A prostate cancer diagnosis can potentially be overwhelming. During the difficult time surrounding a prostate cancer diagnosis (or even later on during treatment and recovery), it is important to know what resources are available to help you cope.
Specifically, numerous professionals are available to help you cope with many aspects of your prostate cancer diagnosis.
Mental Health Professionals
A prostate cancer diagnosis carries with it a heavy emotional burden. Nearly all men will suffer at least some emotional difficulties surrounding their diagnoses.
For some men, the emotional toll may be quite heavy and they may find the support of a mental health professional such as an individual counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist to be beneficial.
Mental health professionals are trained to help those suffering from mood disturbances such as depression or anxiety. Depression and anxiety are far from uncommon following a new cancer diagnosis.
Oftentimes, mental health professionals can tailor a specific treatment plan to a man's individual situation. Additionally, psychiatrists or other physicians can prescribe antidepressants or other medications that can help with depression and anxiety.
Mental health professionals can be usually be found through your primary care physician, oncologist, or hospital.
Support Groups
Many men prefer to meet with other men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families. Support groups allow for rapid sharing of ideas, emotions, and experiences related to prostate cancer.
Often, men who attend support groups learn a great deal that they did not learn from their health care provider. Men who have gone through the same experiences can often provide invaluable insights that can't really be picked up from elsewhere. Additionally, many men no longer feel alone with their diagnosis when they meet other men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Their is usually a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie among men who are dealing with the same affliction.
After successfully overcoming prostate cancer, many men discover that they enjoy attending support groups and encouraging and mentoring those men who have just recently been diagnosed themselves.
Legal Aids
When faced with a new diagnosis of cancer, many men begin to face there own mortality for the first time. It is at this time that many men start to think about what will happen after they pass on - whether from cancer or any other cause.
Many legal professionals are able to assist men who are interested in drawing up wills, living wills (which deal with your wishes regarding end of life care such as the use of ventilators, life support, etc.), and other legal documents related to the end of life.
Financial Counselors
Financial issues are some of the most difficult issues to deal with when one is faced with a new diagnosis. Qualified financial counselors are available through most hospitals to help cancer patients and others with significant medical conditions better put their money to use.
Financial counselors can be invaluable for determining the best use of funds from retirement accounts, setting up appropriate life insurance policies, and putting together a budget during financially lean times after diagnosis.
