Psycho-oncology

Psycho-oncology Treatment in Bangalore, Old Airport Road

Cancer and its medical treatments bring in a wide variety of physical and psychosocial problems, such as Physical pain, Fatigue, Psychological and Emotional stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Strain on Personal Relationships, severely impacting quality of life. 

Integrating counselling services into cancer management is vital for both patients and caregivers, as it addresses the psychological and emotional aspects of dealing with cancer. Cancer is a formidable adversary, often catching individuals off guard with its physical, emotional, and practical challenges. Many find themselves ill-prepared to navigate these uncharted waters, which can significantly impact various facets of their lives. One common oversight is neglecting the emotional toll that accompanies the disease. Today, emotional support is recognised as one of the fundamental components of comprehensive cancer care worldwide. Research confirms that addressing emotional distress is pivotal for treatment efficacy.

Psycho-oncology is a super-specialised field of psychology and deals with the physical, psychological, social, and behavioural aspects of cancer to improve the overall quality of life. India has been a leader in this practice for decades, and more and more people are discovering its benefits. Moreover, mental health traditionally being a taboo topic for many makes it even more difficult for cancer patients to talk to a psycho-oncologist. Cancer patients, as well as families, should understand that talking to a psycho-oncologist does not imply mental instability - rather it helps them manage their cancer journey from diagnosis to treatment more effectively.

Why Manipal Hospitals?  

At Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, Bangalore, we have expert psycho-oncologists equipped with cutting-edge medical devices and infrastructure to impart psychological interventions to cancer patients. 

At our facility, we advocate for giving equal weight to the emotional and medical dimensions of the treatment journey. Our dedicated team of highly qualified counsellors provides tailored, holistic support to assist patients in confronting emotional distress, including challenges with illness adjustment, pain management, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms at every step of their cancer care journey. 

Treatment and Procedures

One-To-One Supportive Counselling 

Patients who receive one-to-one counselling can manage the stress that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Not just patients, it also benefits family members and caregivers in overcoming difficulties. People with a history of psychological disorders also benefit from it. In this approach, a variety of evidence-based psychological therapies are utilised to make it easier to handle cancer-related circumstances. 

At Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, Bangalore, our top psycho-oncologists in Bangalore effectively assist patients and their caregivers in developing a deeper understanding of their current situation. They support the patients in taking charge of their own lives. Counsellors assist in eliminating upsetting thoughts, improving life quality, and figuring out more effective methods to interact with others. 

If you are a cancer patient, one-on-one supportive counselling will allow you to discuss your issues and concerns confidentially. Speak with a skilled counsellor who will listen to you and assist you in exploring your feelings and thoughts. Here, the counsellor may not employ a specific technique and give you instructions, they will rather pay close attention to what you say and assist you in identifying the finest answers. You and your counsellor must develop a secure and trusting relationship for counselling to be effective.

Group Counselling

After being diagnosed with cancer, patients often may feel shocked, angry, or uncertain about life. Extreme grief, loneliness, and sadness are also very common when dealing with a disease like cancer. 

Locating a support group can allow you to connect with others who have experienced cancer first-hand. You can share your own experiences with them and converse about theirs. This may lessen the emotional tension. You can talk about useful knowledge in a support group as well like what to anticipate from therapy, how to handle certain side effects, where to go for support resources, and how to interact with family members and medical professionals. 

As you deal with cancer, being part of a support group gives you a sense of control and lessens your powerlessness. At Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, we highly prioritise your privacy. All the counselling sessions are kept confidential within the group setting. Participants are free to share their thoughts openly. Our trained psycho-oncologists in Bangalore are available to facilitate discussions, wherein each session follows a structure. They also may employ various techniques and strategies available to ensure the proper management of stress, anxiety, and other challenges.

Family Counselling

Cancer diagnosis affects the entire family, so seeing a psycho-oncologist as a group can occasionally be helpful. Family members may be too afraid to talk about the sickness. You may not be healthy enough or have the time to sit down and have an open discussion with your partner and kids. Speaking with kids about cancer may be incredibly challenging and distressing. Having a joint counselling session gives you all a designated time to share your concerns. It can truly aid in improving everyone's knowledge of the situation inside the family. In addition, it may strengthen your bond and motivate you to help one another.

Who Can Benefit from Family Counselling?

Family counselling can help families:

• With a member diagnosed with cancer at any stage
• Struggling to communicate about the diagnosis and treatment options
• Experiencing emotional distress due to cancer
• Needing support with role adjustment and caregiving responsibilities
• With children who need help understanding and coping with cancer

During cancer treatment, open communication and support are indispensable. In case of difficulty in verbal interaction, emotions running high, or some restructuring in the family is required, family counselling may be the choice that best suits you.

Stress Management 

At Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, complementary therapies are utilised to assist cancer patients. This includes relaxation therapies and guided imagery that can relieve physical and mental discomfort. 

Relaxation therapies reduce cognitive stress, emotional stress and fatigue. Relaxation therapy includes breathing exercise techniques, meditation, and guided imagery. Relaxation with guided imagery techniques involves you to think about a certain goal which helps in coping with health problems. It is most often used as a relaxation technique. 

What happens in guided imagery?

Relaxation with guided imagery techniques has been used in cancer care for many years. A practitioner will ask you to lie down or sit quietly and imagine yourself in a peaceful place such as a beach, meadow or forest. This imagery can be developed with the help of music or words. 

The guided imagery technique helps in:

• Reliving the side effects of chemotherapy
• Managing stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
• Reducing pain
• Lowering blood pressure
• Giving a better sense of control and well-being

Addiction Counselling 

Cancer patients with addiction often are recommended addiction counselling. Addiction counselling helps patients get rid of any kind of addiction - tobacco, alcohol, and substance abuse.

At Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road, our counsellors first ask a variety of questions which may include your family history, childhood experiences, and other traumatic events. They will also review your other parameters, including medical history, mental health conditions, family support, relationship dynamics, relapse potential, as well as external stressors such as finances or legal concerns. Once the potential goals of treatment are discussed with you, your journey toward sobriety begins with a robust treatment plan to help you achieve your goals.

Tobacco Cessation:

Our counsellors will help you identify the triggers for smoking. Together, you will develop strategies that will help resist cravings and manage symptoms of withdrawal. Common techniques used include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Alcohol Abuse: 

You will be informed about the negative impact of alcohol on your health. Our psycho-oncologists will teach you coping mechanisms to fight stress and other mental issues that may be contributing to the addiction. Relapse prevention strategies also play a key role in alcohol abuse recovery.

Substance Abuse:

Our best psycho-oncologists in Bangalore will work with you to ensure you get rid of substance abuse. This type of counselling is aimed at developing healthy coping mechanisms, and the techniques used will differ from patient to patient.  

End-of-life care, Grief, and Bereavement Counselling

Some cancer patients may need end-of-life care, especially those with late-stage cancer (stage 4) with a poor prognosis of just a few weeks or months. End-of-life care aims to control pain and provide physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support through palliative care, supportive care, and hospice care.

Support groups or personnel are in place to give care while enquiring about the patient's wishes and preferences. These groups or persons also support caregivers, family members, and other people who are in close contact with the patient. End-of-life care can be given at home, in a care home, in a hospital, etc., depending on the patient and their family.

Similarly, grief from the death of a family member or a friend to cancer is associated with mental stress, anxiety, and depression. In such cases, grief counselling or bereavement counselling from a counsellor, therapist, psychologist, or support group can greatly help address your feelings and overcome the mental and emotional reactions to the loss of your close friend or family member.

At Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bangalore, we help you through your cancer care journey and make the treatment process easier for you, your caregiver or your family members.