Attaining acceptance of surviving a life threatening illness might not be easy, but learning how to cope is important. The key to coping is maintaining a balanced life for good mental health according to clinical psychologist Raymond Hamden. He has been in the professsion for 25 years, in Dubai.
Hamden said: “An after-care protocol is helpful in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. It can also reduce the anxiety of recurrence for the individual, family, and everyone concerned.”
When it comes to the role that mental illness can play on a cancer survivor, it becomes real that the struggle is not over and it’s not easy. Hamden said that the fear of recurrence is a large source of anxiety that survivors have to cope with. He advises a model for balancing and moderating areas of life to maintain good mental health.
“Continue life with being productive; recreate with friends, a sport or a hobby alone; belongingness with family, romance, friends, the human race at large; spiritual connection with the world around you by defining your mission in life,” he explained.
“Having the productive side of daily life is part of the Balanced-4-Life model. Most people want to make a significant contribution to life, not just for themselves but for others. Work can be an earned income, student, volunteer work, home keeper, or any combination.”
Hamden’s description of ‘Balance-4-Life’ only emphasises why programs like Pure Heart are important for cancer survivors. Part of coping is focusing on creating balance in all aspects of life that patients had previously had to abandon while fighting their cancer.
“In addition to the life threatening illness influencing the individual and family to have a new definition of life, the ‘Balanced-4-Life’ model is a good way to foster better living in general. The ‘Balanced-4-Life’ formula teaches a daily routine of work, play, love, and worship,” he added.
