether that is therapeutic, practical, financial etc. If you struggle to find services yourself, then don’t be afraid to ask someone involved in your care as they may be able to direct you to someone that can.




Macmillan


IAPT

NHS IAPT services offer treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Counselling for individuals with common mental health problems such as anxiety or depression. More information and guidance on finding your local service can be found on their website:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/


At the moment, IAPT is only available in England.