Psychological and self-help therapies
The other therapies discussed in here may be helpful for some people although they are not generally available as part of standard support. Cancer hospitals often provide patients with information about local cancer support groups, and art therapy and healing may be available in some hospices. CancerBACUP and other organisations can give you further information about these therapies and finding a qualified therapist.
Counselling
This is something that goes on informally all the time between partners, friends, parents and children, husbands and wives, and it is important to recognise you don’t have to be a counsellor to talk to someone with cancer. The most important thing is to listen attentively. CancerBACUP has produced information to help people affected by cancer talk to each other. Who can ever understand? – talking about your cancer, What do I tell the children? – a guide for a parent with cancer and Lost for words, written for relatives and friends of people with cancer. We would be happy to send you copies.
Sometimes, however, it is difficult for people who are undergoing a stressful and emotional time to talk to the people closest to them, who may also be very upset. They may find it easier to talk to someone who is outside their immediate circle. A trained counsellor will be able to provide emotional support by allowing the person to express his or her feelings and fears. A counsellor will not tell you what to do, but counselling may help you to see things differently and to make decisions. Counselling may be available at your cancer centre or through your GP.
CancerBACUP’s Cancer Support Service can give you advice on finding a suitable counsellor. You may also find it helpful to contact the British Association of Counselling or the Cancer Councelling Trust.
Relaxation
Simple breathing and relaxation self-help exercises are very useful for a variety of conditions, from migraine and high blood pressure to cancer. Almost everyone can learn the techniques and they can offer an immediate and, at times, quite dramatic reduction in the effects of anxiety and muscle tension, and on the nervous system that controls blood pressure and the digestive tract. Many people with cancer, and indeed many of their relatives, can be helped to relax and experience a sense of calmness if taught these simple methods. You can learn the techniques at home using a cassette tape, or join a group. Self-help exercises require motivation and constant practice to provide benefit, and this may best be achieved by attending group classes.
Lying flat may be uncomfortable for people who are breathless or in pain, but many relaxation exercises can be done sitting up or using pillows for support. Further details can be obtained from some of the helpful books and the organisations which provide relaxation tapes. Two simple exercises are described below.
Exercise I
Find a quiet room where you will be undisturbed for about 10-15 minutes. Undo any tight clothing and remove your shoes, then lie down on the bed or floor. Spend a few moments settling yourself down. Close your eyes, spread your feet 12-18 inches apart and check that your head, neck and spine are in a straight line.
Now focus your attention on your breathing. Do not try to change your breathing for the moment. Become aware of how fast or slow you are breathing. Notice whether there are any gaps or pauses between your breathing in and breathing out.
Pause.
Now put one hand on your upper chest and one hand on your abdomen just below your rib-cage. Relax your shoulders and hands. As you breathe in, feel your abdomen expand. As you breathe out, allow your abdomen to flatten. There should be little or no movement in your chest. Allow yourself a little time to get into a regular rhythm.
Pause.
It may help to imagine that as you are breathing in, you draw half a circle with your breath and as you breathe out, you complete the second half of the circle.
Pause.
Allow your breath to become smooth, easy and regular.
Pause.
Now consciously slow down your breathing out and allow your breathing in to follow smoothly and easily.
Pause.
Smooth out any gaps or pauses in your breathing.
Pause.
If any distractions, thoughts or worries come into your mind, allow them to come, then allow them to go and bring your attention back to your breathing.
Pause.
When you are ready to end this exercise, take a few deeper breaths in. Bring some feeling back into your fingers and toes. Open your eyes slowly and turn over on to one side before gently sitting up.
Exercise II
- Find a quiet room where you will be undisturbed for 10-15 minutes. Remove your shoes and loosen any tight clothing. You can do this exercise sitting, but it is better to lie down on a bed or carpet if you can.
- Close your eyes gently. Make sure your head, neck and spine are in a straight line. Start by raising your eyebrows and tensing the muscles of your forehead. Hold the tension for a count of five, then relax the muscles and become aware of any difference you feel in the muscles. Repeat once more.
- Now squeeze your eyes as tight as you can, forcing your eyes shut. Count to five, then release. Notice any difference. Repeat once more.
- Open your mouth wide, stretching the muscles of your face. Count to five. Release. Repeat once more.
- Tighten the muscles of your jaw, clenching your teeth. Count to five, release and repeat once more. Become aware of all your face and any difference you feel.
- Raise your shoulders to your ears, tensing the muscles of your shoulders and neck. Release and relax the muscles. Notice any difference and repeat once more.
- Raise your left hand and arm off the floor/bed. Make a fist and increase the tension in your hand, forearm, upper arm. Count to five and let go, allowing the hand to fall back on the floor/bed. Notice any difference between your left and right hand and repeat once more. Repeat the same with the right hand and arm.
- Now contract the muscles of the chest. Notice the effect it has on your breathing. Relax. Flatten and tighten the muscles of your stomach. Count to five. Relax and breathe out.
- Lift your left foot and leg off the floor by about six inches. Push your foot away from you, tensing the muscles of the foot, leg and thigh. Count to five. Let go and allow the leg to drop down on the floor/bed. Repeat once more on the left side. Then do the exercise twice on the right side.
- When you are ready to finish bring some feeling back into your fingers and toes – take a few deeper breaths in. Open your eyes gently and sit up slowly and gradually.
Visualisation (mental imagery)
This is a technique that involves the use of imagination while you are in a state of relaxation or meditation. For example, you might imagine that you are lying in a field full of beautiful flowers. The theory is that by imagining a peaceful scene you will encourage yourself to feel more relaxed. A simple exercise to show how imagination can produce physical changes is to ‘picture’ a lemon being cut in front of you. Most people who do this will notice their salivary juices are stimulated.
Therapists who use creative visualisation in the treatment of cancer have suggested that you can stimulate the immune system to affect the growth of the cancer. Various research studies are under way to look at whether visulaiation can improve outcomes for people with cancer. Some studies have shown that focusing on feeling better and stronger can reduce the symptoms of cancer and the side effects of treatment for some people.
Many people report that visualising themselves as stronger does help them to feel better, and they regard it as a form of extended relaxation. One study has shown that gentle mental imagery can produce significant improvements in the mood of people having treatment for breast cancer.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is another method which can prove helpful in dealing with the symptoms of cancer, and especially some of the side-effects associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy such as nausea and vomiting.
In this treatment, the hypnotherapist leads the client into a deeply relaxed state, during which the client is still conscious of the surroundings. The hypnotherapist can then use suggestion to benefit the client in different ways, such as feeling better or gaining some control over symptoms.
Art therapy
This therapy is used to help people to express themselves through art. The therapist or teacher encourages the person to communicate feelings such as fear or anger through painting, drawing or modelling. Through our creativity, we can sometimes become aware of and release pent-up feelings which can then be discussed, if appropriate, in counselling or group sessions.
You do not need to be able to paint well and you will be encouraged to be spontaneous and doodle. Sometimes the therapist may be more directive and ask you to ‘paint your cancer’ or try to capture your relationship with your family. These exercises can help you understand yourself more fully. It can also be fun and a creative approach to dealing with unhappy and distressing experiences.
Self-help groups
Organised groups, where people with cancer and their families meet others in a similar situation, can be helpful. Often this is the first opportunity that families have to discuss their experiences with other people living with cancer. These groups can be a source of information and support and can provide an opportunity for people to talk about their feelings. Some groups are run by health professionals, doctors and nurses, counsellors or psychotherapists in a hospital. More commonly, people with cancer run groups. They often offer different techniques to teach coping strategies together with relaxation or visualisation, as well as practical information and emotional support.
If you are interested in joining a group, but are unsure about whether it would be helpful, try making some enquiries about it first, and go to a meeting to see what it is like. You may feel more comfortable if you take a friend or relative along with you. But if you are uncomfortable, you don’t have to go again.
The Cancer Support Service can give you details of support groups in your area.
Healing
The laying on of hands, spiritual and absent healing have always formed part of the ministry of the Christian church, although many healers work outside a formal religious setting. All healers believe that they act as a channel through which healing energy flows into the patient.
The practice of healing continues to grow. It can provide an important and very necessary support for the person with cancer and his or her family. However, people seeking healing need to be aware that miracle cures occur extremely rarely, and that no reputable healer should ever claim to be able to effect a cure.
Meditation
For many people the word meditation implies a religious activity which they may find difficult to accept. But though people in all major religions of the world use meditation exercises, it is not necessary to have any religious belief in order to meditate.One way of understanding meditation is to see it as a mental exercise which can help to deeply relax and calm the mind helping to reduce fear, pain, anxiety and depression. All these feelings may affect people with cancer and it is also very easy to feel ‘out of control’. Regular meditation practice can help people feel more in control of themselves and their lives. Many studies have shown that regular meditation reduces the pulse rate and lowers blood pressure and ‘stress’ chemicals in the body.
There are many different types and styles of meditation. One type of meditation practice is described on the following page.
Learning to meditate
- You need to set aside some time – 10-20 minutes early in the morning or before you go to sleep at night. Find a quiet place in your home where you will not be disturbed. It is helpful to keep the same place for meditation as this reinforces the habit. It also gives that place in your home a special significance.
- The next step is to find a suitable chair or meditation cushion. Meditation is best practised sitting up. Of course you can meditate lying down on your bed, but you are more likely to fall asleep. Meditation is not sleeping – you should be alert and awake. However, you can use meditation to help you to go to sleep.
- Choose a chair which is comfortable and which has a straight back. You may like to support your back with a cushion or pillow. Keep your head, neck and spine erect. If your feet do not reach the floor comfortably put a small cushion underneath them. If you prefer to sit on the floor, cross your legs in front of you in the most comfortable position and place a small cushion under your bottom.
- Close your eyes and place your hands on your thighs. Be aware of your breathing. Spend a few minutes focusing your attention on your breath. Just breathe naturally – you do not need to try to control your breathing. Turn your attention to your forehead. Relax the muscles of your forehead. Relax the muscles of your eyes. Relax the muscles of your face. Check that your jaw is not too tightly closed and that your tongue is lying easily in your mouth. Relax your shoulders. Relax your hands and fingers. Relax your chest and abdomen. Relax your thighs, knees, ankles and feet.
- Bring your attention back to your breathing. Let the breath become smooth and even.
Pause.
- Now as you breathe in, place the word ‘so’ on your breath, silently, without moving your lips. As you breathe out, place the word ‘hum’ on your out breath, silently, without moving your lips. Continue to breathe smoothly and evenly, repeating the sounds ‘so’ and ‘hum’ as you breathe in and out. If any thoughts, worries or distractions come into your mind, allow them to come and then go, bringing your attention back to your breathing and the sounds ‘so’ and ‘hum’. Continue for another 5-10 minutes, repeating the sounds internally in time with your breathing.
- When you are about to stop, gently move your fingers and toes. Take a few deeper breaths in and out and gently open your eyes.
Page last modified: 02 November 2005
