Depression
Depression is not uncommon for many cancer survivors.
After completing cancer treatment many patients may still face challenges in getting back to their normal life and work.
- It may take some patients several months or longer to recover to normal strength and activity levels which can be frustrating.
- Some may find work more challenging and not able to handle the work they used to perform.
- Some may experience physical symptoms related to their anti-cancer treatment and have difficulty in dealing with daily life challenges.
All these difficulties can become a trigger to developing depression.
Depression requires early intervention and you should discuss symptom with your doctor and social worker as soon as you first experience them.
- Early intervention can help improve a cancer survivor’s quality of life.
- Many medications are effective in improving one’s depression symptoms.
- Psychiatric services are available to help work through depression.
- If you are unsure that psychiatric therapy could help, you can contact your local social worker. The social worker will help determine if therapy is needed and will facilitate a referrel.
- Click here for contact information for psychiatric help.
Depression can also be a side effect of some drugs:
- Drugs like Interferon and Thalidomide may cause depression.
- Discuss with your doctor about discontinuation of these drugs if you have experienced depression.
Below are some signs and symptoms of depression:
- feeling sad or emptiness or excessive loneliness almost every day for most of the day
- feeling little pleasure in your daily life, loss of interest in doing things you used to be interested in
- feeling restless or no energy most of the time
- having trouble making decisions or have problems concentrating
- loss of interest in eating, or overeating beyond your control
- Weight loss, or weight gain
- trouble sleeping, or oversleeping and having difficulty getting up
- feeling constant migratory aches and pains without an obvious cause
- loss of interest in sex
- crying often without obvious cause
- feeling tired or a lack of energy every day even after adequate rest
- having thoughts about hurting yourself or attempted suicide. When this occurs you should call your doctor and seek an appointment right away.
For online resouces from our Healthy Lifestyle website, click "Start feeling better with OvercomingTM Depression"
Other common side effects after cancer treatment
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Joint pain
- Lymphedema
- Memory loss
- Numbness and tingling
- Pain
- Sexual changes
- Weight gain
