What types of intimacy issues do colon cancer patients face?
Cancer affects more than just the body. A person undergoes psychological change after receiving a diagnosis of that sort. Dr. Beverly Yoches is a Psychologist that has experience helping people through these times. She reminds us that intimacy is important for a healthy recovery and that it isn’t just about sex. It’s about being able to be close to a person or a group. Watch the video to learn more about how do deal with intimacy issues related to colon cancer.
Video Transcripts
Beverly Yoches, PSY.D: Well intimacy is not just all about sex and so often times when an individual was faced with colon cancer, it provides the opportunity to be intimate with their partner in a different way and so, the one thing about cancer is that it changes who you are. Cancer is one of the diagnoses that doesn’t just affect the physical body. I don’t think there is anybody that has ever been diagnosed with cancer that just goes in and gets the treatment, you know, gets the treatment to the physical part of it because there is a huge psychological change that happens when someone is given a diagnosis. Sometimes that comes from the old stigma stereotype about cancer and diagnosis. A lot of times when people are diagnosed, they may think about other family members or friends that have passed away from cancer, so that usually evokes an enormous amount of anxiety and depression. I believe we are body, mind and spirit and so when we get a cancer diagnosis, our physical body is ill, but it also impacts our psychological wellbeing as well as our spiritual part. It’s very common for when a person receive a cancer diagnosis that anxiety about the future depression, about the past, all of those feelings become evoked and then it’s also not uncommon for them to speak about their spirituality as they contemplate the morality. So, the one thing that a cancer diagnosis does in my opinion is that kind of separates the mind, body, spirit connection and as you go through treatment, it’s not just healing the body, but healing the mind and the spirit as well because you can’t just have one and not the other.
Latest posts by Dr. Beverly Yoches (see all)
- Types of Therapy Available for Colon Cancer Patients - January 1, 1970
- Normalizing During Your Colon Cancer Treatment - January 1, 1970
- How do I Find Hope after a Colon Cancer Diagnosis? - January 1, 1970
