Cancer, one of the most common diseases of our age, is one of the biggest fears of today's people.
Those with cancer phobia tend to catastrophize even a symptom that can be explained by innocent reasons, and tend to think the worst, while they may run to the hospital at the slightest discomfort or, on the contrary, neglect and postpone their routine checks because they are afraid of cancer.
Experts point out the importance of reasonable anxiety and fear in preventing the disease or early diagnosis.
Psychiatry Specialist Assist. Assoc. Prof. Emre Tolun Arıcı from Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital stated that cancer, which makes people feel helpless and hopeless, is one of the most feared diseases and pointed out that it has been frequently brought to the agenda due to the increase in both cancer diagnoses and cancer awareness in recent years.
Stating that phobias related to cancer are experienced because of the ways to prevent cancer, the factors that cause cancer or negative disease stories are constantly encountered in the media and social life, Arıcı said that this situation is reflected in psychiatry clinics in various ways.
REASONABLE LEVEL OF FEAR IS EFFECTIVE IN TAKING PRECAUTIONS
Stating that reasonable levels of fear and anxiety about getting cancer or our relatives getting cancer prompts people to take precautions, Asst. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Tolun Arıcı said, "For this reason, measures such as staying away from smoking, making lifestyle changes, and having cancer screenings at intervals recommended by physicians are healthy. And when one does these, one is expected to feel relieved. However, having excessive, irrational fear of cancer and taking excessive measures can be explained by a specific phobia that can be called cancer phobia."
Stating that in cancer phobia, people may be uncomfortable with everything related to cancer, contact with people with cancer, even hearing the word cancer itself, Arıcı said, "These situations cause anxiety. The level of anxiety may increase up to panic attacks depending on the severity of symptoms such as palpitations, tremors, sweating, chest tightness, numbness in the body, flushing, fainting. The person is aware that this fear is often excessive but cannot prevent it. People with cancer phobia start to avoid hospitals, examinations, examinations, cancer screening tests in order to cope with this situation, as in other disease phobias."
Noting that this inappropriate way of coping, which patients cannot help, causes anxiety to increase even more, Arıcı said, "Most importantly, not being able to go to health checks prevents the diagnosis and treatment of possible health problems. Along with avoidance, excessive precautions can also make people's social, family or working lives difficult and prevent them from enjoying life. Depending on the severity, it can cause the addition of some diseases such as depression."
YOU CAN BECOME A HYPOCHONDRIAC
Stating that another form of cancer fear can occur with the opposite effects, Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Tolun Arıcı said the following:
"The person may apply to health institutions frequently, is extremely busy with this issue and spends a lot of time on health sites on the internet. This condition, defined as health anxiety, is quite common. It can be triggered by the fact that someone close to them has cancer, or has heard about it, negative news, or accessing unfounded information on the internet. These people have intense thoughts about having cancer themselves, so they consult various branches and undergo various tests. When these recur, they are referred to psychiatry by physicians.
THEY CATASTROPHIZE A SYMPTOM THAT COULD BE EXPLAINED BY INNOCENT REASONS
At the beginning of the disease, they tend to catastrophize a symptom that can be explained by innocent reasons such as a feeling of stiffness in their body, dizziness, weakness; they tend to think the worst. Sometimes, when searching for these symptoms on the internet, they are horrified by the word cancer among the possibilities. Or they may overlap it with a cancer symptom they have heard of before. They are often sensitive to anxiety and sensitive to body sensations. Even if the examinations and physician referrals can sometimes provide relief, sometimes the difficult process can continue with uncertainty and reinterpreting other symptoms as cancer. Many unnecessary examinations, increased health expenditures, and the time spent on this negatively affect the patient's life, as well as affecting the patient's relatives."
Stating that fear of cancer can cause depression and other anxiety disorders, Arıcı said, "Fear of cancer can be explained by many diseases such as phobia, health anxiety, hypochondriasis, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and sometimes by the coexistence of symptoms of these diseases."
Stating that the treatment starts with informing the patient and his/her relatives, Asst. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Tolun Arıcı said, "Psychoeducation is the first step of treatment. Drug therapies, cognitive behavioral therapies, EMDR, dynamic oriented therapies are treatment options."
Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Tolun Arıcı said, "Having health checks at certain times as often as recommended by physicians will generally reduce anxiety. Trying to reduce preoccupations with body sensations, not reading news about health on the internet will prevent unwarranted concerns. Suggestions to prevent depression such as doing sports, eating healthy, taking up hobbies, being social, participating in art activities will also be useful in these diseases."
Assist. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Tolun Arıcı also emphasized that if the quality of life of the person is impaired at any level, they should apply to psychiatry outpatient clinics.