A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event that can shake the foundations of an individual’s psychological stability, affecting their sense of security and stability. Among the many emotions that accompany such a diagnosis, fear of chemotherapy is one of the most common. Chemotherapy, a powerful treatment option aimed at eradicating cancer cells, is known for its side effects and the uncertainty it brings.

A cancer diagnosis is a major stressor for the person with the disease, as well as for those around them. Family members and friends must simultaneously deal with their own feelings of sadness, anger, or fear and try to provide appropriate support for the person experiencing symptoms and undergoing treatment. In addition to the emotional demands of caring for someone with the disease, loved ones often do not know how to proceed after the diagnosis.

Anger is a common human emotion that arises in situations of threat and violation of our rules. Although it is often considered an unpleasant emotion, anger has a purpose – it helps us stand up for ourselves and provides the body with energy to act and confront threats. However, if it lasts for a very long time and if it is suppressed or expressed in an inappropriate way (for example, by behaving excessively aggressively or “taking it out” on another person), anger can become

Research results show that the main obstacle for cancer patients to engaging in psychotherapy is a negative attitude toward this type of treatment. In our society, there is still a very strong stigma against seeking professional help to deal with psychological problems – it is believed that a person who seeks help is weak, oversensitive, or “crazy.” The negative attitude of the community leads to a sense of shame in those affected and prevents them from taking the necessary s

It is especially difficult to distinguish sadness from depression in cancer patients. Some of the consequences of therapy, such as fatigue and loss of appetite and energy, are similar to symptoms of depression, but may not be related to it. Similarly, unpleasant feelings are often present after a person learns of a cancer diagnosis or receives bad news related to treatment. However, while sadness is an expected and common reaction, depression is not.

When it comes to anxiety related to cancer, it is difficult to apply the usual criteria for determining whether it is excessive. The diagnosis regularly associates a real threat to the person's life with it, and it is thankless to assess how much anxiety is "too much". A person can experience unpleasant feelings during the first examinations, waiting for test results, receiving a diagnosis, going through treatment and after recovery, when the person fears the disease will ret

COVID-19 has spread across Croatia over the past month and its effects on various aspects of our lives and society in general are already being felt. In addition, in addition to the direct threat to physical health, this emergency situation also has negative consequences for mental health. Uncertainty, changes in routine, social isolation are just some of the sources of problems for our mental health. Among the vulnerable groups to contracting this virus are oncology patients

In a busy everyday life full of obligations, we can get caught up in a distracted mess of numerous thoughts and experiences that we do not know how they appeared in our heads and where the "chain reactions" of various worries started. Our thoughts fly through events from the past and jump to worries about the future. When there are health problems, as is the case with oncological patients, distraction and various worries disturb the individual even more often and more intense

According to foreign researchers, about 30% of cancer patients have some form of more pronounced and long-lasting psychological difficulties, the most common of which are chronic stress, depression and anxiety, while most patients experience at least temporary fear, anxiety and low mood. There are numerous causes of chronic stress in cancer patients. For example, stress is present due to the patient's exposure to an uncertain and largely uncontrollable situation.