Depression after Treatment
Hi everyone
I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced some fairly significant depression after their treatment has finished.
I found that I have recently suffered this and still are.
Can't understand why....I thought I was good with all this cancer stuff - although I didn't exactly breeze through treatment, I never complained or cried (maybe twice!) so I'm puzzled as to why I'm depressed?
Has anyone else experienced this?
If so - what did you do about it....??
Any advice would be appreciated.
Comments
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Hi, when you think about it, we have just gone through a life threatening situation and now have to live with constant worry about the future, so It's natural to have these feelings I think. I have read that it is very common to keep it together during treatment but then have problems after.
I saw my GP who did me a mental health plan under ATAPS, which entitles me to free counselling with a private psychologist, which has been helpful. She has given me stuff on relaxation, mediation, positive thinking etc.
The hospitals also have counsellors but I did not feel a connection with the person there myself.
Also, if you are on tamoxifen, there is some addtional threat of depression due to the estrogen supression.
All the best,
Julia
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Think it takes it toll when everything is all over. I thought I got through it all quite ok then read an article about someone going through stage four breast cancer and didn't handle it . Sort help from. My gp and saw psychologist . All helped and found that has given me new skills to deal with problems that arise now. Wishing you all the best. Deb0
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Hi Helen, I'm so sorry to hear that your feeling depressed. I think what Julia and Deb have said is spot on. It is perfectly understandable to feel depressed after all that we've been through. I know in my case, even though I got off quite lightly compared to some, I still feel down at times. I felt like I was travelling along quite nicely until BC came along and now nothing will ever be as good. Mybreasts are uneven and scarred, I'm sick of wearing the damm wig (but I hate my very short hair), I feel well but I don't seem to have as much stamina as before, I feel guilty and worired every time I have a glass of wine or a piece of cake - will I make the cancer come back? Did I cause it in the first place? It's hard to keep it all in perspective sometimes.
Then there's the tamoxifen. I've been taking a half dose for about a month in the hope of letting my body adjust to it gradually - will start full dose tomorrow. Maybe that is to blame. I know you also said you weren't getting much sleep with the tamoxifen.That would certainly make me feel like crap I've read that some women take a mild anti-depressant with tamoxifen which helps minimise hot flushes as well as improve mood. I think it is called Endep or something similar. I agree that you should see a doctor and see what can be done. The relaxation and meditation sounds helpful too. I might look into something like that myself when the kids get back to school. Anyway, take care Helen. I'm thinking of you and hope you feel better soon. Janet x
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Hi Helen, I'm so sorry to hear that your feeling depressed. I think what Julia and Deb have said is spot on. It is perfectly understandable to feel depressed after all that we've been through. I know in my case, even though I got off quite lightly compared to some, I still feel down at times. I felt like I was travelling along quite nicely until BC came along and now nothing will ever be as good. Mybreasts are uneven and scarred, I'm sick of wearing the damm wig (but I hate my very short hair), I feel well but I don't seem to have as much stamina as before, I feel guilty and worired every time I have a glass of wine or a piece of cake - will I make the cancer come back? Did I cause it in the first place? It's hard to keep it all in perspective sometimes.
Then there's the tamoxifen. I've been taking a half dose for about a month in the hope of letting my body adjust to it gradually - will start full dose tomorrow. Maybe that is to blame. I know you also said you weren't getting much sleep with the tamoxifen.That would certainly make me feel like crap I've read that some women take a mild anti-depressant with tamoxifen which helps minimise hot flushes as well as improve mood. I think it is called Endep or something similar. I agree that you should see a doctor and see what can be done. The relaxation and meditation sounds helpful too. I might look into something like that myself when the kids get back to school. Anyway, take care Helen. I'm thinking of you and hope you feel better soon. Janet x
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It has hit me too. But suspiciously a few weeks after starting Tamoxifen...
I ended up having an emergency appointment with the psych onc at my centre because I found myself crying all day and with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I felt so much better after crying in her office for an hour and telling her how much I hated this whole expereince and hate what it has done to me and what it means for my future life.
She got me in to see the centre's psychiatrist who listened to me and at the end of our time told me she felt that I was entitled to feel sad and angry. She didn't think I needed anti-depressants but regular meetings with the psych onc for a while.
Hope this helps in some way... Jenn0 -
Oh, not sure if you know, but there are limited anti-depressants you can use when on Tamoxifen. Effexor is the most common one people take, but it is not a short term commitment as it is a very addictive drug that is hard to get off and has its own set of side effects including weight gain and lack of libido.
Also forgot to say above that the psychiatrist asked me to make a list of 10 things that I used to like doing that I could do again. She also asked me to take myself off to a cafe or a park or somewhere for a couple of hours reading a book by myself at least once a week.
Since starting the list before Christmas I have bought some jigsaw puzzles and enjoyed doing them. I have bought some comics and read them just like I did as a teenager. I have been doing find-a-word puzzles too. I think these have been helping me find some enjoyment in life again :-)
Make a list of 10 things that you used to do....
Jenn0 -
Oh, not sure if you know, but there are limited anti-depressants you can use when on Tamoxifen. Effexor is the most common one people take, but it is not a short term commitment as it is a very addictive drug that is hard to get off and has its own set of side effects including weight gain and lack of libido.
Also forgot to say above that the psychiatrist asked me to make a list of 10 things that I used to like doing that I could do again. She also asked me to take myself off to a cafe or a park or somewhere for a couple of hours reading a book by myself at least once a week.
Since starting the list before Christmas I have bought some jigsaw puzzles and enjoyed doing them. I have bought some comics and read them just like I did as a teenager. I have been doing find-a-word puzzles too. I think these have been helping me find some enjoyment in life again :-)
Make a list of 10 things that you used to do....
Jenn0 -
Sorry to hear you are feeling depressed, the same thing happened to me a few months after i finished treatment, i would cry at the drop of a hat, my local doctor prescrdibed anti depressant, and leaving his office in tears i told him i didnt need them i was a strong person, and what did i have to feel depressed about, i had coped with the treatment of breast cancer. A couple of weeks later with the prescription still in my drawer i had an appointment with my specialist and the minute i sat in his chair and he asked how i was, i started bawling.. he explained that a high percentage of women who have gone through breast cancer suffer from depression, and that i should take the anti depressants for a year,, i still insisted i was strong and didnt need them, we discussed it a bit more and he suggested if i didnt take these i could go further down and treatment would be harder.. So i gave in and took the pills, i must say it was the best thing i done, i took them for a year and i then knew i was back to normal and he suggested i cut the dose down for a couple of weeks then stop them, which i done and have felt great since, that was 3 year ago, so i think what we done realise is, that we have been too busy concetrating on getting through the treatment and when things start to return to normal it hits us.
i hope this helps, as i say i am not a person who takes medication lightly, but in this instance best thing i done. so maybe discuss this with your doctor.
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Sorry to hear you are feeling depressed, the same thing happened to me a few months after i finished treatment, i would cry at the drop of a hat, my local doctor prescrdibed anti depressant, and leaving his office in tears i told him i didnt need them i was a strong person, and what did i have to feel depressed about, i had coped with the treatment of breast cancer. A couple of weeks later with the prescription still in my drawer i had an appointment with my specialist and the minute i sat in his chair and he asked how i was, i started bawling.. he explained that a high percentage of women who have gone through breast cancer suffer from depression, and that i should take the anti depressants for a year,, i still insisted i was strong and didnt need them, we discussed it a bit more and he suggested if i didnt take these i could go further down and treatment would be harder.. So i gave in and took the pills, i must say it was the best thing i done, i took them for a year and i then knew i was back to normal and he suggested i cut the dose down for a couple of weeks then stop them, which i done and have felt great since, that was 3 year ago, so i think what we done realise is, that we have been too busy concetrating on getting through the treatment and when things start to return to normal it hits us.
i hope this helps, as i say i am not a person who takes medication lightly, but in this instance best thing i done. so maybe discuss this with your doctor.
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I was saddened to read your blog. Yes you have been so cheery and helpful and have got through so much.... and that's just it. BC is such a challenging battle with so many wonderful people to help you on the way....then...nothing. Once I returned to work after my first diagnosis I just couldn't cope. I had changed but others hadn't. I found it difficult to "mould back to normal". I saw a Psychologist for weeks. I don't like taking pills either but when they are needed to get us back to some normality after such a challenge then so be it. At the recent Strength 2 Strength conference, it was noted that a Psychologist is now included in the treatment team for bc patients. You are just fitting into the "normal" range. As Moira stated don't feel hesitant to discuss it with your GP. XLeonie
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I was saddened to read your blog. Yes you have been so cheery and helpful and have got through so much.... and that's just it. BC is such a challenging battle with so many wonderful people to help you on the way....then...nothing. Once I returned to work after my first diagnosis I just couldn't cope. I had changed but others hadn't. I found it difficult to "mould back to normal". I saw a Psychologist for weeks. I don't like taking pills either but when they are needed to get us back to some normality after such a challenge then so be it. At the recent Strength 2 Strength conference, it was noted that a Psychologist is now included in the treatment team for bc patients. You are just fitting into the "normal" range. As Moira stated don't feel hesitant to discuss it with your GP. XLeonie
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Sorry to hear you are down cos you seemed such a bubbly person when I met you in Melbourne. I think we put on a brave face to get through all the treatment. We convince ourselves to stay positve.However,when we are a safe distance from the trauma we relook at it and realize we can now cry. Some of the anti hormone drugs like Tamoxifen can really mess with your head. I was having a few dark thoughts and my oncologist put me on Endep(very low dose of 10mgs) but it really helped with hot flushes and low mood. I didn't need any further help.I think this network is a great place to express your feelings and "talk" to others.See your doctor and get checked out.The girls above me give great advice and at the very least,you know you are not alone with these feelings. I found it took me about 2 years after each breast cancer bout(2 bc rides) to feel more confident about my health and feel like my old self. I do art therapy each week and I find that helps. Are you working too hard and not having enough"me "time?Take care darl,let us know how you are. love and hugs,Tonya xx
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Sorry to hear you are down cos you seemed such a bubbly person when I met you in Melbourne. I think we put on a brave face to get through all the treatment. We convince ourselves to stay positve.However,when we are a safe distance from the trauma we relook at it and realize we can now cry. Some of the anti hormone drugs like Tamoxifen can really mess with your head. I was having a few dark thoughts and my oncologist put me on Endep(very low dose of 10mgs) but it really helped with hot flushes and low mood. I didn't need any further help.I think this network is a great place to express your feelings and "talk" to others.See your doctor and get checked out.The girls above me give great advice and at the very least,you know you are not alone with these feelings. I found it took me about 2 years after each breast cancer bout(2 bc rides) to feel more confident about my health and feel like my old self. I do art therapy each week and I find that helps. Are you working too hard and not having enough"me "time?Take care darl,let us know how you are. love and hugs,Tonya xx
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Thank you ladies for all of you advice and care. I'm a tad overwhelmed by the response to be honest! You're all very special ladies for caring.
I think all of you have given me lots of ideas as to why I felt so down and I could really relate to some of them such as 'not enough me time', 'pressure at work' and accepting that I don't have the stamina I used to - very frustrating for a person like me (I'm usually tearing around with 5 projects on the go at the same time!).
I don't think not sleeping well and having terrible hot flushes is helping either - totally sick of that!
I'm already on Effexor SR so that doesn't seem to be helping much.I also have my parents getting older and sicker (dad had an op 2 days before Christmas) and it is difficult to see them deteriorate before you eyes...especially as they supported me so much during my battle. It seems all I can do is be there, act as the driver and take them to appts and try to keep abreast pardon the pun!) of all their speciailists. They have both aged considerably since last Christmas and I think that was worrying and upsetting me too.
But I'm happy to say that I'm much better! It's taken time - hence why I haven't responded - sorry about that! I needed to relax and regroup.
I've decided to take up painting - hopefully water colours, I'm better organised at work and I've had a good rest (3 wks off) including a nice weekend away with hubby.
It's funny how you can pull yourself out of the depths of depression isn't it....just takes time. But I am eternally grateful for your luv and support and your responses.
Look out world - I'm BACK!!
Cheers and much luv to all of you
Thank you again
Helen xxxx
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