Mental Health and Emotions

Being diagnosed with lymphoma and its treatments can have an impact on your mental health and emotions. There are many feelings you may experience, and some might even surprise you. In fact, you don’t even have to be the one diagnosed with lymphoma to be affected by changes to your mental health and emotions. Many family members and loved ones can also be affected.

This page provides information on what can cause changes in your mental health and emotions and provides some practical tips on how to manage them. We have links to some really useful videos with great information from the experts at managing different aspects of your care. 

 

Make sure you bookmark or save this page as you may want to come back often or read it in stages.

 

What causes mental health and emotional changes

The shock of diagnosis, changes in your role in your family, workplace or social groups, fear of the unknown, loss of your sense of safety and security in your own body, unwanted changes to your lifestyle and fatigue or other symptoms of lymphoma can all affect your mental health and emotions.

 

Signs & Symptoms

Changes to your mood and emotions may be subtle and hard to recognise, or very obvious. Some symptoms may even overlap with possible symptoms of lymphoma and side-effects of treatments, which can make it difficult to know how to manage. It’s important to be aware of the changes in your mood and emotions so you can get extra support when you need it. 

Report any of the below signs and symptoms to your doctor.
  • Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.
  • Deep feelings of sadness.
  • Feeling hopeless and unable to be helped.
  • Feeling of dread.
  • Repeatedly replaying traumatic events in your head or having flashbacks.
  • Extreme worry (anxiety).
  • Fatigue.
  • Difficulty sleeping or nightmares or night terrors.
  • Sleeping too much and difficulty getting up.
  • Total loss of energy and motivation.
  • Problems with thinking, problem solving, memory or concentration.
  • Changes to your weight, loss of appetite or overeating.
  • Feeling irritable and restless.
  • Having feelings of guilt.
  • Thoughts of harming yourself or others, or of suicide.

How can I help myself feel better?

The first step to helping yourself feel better is knowing what’s causing the changes in your mental health, and you may have more than one cause. In some cases, you may need to reach out to counsellor or psychologist to help you accept and learn new coping strategies to live with the changes in your life.

In other cases, you may just need to understand that the medicines you need will make you more emotional for a few days each cycle of chemo, but understand that things will get back to normal in the days after you stop taking them.

What does the research say?

A lot of research has gone into mental health and there are many non-medical things you can do to help improve your mental health. Below are some things that research has proven to be helpful in managing your mental health and emotions

A good sleep routine

Getting the right amount of quality sleep each night has a very big impact on mental health and emotional regulation. When we’re tired, everything seems harder to cope with – whether we have lymphoma or not!

However, getting a good night sleep is easier said than done right?

Watch the video for tips on improving sleep.

Exercise

Many studies have shown that exercise has a really good effect on mood and emotions. It may be the very last thing you want to think about if you are tired and feeling down. But, getting some gentle exercise and a little sunlight every day can really help improve fatigue levels and your mood.

Even a 10-minute walk in the sunlight each morning can help set you up for a better day. Watch this video to learn from an exercise physiologist how to so some exercises even when you have no energy.

Nutrition

Eating well is important when you have lymphoma and when you are having treatment. Getting the right number of calories and a well-balanced diet is needed to improve energy, keep you blood sugar levels steady and to replace damaged cells and repair wounds. Improving all these can also improve your mental health. 

But there are so many myths around about what you should and should net eat when you have cancer. Watch this video to learn from a university qualified dietician about diet, nutrition and lymphoma.

Find a psychologist near you

Speaking with a psychologist and help with all cancer related issues from first diagnosis, right through to finishing treatment, reintegrating back into life and beyond. They can help with coping strategies, building resilience and making a plan for when stress and anxiety are likely to impact your quality of life.

To find a psychologist near you click the link below.

For more info see
Australian Psychological Society - Find a psychologist near you.

Listen to feel good music

Music has can have a huge impact on our emotions and mood. Sad music can make us feel sad, happy music can make us feel happy, motivational music can give us energy and confidence.

We asked some of our lymphoma patients about their favourite feel-good songs and made a playlist out of these. Checkout the playlist at our Spotify channel here.

When should I see my doctor?

Changes in your mental health and emotions can range from mild to life-threatening. Your local doctor (GP) can be a great support. We recommend everyone with lymphoma, and your loved ones see their GP and ask them to do a mental health plan together. You can do this even before you notice any changes to prepare for the challenges that you may face in the future.

To learn more about getting a mental health plan done with your GP, click here.

Thoughts of hurting myself, or of suicide

Take Charge!

Watch the video below for tips on how to build resilience to improve your mental health during times of uncertainty.

Lymphoma Care Nurses

Our nurses are all qualified and highly experienced nurses who have worked with people with cancer for many years. They are here to support you, encourage you and provide you with information abut your disease, treatments and options. They can also help you find the right support to improve your mental health. Contact them by clicking on the Contact Us button at the bottom of the screen or clicking here.

Other useful resources and contacts

Summary

  • Changes in your mental health and emotional regulation are common when you or your loved on has lymphoma.
  • Mental health changes can happen as a result of the stress and anxiety of lymphoma, as side-effect of treatment, traumatic healthcare experiences, or a response to how lymphoma changes your life.
  • Corticosteroids are a very common cause of mood and emotional changes. They usually only last while you are on the medicine and for a few days after. If these changes are affecting your quality of life, talk to your haematologist or oncologist. 
  • A good diet, sleep pattern and regular exercise, as well as some exposure to sunlight can help improve mental health and regulation of emotions.
  • See your GP as soon as possible and do a mental health plan with them. 
  • Report all signs and symptoms of changes in your mental health to your haematologist or oncologist and GP.
  • Reach and get help. If you have thoughts or hurting yourself, or of suicide call 000 immediately or see  https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/i-m-feeling-suicidal/

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