Professional help to cope with your feelings after cancer treatment

Macmillan Cancer Support Medical Reference

If you find that your feelings after cancer treatment are overwhelming, then it may be time to get professional help. Making this decision can help you feel much more in control.

You could start by seeing your GP. Try to tell them how you really feel - this will help them to give the most helpful advice or treatment for you. Types of treatment include counselling, psychological therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Counselling

It can sometimes help to talk to someone from outside your circle of family and friends, who has been trained to listen and help you explore your feelings. Talking one-to-one with a trained counsellor in a more focused way can help you sort out your feelings and find ways of coping with them. 

Psychological therapy

Clinical psychologists are trained to understand what people think and feel, and how they behave, particularly in stressful situations. Psychological therapy can help people to recognise, understand and deal with their emotions.

Cognitive behavioural therapy

The way we think about things - ourselves, our world, the future - has a powerful effect on how we feel. After cancer, some people can develop negative patterns of thinking and behaviour, which keep them feeling low in spirit. Cognitive behavioural therapy is designed to break this cycle.

For more information about professional help to deal with your feelings, visit Macmillan Cancer Support’s website.