How To Support Your Loved One After A Cancer Diagnosis – A cancer diagnosis is a difficult time for both the patient and their loved ones. If a friend or family member of yours has been recently diagnosed with cancer, you might be wondering what you can do to effectively support them. Whether it’s providing home-cooked meals, a shoulder to cry on, or simply just letting them know that you’re there, there are a number of different ways you can effectively support loved ones who are going through a cancer diagnosis.
When it comes to supporting your loved ones, absolutely everyone is different so it’s key to not take it personally if a method we suggest isn’t the kind of support your loved one was looking for.
Regardless of how serious the diagnosis may or may not be, these are our top ways to help support friends and family members in the wake of a cancer diagnosis.
What Kind Of Emotions Could Someone Diagnosed With Cancer Be Experiencing?
There are a few things you should really keep in mind when you’re beginning to offer support to your loved ones. Whether it’s mood swings, anxiety, anger or anything in between – these emotions are completely normal for someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis.
These are some of the most common emotions that your loved one may be going through on a daily basis following a diagnosis.
- Anger
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Frustration
- Resentment
- Grief
And a slew of other emotions and feelings. Before you embark on figuring out the best ways to support your loved ones, you need to understand the emotions they may be experiencing in their everyday life.
The Dos & Don’ts Of Offering Support
It can be hard to know how to adequately support someone through such a major life change, especially if you don’t have any first hand experiences with cancer. You may not know what to do or what to say, or you might be worried about saying the wrong thing. The worst thing you can do for someone dealing with a cancer diagnosis is to shut them out because you’re not sure how to process your own feelings.
In order to support your loved ones in the best way possible, you have to understand your own feelings and emotions first. Chat to your family, your partner or your friends about your emotions before going to offer support so that you can have a clear heart and are prepared to be the best support system possible.
What Kind Of Support Should I Be Offering?
Emotional Support
Emotional support is one of the most important things you can offer for loved ones navigating a cancer diagnosis, and emotional support from loved ones has been shown to make a huge difference in the quality of life of cancer sufferers.
It can be easy to worry about saying the wrong thing to someone with cancer, but the key is being open and honest at all times. If you’re not sure what to say or you’re finding it awkward, don’t be afraid to acknowledge that. You should also ensure they know that you’re always there to talk to them if and when they require some support. You’ll also want to ensure you listen to them without judgement, you don’t press them for information they aren’t comfortable sharing, and one of the most important things you can do is to aim to keep your relationship as normal as possible despite the diagnosis.
It’s crucial that you don’t take anything personally, if they’re coming off as angry, upset or closed off – it’s vital that you know it (most likely) has nothing to do with you! You should also NOT try to offer any unsolicited advice to your loved ones, especially if you have never had to navigate a cancer diagnosis yourself.
Practical Support
Helping someone out emotionally isn’t the only way you can support your loved one. Practical support is also crucial when it comes to navigating cancer. You want to check in with your loved one and find out if there’s anything specific that you can do to help.
Whether it’s taking them grocery shopping, offering to help around the house or cook some meals, taking them to and from their appointments, or looking into other services that could help relieve cancer symptoms like integrated oncology or walking their pets.
There are so many practical ways you can support your loved ones as they undergo a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments.
Be There For Your Loved Ones
Simply being there for your family member or your friend is the easiest way to make it known that you love them and are there to support them through this difficult time. Supporting your loved ones can really improve quality of life in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. Whether it’s emotional support, practical support or a combination of both this is our guide to offering loved ones with cancer effective support.
Poppy Watt