Being diagnosed with cancer is obviously a very traumatic experience. The patient and his family are in shock and greatly distressed.

Having to go through the medical cure with its surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation is just one aspect of battling this deadly disease.

Having to achieve emotional strength and calm is another major factor. It never is easy to look death in the eye. To envisage months of spreading disease, hard treatment and bodily changes can break the spirit of any patient.

Counselling always helps when it comes to dealing with cancer.

Here are a few reasons why counselling is recommended.

1. Many patients find it helpful to talk to someone who is not personally involved in their lives.

2. Very often, both the patient and his family put up a false front when they talk to each other. There is a need to protect each other from raw emotions and the dismal truth.

3. With a counsellor one doesn't have to prove to be brave or cheerful. Fears and anxieties can be brought out into the open and freely spoken about.

4. Patients often feel very isolated. This is their personal battle. They feel out of sync with the world. The loss of control over one's life can make them feel that they're going crazy.

5. Sometimes, cancer can push spouses and families apart. Some people have a strong need to run from the situation and may appear to be indifferent. This causes further problems between the patient and the family.

6. Very often friends and family have no idea how to deal with the patient's swinging moods. The situation is new and painful to them as well.

7. Families and caregivers need counselling too. They may be in danger of losing a loved one. They have their own fears and sorrows to deal with. And they need to offer support to the patient as well. The situation overwhelms and depresses them.

8. Basically, there are no absolute right and wrong ways in coping with cancer. Each person handles it differently.

9. Counsellors are people who know about cancer and its treatment. They have more experience in dealing with patients and their changing moods.

10. Counsellors can also point patients in the right direction and show them different ways of dealing with new situations that keep cropping up.

Talking to people who have preconceived notions about the patient and the family is certainly very helpful. Besides a counsellor will also be able to help the patient look at reality without going into denial.

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