Carcinophobia - fear of oncology: causes, symptoms, treatment. Carcinophobia - how to get rid?

The article will help people suffering from carcinophobia, identify the causes of their fear and overcome it.

Anyone who finds himself at an oncologist's reception is most afraid of hearing a terrible diagnosis of cancer from the doctor.

Sometimes this healthy and quite understandable fear of cancer is transformed into a peculiar trait, becomes obsessive, persecutes a person and makes you look for non-existent symptoms of ailment. This state of psychologists called carcinobiosis ( onkofobiey ), and people suffering from the fear of cancer - carcinogens .

Carcinophobia - obsessive fear of developing cancer

Carcinophobia - fear of oncology: causes, symptoms

The frighteningly growing statistics of the incidence of cancer makes every person remember their own health from time to time. People give tests, undergo examinations of and, without finding any signs of cancer, forget about their fear.

The results of tests and examinations help to feel more confident in fighting the carcinophobia of

However, for some people, fear of getting cancer becomes a constant companion. They fall asleep and wake up with the thought of a terrible illness, imagine how they will behave and what to feel when they discover a cancer. Why are people so afraid of finding cancer?

Causes of carcinogenicity:

• Death of a close friend or relative from a cancer.
• Obsessive advertising of funds "for the prevention" of cancer.
• A recent surgery to remove cysts, benign tumors.
• Unstable psyche, panic attacks, mental illness.
• Large familial predisposition to oncological diseases.
• Unspecified, doubtful diagnoses, distrust of the treating doctors.
• Cervical erosion( in women), as well as other "precancerous" diseases.
• Hormonal failures, leading to sudden changes in shape and appearance.
• Persistent pain in any part of the body.
• Age is more than 40 - 45 years.

Carcinophobes try to find signs of cancer

Symptoms of carcinophobia:

• A person acquires a variety of means for the treatment and prevention of cancer, reads literature on a topic of interest, seeks new ways of treating cancer, reads medical guides and collects folk recipes against cancer.
• Unfair attitude towards close people: pickiness, ungrounded complaints about life and health, demands to help, resentment, tearfulness, aggression.
• Cancerophobia completely refuses medical examinations, explaining this by the fact that they immediately discover cancer, or, conversely, excessively take care of their health and regularly undergo thorough examinations.
• Set themselves a "diagnosis".They try to follow the changes in the work of the "sick" organ and necessarily mark "worsening".
• The results of good analyzes of oncology are interpreted in their own way.
• We are sure that the doctors hide the truth from them.
• Closure in themselves, lose interest in everything, reluctantly communicate with people, cease to enjoy life.
• They see "prophetic" dreams in which they are necessarily ill with cancer or undergo unsuccessful treatment.
• Carcinophobes are prone to philosophical reasoning. They are trying to find a "higher meaning" in their "illness", considering their state as a payment for some past deeds.

All symptoms of carcinophobia can be conditionally divided into 3 groups:

1. Thinking - obsessive reproduction in the thoughts of images and situations associated with oncology, the inability to switch to something else.
2. Sensitive - irritability, fear of getting cancer, detect symptoms of the disease.
3. Bodily - thoughts about oncology cause quickening of the pulse, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, weakness, dry mouth.

Attempts to "cure cancer" - one of the symptoms of carcinophobia

IMPORTANT: Those who have found signs of carcinophobia in their loved ones should consult a therapist, because uncontrolled seizures of this condition can ruin a person's life and cause unreasonable deeds.

Cancerophobia in cancer patients

Oncology detected in the early stages, in 90% of cases safely healed. At the same time, the correct positive attitude of the patient and his desire to live increase the chances of recovery.

But in addition to oncology itself, patients often have severe attacks of carcinophobia.

IMPORTANT: In cancer patients, carcinophobia manifests as demonstrative helplessness, an unwillingness to fight cancer, suppressed by a depressed state.

Cancer patients suffering from carcinophobia, feel sorry for themselves, complain about the injustice of fate, are experiencing great stress from the changed state.

In the treatment of oncology, the patient's positive attitude and his desire to live

are important How to get rid of carcinophobia on your own?

Independently to get rid of a carcinophobia it is possible only in that case, if the fear has not had time to get into depth of subconsciousness . walks outdoors, rest, a new hobby, sports, sedation. Feel more confident and help regular survey specialists .

Those who know about carcinophobia firsthand, recommend to have a personal diary, in which every day to write down their thoughts .Rereading these records, a person manages to look at the situation from the outside. In some cases, this is enough to realize the absurdity of the situation and forever to throw out of my head terrible thoughts.

IMPORTANT: If fear can not be overcome independently and the carcinophobia continues to poison life, it is necessary to consult a therapist.

When writing down your thoughts in a diary, some people manage to get rid of carcinophobia

Carcinophobia - treatment: psychiatrist

A qualified doctor-psychotherapist can cope with the fear of getting cancer. His work with a carcinophobe is aimed at overcoming fears by experiencing and carefully analyzing all the exciting moments.

During the sessions of psychotherapy, the doctor conducts a conversation with the patient, during which he determines when and under what circumstances there was fear, what measures to get rid of oncophobia were taken by himself, whether the patient passed tests. It is important to exclude the presence in the patient of such diseases as schizophrenia, neurotic disorder, psychopathy.

IMPORTANT: Since complex cases of carcinophobia require a serious correction of the formed disorders of the psyche, one must be prepared to visit the therapist for a long time.

In working with oncologists, psychotherapists use the techniques of of classical psychoanalysis, deep psychotherapy of Jung and family therapy .

Treatment of carcinophobia in a doctor-psychotherapist

Carcinophobia: responses

Julia, 30 years old : "Carcinophobia filled my life. I'm afraid to talk about my fears to anyone, because it seems to me that I will "attract" cancer to myself. Any pain, be it a migraine or an ordinary bruise, causes me fear. From the thought that I have onset of cancer, I can even lose consciousness. When I think about the future, the thought immediately arises: "Am I going to live to see this?"

Dmitry, 48 years old: "My father died of cancer. And he discovered an oncology, when nothing could be done. My father did not worry about anything, only in the last month his condition sharply worsened, there were pains that intensified with each passing day. I could not believe that this was happening to my dad. Before my eyes, the cancer slowly took away the life of the dearest and closest person to me. Dad was dying in terrible agony, and I could not help him. With his departure, my life changed. Immediately I also wanted to die, and then, on the contrary, I began to fear death from cancer. I passed all the necessary tests, bypassed the doctors, and, despite the fact that they persuaded me that I was healthy, continued to look for symptoms of cancer. This lasted for several years. Oncophobia intensified. All the time I spent in anticipation of the appearance of symptoms of the disease. To begin life anew, the psychotherapist helped me. Already after the first sessions my fears began to gradually recede, and eventually disappeared altogether. "

Christina, 39 years old: "I have been working in the cancer department for 10 years. For the day I meet a lot of people who have to fight the most terrible disease. Among them there are very young people. When I come home, I start to remember our patients and involuntarily "try on" themselves their stories. For all these years, my fear of developing cancer has increased many times. Even on vacation, I do not cease to think that at any time I can turn from an employee into a patient of our department, because no one is insured against cancer. "

Video: How to overcome the fear of cancer - advice of a psychologist