Coping with cancer

Fedhealth offers tips to help a person cope with his or her emotions after receiving a cancer diagnosis.

These are:

• Adopting a ‘positive-at-all-costs’ approach can be a huge burden. There is no need to feel you have to please others in the way you cope.
• Guilt is a barrier to living life fully. Get rid of it.
• Your feelings of anger or sadness about your cancer and the changes it brings are normal and could help you cope.
• Distinguish between normal sadness and depression. Take note of your emotional state and decide after two weeks whether you feel better emotionally. Lingering feelings of overwhelming sadness, helplessness, hopelessness and a sense of worthlessness are not typical. If you experience these, talk to your doctor.

Details: Fedhealth 086 002 153 or fedhealth@medscheme.co.za