You can schedule a video consultation at Anișoara Decianu here.
Psychologist Ani?oara Decianu is part of the first generation of 15 psycho-oncologists in Romania. She graduated from the Faculty of Psychology in addition to the Faculty of Medicine, and is currently a master's student at the UMF Iasi, in the field of Medical Bioengineering. She says that she continued her medical studies with the Faculty of Psychology because "a person must be viewed as a complete whole - body, mind and soul, and because I want to help my patients understand the mechanisms with which they can fight cancer. The human body has an immense power of regeneration, it has an immense power of immunological reserves, we alone can help our body heal from the inside. Any specialized support, from medical treatments to psychotherapy, are anchors that help us overcome extreme situations."
The diagnosis of a serious illness represents a major stress that affects the psyche first and foremost, and because we are interconnected and the body is not separate from the mind, from our thoughts, the psyche produces manifestations at the physiological level, at the level of the immune system and then the way we think, the emotions we have are very important. Each person has their own special channels through which they reduce their stress but there is still a common denominator, a few generally valid actions.
Many times, the patient is left alone in a hospital hallway after the diagnosis and wonders what to do next. A statistic has been noted – a diagnosis of a serious illness is communicated by the doctor in 0.72 seconds. It is certainly not enough. The patient often does not even hear what is being communicated to him because an emotional blockage occurs and he is anchored in his thoughts, he gets home and here what his loved ones do matters enormously.
That patient has some roles in society, in the family, he is a husband, father, brother, friend, employee and it is good that these roles are preserved so that the patient does not feel that he has lost something else besides his health. It is very important that the patient is not treated as if he were a person with a degree of disability. He is still the father, the husband, the wife, the friend, he can still make decisions and can get involved in the activities of daily life. Many times when patients are "put aside" from daily activities they feel a suffering even greater than the disease itself. It is the most common situation that oncology patients complain about: that they want to continue doing things and are not left by their loved ones. The stress associated with the fact that they are no longer perceived as full-fledged family members is greater than the stress associated with the diagnosis.
Family and friends must validate the patient's roles, give him as many reasons as possible that give the patient confidence and desire to move forward, because the patient must draw strength from the family, from the immediate community. He must feel protected, trust family members and so he will have the courage to ask for help, and the family must be present when he needs it.
The patient must not feel like a burden, the disease is most often not a death sentence, it is a fight that can be won with the help of doctors, family, friends, psychologists, There are countless examples of public figures who have declared that they have had serious illnesses and after 10, 20, 30 years they are active and fulfilled. Sometimes an illness can be a signal, a lesson, to realize that we must take more care of ourselves, that we must live healthy, to eliminate stress as much as possible, because it is extremely harmful to health. Survivors often say that their lives are more fulfilled after the illness, they appreciate life, family, and friends much more.
Family and friends support is enormously important because they can provide something that patients can only get from their family, namely the reasons to go forward with aggressive, painful, long-term treatments. It is very important for family and friends to keep patients in their midst, to treat them as before, as if the disease is just a passing aspect and to offer them help when requested.
That is why I said that each patient is unique, just like their disease, reactions are unpredictable and that is why it is very important to share their fear with their family. Isolation and refusal of treatment are destructive actions.
Oncology patients do not want to be judged, labeled, they are scared, afraid, embarrassed by hair loss, by various changes in weight, by the fact that they will be labeled by those around them, by the neighbors in the block. When patients are recommended chemotherapy or radiotherapy, their first question is: will my hair fall out? What will my colleagues at the office, my neighbors say? We need to discuss these issues with them, look for answers together with them and make their lives easier.
But, often, family members do not know how to react, they are also traumatized and no one takes care of them, they are a kind of "secondary, unseen" patients, they take part in a suffering and, most of the time, they have neither medical knowledge nor do they know how to help their loved ones, and in this context, psychotherapy sessions are useful for them too.
The psychotherapist confirms that fear, frustration, uncertainty are perfectly normal thoughts, encourages them to express themselves in a controlled space where patients can openly express their emotions, and facilitates subsequent communication with the medical team. Sometimes doctors do not know or do not have the time to communicate sufficiently with a patient, and this role is taken over, to a certain extent, by the psychologist.
The psychologist provides a space in which patients can openly expose their emotions, offers balance, hope, which is very important, psychotherapy is a part of the treatment that can significantly improve the outcome of the treatment. Issues related to refusal of treatment, delay in treatment, self-blame are discussed. The psychologist has more time than the doctor to talk about side effects, to reduce the stress related to them. Many patients ask themselves "why me?" and the psychologist helps them answer this question, and in this way communication with the medical team improves and compliance with the treatment increases.
All of these are stages that the patient must overcome, but it is harder for him alone, because because each patient is unique, no one has gone through the same illness before, he cannot find the answer to his questions on Google or among friends, and most of the time these are aspects that a psychologist can help him clarify. He may wonder what will happen to the children, the family, will the treatment give results? Most of the thoughts, doubts start from communication, the patient feels that he is not listened to or heard, from the lack of correct information and from the fact that most of the time the patient does not open up, does not have the courage to discuss his fears, postpones, hesitates, and the psychotherapist can give the patient courage to talk openly with the doctor and benefit from the appropriate treatment, to have a comfortable life even under these conditions.
Doctors who work with patients diagnosed with serious illnesses also often need counseling or psychological support. Sometimes hospitals do not have the best equipment, and doctors are forced to tell patients that they cannot provide them with the necessary treatment and redirect them to hospitals in other countries, the distances are great, the expenses are the same, and some patients cannot afford it and give up treatment. The number of patients increases, the number of doctors decreases and we reach situations where there are so few doctors or medicines that, as a renowned doctor from Gala?i said, “I feel like a God; because every morning I have to decide which patient will benefit from treatment and which will be refused, because we are limited both physically, as people, and in terms of available treatments”. There are many emotionally difficult situations for the medical team and obviously they also need specialized psychological support.
At this point I know that you can get free psychological counseling sessions upon recommendation from a psychiatrist.
I am also very happy about the legislative initiative of Senator Nicoleta Pauliuc, an initiative that was voted for by all parliamentary parties to establish a Cancer Survivors Day on the first Sunday of June. This proposal provides for legislative amendments through which oncology patients will be able to benefit from free psychological counseling sessions, and those who care for an oncology patient will be able to benefit from additional sick leave.
Psychological counseling is important for the patient to remain emotionally stable, and there are hospitals where there are multidisciplinary teams that also include an onco-psychologist or clinical psychologist. The field of specialization is very new, but any psychologist can help, can bring the patient into a state of communication, to make decisions for treatment.
Yes, support groups are also starting to appear, which are extremely important for cancer patients, survivors of these diseases, as well as support groups for victims of domestic violence, addictions, etc.
Support groups usually appear at the initiative of NGOs, for example, the Restart la Via?? Association organized the first support groups in the country next to the oncology departments of the hospitals in Gurgiu and Zal?u, and we hope that they will soon appear in Gala?i as well. Support groups are just at the beginning, they are moving more slowly, but we are trying to reach as many patients as possible.
Online psychological counseling on Digital Clinics lasts 50 minutes, exactly like a face-to-face psychotherapy session. The patient or his/her family tells the reason why they turned to psychotherapy, and that is how the discussion begins.
Most of the time, those who turn to a psychologist are family members, patients usually come forcedly, because visiting a psychologist is not routine at this time, a large part of the population does not even understand what a psychologist can offer them. Most of the time, patients or their relatives are scared, they only know the name of the diagnosis, 90% perceive cancer as a death sentence and come without hope, without the desire to overcome the disease. Patients are distrustful, looking for courage, looking for validation of some answers. The psychologist only has the word he uses so that the patient finds the strength to fight within him, because, often, he just needs an incentive to regain his determination and desire for life.
You can schedule a video consultation at Anișoara Decianu here.
