ANNOUNCER: Treatment. It's a big issue for cancer patients. Some report the side effects may be as difficult to take as the disease itself. But while losing your hair is devastating for some people, others may turn it into a fashion statement.
JOSÉE SAVARD, PhD: The reaction to the treatment side effects may vary a lot from one person to the other, so one person may react very negatively to hair loss and the other one may adapt to it very easily.
ANNOUNCER: Surprisingly, for some the end of cancer treatment is the most difficult time of all.
JOSÉE SAVARD, PhD: Several patients actually find it difficult when the treatments end, because they feel that they're not fighting any more. They feel that they are not supported any more by their medical team. That's when several patients will consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to help them cope with their disease, when the treatment is ended.
ANNOUNCER: The stress that accompanies the upheaval of a major illness can wreak havoc on a person's life. And it is difficult to adjust to. This problem, called an adjustment disorder, usually shows up within three months of a diagnosis.
JOSÉE SAVARD, PhD: Adjustment disorders are more common in cancer patients than in the general population. And they're the most frequent psychological problems that we encounter in those patients.
Adjustment disorders are disorders that are less severe than major depression or other anxiety disorders, but they are also difficulties that impair functioning
