coping with a brain tumor - nebraska medicine · brain tips . . . • notebook, organizer or smart...
TRANSCRIPT
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Coping with a Brain Tumor
Randy LaGrone, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Psychology Department
Nebraska Medicine
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Shock of diagnosis.
“Will I still be me?”
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Anxiety
• Most common psychological symptom
• Experienced as dread when faced with uncertainty
• Anticipatory anxiety about the future
• Can escalate into panic attacks
• “Kindling effect” of worrying/stressors
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Depression vs. Normal Mood
• Frequency of
Symptoms
• Intensity
• Duration
• Impact on functioning
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Symptoms of Depression
• Sadness/tearfulness
• Negativity
• Loss of pleasure
• No motivation
• Withdrawal
• Sleep problems
• Difficulty thinking
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Motivation Symptoms
• Avoidance
• Withdrawal
• Increased dependency
• Decreased activity
• Suicidal ideation
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Basic Psychology
• We feel the way we think
• Experience is subjective (beliefs, attitudes, expectations, attributions)
• It’s not what happens, but what you think about the situation
• We can learn better ways to think and cope
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Winston Churchill Quote
“When I look back on all these worries, I
remember the story of the man who said
on his deathbed that he had a lot of
trouble in his life, most of which never
happened.”
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Tumor location and treatment
side effects
• Personality and behavior changes
• Slowed thinking
• Memory loss
• Depression and fatigue
• Confusion and disorientation
• Irritability and outbursts (short fuse)
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Faulty Thinking That Maintains
Stress
• Catastrophizing - seeing the worst case
• Personalization – “I’m the only one to feel this”
• All-Or-Nothing Thinking - extremes only
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Key Components of Coping
• Information about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis
(meds: anxiety/depression)
• Realistic expectations, goal-setting
• Mood monitoring (taking in the good)
• Pleasant activities (social interaction)
• Assertiveness skills (pacing activity)
• Having a problem solving strategy
• Identifying faulty thinking (emotional reasoning)
• Physician approved exercise
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Cancer Considerations
• Problems with body image and self worth
• Societal value that self image (identity) is based on physical appearance
• Public intrusiveness
• Changes in social interaction in public
(staring, questions, silent language, etc.)
• Strains of interaction (overcompensation)
• Emotional cost to cope in public
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ACT Strategy for Coping
A = Accept situation (Tip: You don’t have
to like it)
C = Choose to be reasonably happy
anyway
T = Take action to find enjoyment,
meaning and purpose
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Brain tips . . .• Notebook, organizer or smart phone
• Checklist, daily routine (1 thing at a time)
• Process thinking – say steps out loud
• Pace activity, avoid overstimulation, be realistic
(sleep and nutrition)
• Discuss challenges with family (plan)
• Support group, psychological help, neuropsychological evaluation
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Physician Approved Exercise
• Works rapidly
• 10 minutes a day improves mood
• Affects cellular and molecular levels of the brain, causes positive chemical and structural changes
• Effective as medication for many people
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End of presentation
Questions and discussion . . .