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A cancer diagnosis can be a shock for the patient and their family.

It can produce worry, anxiety, depression, lack of confidence or self-esteem and an inability to concentrate, as well as triggering anxiety and problems from the past.

Counselling is a process of self-exploration that may help an individual to manage problems more effectively through increased self-awareness.
Sessions provide a safe place in which to explore emotional issues in confidence.

You may find it easier to talk to an ‘outsider’ like a professional counsellor rather than friends or family about some issues.
Counselling aims to provide individuals with an opportunity to understand their experiences in a way that helps them feel more in control. It can help people deal more effectively with problems such as:

• worries about the future
• body image issues
• fear of treatment (eg, needle phobia)
• stress
• anger
• relationship difficulties
• sleep disturbance
• panic attacks
• anticipatory nausea and vomiting

  If you have difficulty making sense of your feelings or can relate to any of the above or other such experiences, you may find it helpful talking it through with a trained counsellor

Stress is the emotional and physiological effect of feeling we are faced with a situation or threat with which we perceive we cannot cope or have insufficient resources to manage.

The good news is that we can combat the stress response by learning to relax which will stand down the threat response system in our body. It is really worth practising every day, even if only for a few minutes so that the ability to calm and relax yourself becomes easy.

Here you can find links to audio files of relaxation techniques that can help relieve stress and gain a sense of well-being.:

Relaxation techniques
Downloadable Seashore Visualisation Relaxation audio
Body Scan Meditation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Peaceful Place Visualisation

Relaxation tips

PTSD Self Help

Coping With Suicidal Thoughts

In a recent BBC survey 48% of women say the menopause had a negative impact on their mental health.

• 41% said it had affected their work
• 25% said it made them want to stay at home
• Approximately 1 in 4 women consider leaving the workplace.

  Peri menopause is described as the time in a woman’s life when she is experiencing menopausal symptoms but still having periods. It can be difficult for any woman to know when peri menopause started for her until she is able to look back.
  Post menopause is entered once a woman has experienced twelve consecutive months without periods she is postmenopausal for the rest of her life.
  The average age of menopause is 51 but it usually happens between 45 -55 years of age. It can occur later or earlier. Symptoms can last up to 15 years

  So what happens to the female brain?

• Oestrogen fluctuates and depletes
• Neuro chemicals become disturbed
• Sleep and mood and concentration can suffer

  Research shows many women are being failed by their GP due to lack of knowledge around symptoms and treatments

  Women are being incorrectly diagnosed as depressed and given antidepressants.

• Approximately 38 per cent of women seek help from a GP
• One quarter of those who visited a GP say the possibility of the symptoms being menopause related is missed
• Many women are mistakenly denied HRT due to existing or family health concerns
• Women still feel very confused about HRT
• Many women are unaware of NHS menopause clinics, you can ask your GP to refer you. Find your nearest BMS-recognised menopause specialist

  NICE guidelines on menopause state that blood hormone tests are not indicated to diagnose menopause in a woman over 45 years of age experiencing menopause symptoms. Here is a menopause symptom checker

  Many women say

• I feel like I’m going mad
• I feel so alone/sad/angry/lost
• I don’t know who I am anymore
• I have lost my joy
• I feel like I’m going mad
• My brain feels foggy, I can’t think and feel slow

  Menopause can affect women’s relationships with partner, family, friends and colleagues. It can help to talk to a sympathetic listener who can signpost you to medical help if needed. You don’t have to suffer in silence. Please have a look at the resources linked to here.

  Thanks to Diane Danzebrink for providing this information at the BACP Private Practice Conference