Palliative medicine - psychological help
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.A life-threatening illness is an enormous emotional burden. Specially trained psychologists can help manage fear, anger, and grief. This benefits the sick themselves, but also their relatives.
The news of suffering from a life-threatening condition like cancer comes as a shock to anyone. Responding to this with fear, sadness, and anger is perfectly normal. The key is to get the negative feelings under control again. This also applies to people whose lifespan is actually nearing the end. The hope of getting well again disappears, the complaints grow stronger, the strength diminishes. Nevertheless, happy and peaceful moments are also possible in this last phase.
Specially trained psychologists can accompany the patient on this journey. In conversations they help to process the situation and to keep fears and depression at bay. In the last phase of life, they help the sick to reconcile with the impending end and to say goodbye to their own life and to those close to them.
If one succeeds in accepting the impending death, it becomes possible to actively shape the last phase of life. Which dreams can still be fulfilled? Which relationships does the person concerned want to clarify? What will the remaining forces be used for?
Coping with fears
The focus is on overcoming the fears associated with serious illness or imminent death. These are varied. They range from specific fears of pain, shortness of breath and other physical complaints to worrying about losing control, dignity and self-determination, to fear of dying and death. In addition, there may be worries about the relatives who will be left behind.
This fear can express itself very differently. Some isolate themselves, others react aggressively, with still others the emotional fears express themselves in physical complaints.
The fear can be more distressing than the actual discomfort that comes with the disease. They narrow perception, cost a lot of strength and have a massive impact on the quality of life. It is therefore important that they do not get out of hand. It is crucial to be aware of your fears, to face them and to talk about them as openly as possible.
Psychology offers a whole range of strategies for dealing with fears. Relaxation procedures and the targeted turning to comforting and positive thoughts, for example with the help of imagination exercises, are particularly helpful.
Keeping Depression at bay
It is understandable for everyone that most seriously ill people initially feel desperate and deeply depressed in view of their situation. To a large extent, they manage to cope with this emotional crisis on their own or through discussions with relatives or the clinical staff. Others fail - they slide into a depression that needs treatment. Typical signs of depression are:
- Inner emptiness
- Listlessness
- Disinterest
- Loss of joie de vivre
- constant brooding
- Feelings of guilt, quarreling with yourself
- the feeling of not being worth anything
- Concentration and memory problems
- inner unrest
Such depression can and should be treated with psychotherapeutic help and medication. Only then is it possible to use the remaining lifetime as actively and positively as possible.
Fatigue syndrome
Cancer patients in particular often suffer from persistent, debilitating exhaustion in the course of their illness. Even though they get enough sleep, they feel constantly tired and powerless and find it difficult to get up to work. Those affected have an excessive need for rest.Doctors refer to this condition as fatigue syndrome - or fatigue for short. In many patients, fatigue sets in when they start chemotherapy or radiation therapy and persists for weeks and months after the end of the treatment.
A lot can be done about fatigue. For example, if the symptoms are anemia or a hormonal disorder, an appropriate diet and drug therapy will help. Regular exercise also awakens the spirits. Behavioral exercises can also be used to change unfavorable behavioral patterns.
Spiritual accompaniment
When life draws to an end, many people's thoughts revolve around spiritual questions. What was or is the meaning of my life? Does the soul die with the body? In their search for answers, counselors can support patients and their relatives. In conversations, they also provide relief in the event of unresolved problems, hopes that can no longer be fulfilled, or worries that depress patients and their relatives.
Psychological care for relatives
Not only the sick but also the relatives need assistance. You are the patient's most important support, but at the same time you suffer from the situation yourself. They too have to deal with fears and grief. As part of the palliative medical care, they, like the sick, can take advantage of psychological and pastoral help. This can also be continued after the death of the relative.
Tags: teenager hospital medicinal herbal home remedies
