The Importance Of Psychosocial Support To Ovarian Cancer Survivors
The term “psychosocial” is a psychological description of the way we relate to and interact with our social environment. It is the sense of self that we acquire though life experiences – from exploration of our environment as children through our daily interactions in adulthood. And it is constantly reshaping itself through the span of our lifetime.
When people experience a tragic event, psychosocial support is a way of helping victims emotionally cope with the disaster. It can help survivors gather resources to deal with their immediate problem and can proactively foster resilience to the aftershocks that have yet to occur.
Cancer is a catastrophic event in anyone’s life. Not only is it emotionally and physically painful, it forces us into abrupt, urgent awareness of our mortality. Cancer is a harrowing experience and the patient’s psychosocial impact is profound. Once confident and optimistic, some people become fearful and depressed. Some lose their sense of self-determination because their diagnosis was unexpected and they believe their future is out of their control.
For ovarian cancer survivors, psychosocial support is absolutely critical. Ovarian cancer, most often diagnosed late-stage, is disproportionately deadly. Therefore, survivors are trying to “beat the odds” and often feel that they are in a daily battle to stay alive. This aggressive disease is so hard to control that patients experience multiple recurrences, each nastier than the last, so their calendars become inundated with blood tests, scans, and physical exams.
This is where psychosocial support plays such a critical role. The most common is in-person survivor support group meetings where others with similar experiences share their stories, exchange hints or resources, and gain understanding and fellowship. Hospitals and cancer care organizations offer survivor seminars that help foster a supportive and compassionate community as well as educating survivors and their support circle.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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