Coping with the Emotional Impact of Cancer

by Fiore, Neil

• ISBN13: 9780980175837
• ISBN10: 0980175836
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-16
• Publisher: Bay Tree Publishing

Summary

Drawing on his experience as a thirty-year survivor of a "terminal" cancer diagnosis and his training as a licensed psychologist, Neil Fiore provides deep insight and practical tools for:

Author Biography

Neil Fiore is a founding member of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the author of The Now Habit and Awaken Your Strongest Self, a Vietnam vet, and a licensed psychologist and coach in private practice in Berkeley, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the First Edition	p. x
Preface	p. xii
How to Use this Book	p. xiv
Acknowledgements	p. xvi
Introduction: How a Psychologist Coped with His Own Cancer	p. 1
Discovering My Cancer
Finding a Doctor
A Second, and a Third, Opinion
Facing Surgery
Waking Up During Surgery
A Return of Meaning to Life
Different Agendas
Fighting to Get Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy Begins
The Long Fight
A Turning Point
The Road Back to Health
Meeting with the "What If" Voices
Lessons Learned-Lessons to Share
Coping with Your Diagnosis	p. 22
The Initial Shock
Deciding to See a Doctor
Preparing to See a Doctor
Do You Want to Know the Diagnosis?
How the Diagnosis is Conveyed
Know the Difference between the Diagnosis and the Prognosis
Coping with the Impact of the Diagnosis
The Stress of the Diagnosis
Changes in Self-Perception
The Power of Your Beliefs	p. 39
Why Consider Your Beliefs?
The Meaning of the word "Cancer"
Anger at Yourself for Being Human
The Need to Make Sense of Illness and Suffering
Discovering Your Beliefs
Illusion of Control
How You Try to Explain Suffering
Review Your Reactions to the Diagnosis
New Ways of Thinking about Cancer
Five Stressful Reactions
Where Do I Go from Here?
Maintaining a Fighting Spirit: What You Can Do	p. 57
How to Reduce Stress During a Stressful Time
Five Actions to Make More Energy Available for Healing
Expect a Surprise
Replace Negative Reactions
Nutrition: Feeding the Healthy Part of You
Nutrition Research
Race and Cancer
Too Much of a Good Thing
Expect a Positive Transformation
Managing the Stress of Serious Illness	p. 68
Understanding Your Healthy Stress Response
The Power of Imagery
Regaining Physical Control
Talking to Your Body
Regaining Cognitive Control
Five Steps to Integrating Physical and Cognitive Control
Exercise: Rate Your Stress Level
Coping with Depression and Helplessness	p. 85
Cancer and Depression
Options for Therapy and Medication
Three Contributors to Depression
How to Cope with Depression: Four Steps
Becoming an Active Patient	p. 97
You Are More Than Your Diagnosis
The Patient Role: Mastery or Helplessness
My Heart Attacked Me-My Cells Have Turned Against Me
Becoming an Effective Human Being
Being a Good Patient May Not Be Good for You
Who Knows What's Best for You?
Know Your Doctor's Assumptions
The Power of Choice
You and Your Doctor-Building a Working Relationship	p. 108
How to Find a Quality Doctor and a First-Rate Hospital
Understanding the Basic Doctor-Patient Contract
Realistic Trust or Blind Faith?
Shared Responsibility, Shared Authority
Medical Training and Emotions
How to Take Charge of Your Medical Treatment
Be Prepared to Ask Questions
Take Me Seriously-Respect My Feelings
Medication
Protecting Yourself from Pessimism
The Misuse of Statistics
Resources for Treating the Whole Patient
Nutrition and Cancer Therapy
Psychosocial Support
The Team Approach
The Nurse
Recommendations
Communication Skills: Staying Connected	p. 131
Communications within the Family
Why Communicate Your Feelings?
Expressing a New Identity
Choosing How to Communicate
Speaking the Unspeakable
What the Family Can Say
Three Barriers to Communication
Three Essential Communication Skills
Different Timetables-Different Tasks
Changes in Family Roles
The Rights of Family Members
Fully Alive after Cancer-The Transformative Power of Facing a Life-Threatening Crisis	p. 155
The Essential Lesson
Transformation-New Potential for Cancer Patients
The Power of Living in the Present
Centering Exercise
Mourning the Loss, Releasing the Past, Accepting Your Present
Shifting Roles
Change in Relationships
Coping with End of Life Issues	p. 165
A Change in the Patient's Role
Preparing for Your Final Days
Deciding on Terminal Care
Hospice Care for Terminal Patients
The Family's Dilemma
Pain Control and Symptom Relief
Enhancing the Quality of Life
The Patient's Family
Appendices	p. 176
Exercise for Recall of the Diagnosis
Reducing Stress by Making Yourself Safe with You
The Patient's Bill of Rights
Resources
Bibliography	p. 186
Index	p. 190
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.