I'm always happy to be contacted by a reader who wants to be a guest author on my blog. The topic of chronic illness is especially close to my heart since I have had several close family members affected by cancer, including my father who lost his battle in 2003. I know almost everyone has been directly or indirectly affected by a chronic illness. Supporting loved ones affected by such illnesses can prove difficult.
My guest author is Krista Peterson who recently graduated the University of Central Florida and is an aspiring writer. She is also a Health and Safety Advocate for the mental health community and is passionate about writing for the cause. Thank you Krista for being such an advocate in this field, we need more people like you! Please enjoy her contribution below:
Counseling can improve home situations for many families and individuals, especially for those who are struggling with the effects of a chronic illness like cancer. When a cancer patient is diagnosed, especially if that patient is a parent, the stresses and worries of everyday life do not pause. Instead, patients must juggle being a spouse, friend, parent, employee, pet owner or whatever other relationship and occupational roles they may play.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, it may benefit you to join a support group or see an individual counselor. When choosing a counselor, be sure to weigh the negatives and positives of that choice. For example, if you seek the help of a trusted friend or minister, or even your therapist, you have the opportunity to speak openly and comfortably with someone you already know and trust. On the other hand, let’s say that you are struggling with the news of a colon cancer or mesothelioma diagnosis. You may want to speak with a cancer professional who can understand the particular needs and concerns that you have as a new cancer patient. It’s important to find a counselor that can help you with your most pressing, individual needs.
As a cancer patient, if you have children, consider the options that psychoeducational counseling offers. Programs like COPE use Creativity, Optimism, Planning, and Expert Information to work with children and teenagers who are struggling with the fact that they or their parent or loved one has a potentially fatal illness. Cope sessions focus on short-term, cancer related problems, making it easier for children to anticipate end results.
If you’re considering individual cancer counseling, you also may want to research counseling options for the rest of your family. Family counseling can help each member of your family not only to understand and express what they are experiencing as individuals, but to understand and express what’s happening as a familial unit. Family is the closest and most powerful support group that there is, and children and partners can feel just as lonely, depressed, stressed, and fearful as the cancer patients themselves. Building up a strong, untied family around a cancer patient assures a positive home environment and allows that patient to focus on healing and recovery.
Thank you again Krista for your contribution. If you are struggling with a chronic illness in the California Central Valley, please contact me for more information at csoareslcsw@gmail.com
