When a family member or friend is diagnosed with cancer, the general tendency is to tell them that “everything is going to be fine.” But they don’t like that; In fact, they consider this “toxic positivism” counterproductive. For this reason, they prefer to “tie themselves” to health professionals and reliable sources of information, and with them, face the future.
This is indicated by the Cancer study; emotional experience of the patient and her environment, prepared by the MD Anderson Cancer Center Spain Foundation. Based on a survey of 1,000 people, the study highlights that, in emotional management, the patient is ahead of family members, since more than 7 out of 10 patients are able to recognize and express emotions during the process. of diagnosis, while, in the case of family members, 1 in 4 knows how to recognize them, but is not able to express them.
When faced with the diagnosis, family and friends react mainly with a feeling of daze and paralysis (almost 40% say so), above the positive attitude and active search for support and information, which predominates among patients (56%). %).
And it is precisely this active attitude that allows patients to take a step forward in managing those first feelings. Thus, 75% claim to have taken measures to change or manage their first emotions in a healthier way, while only 54% of family and friends have done something similar.
To maintain a positive attitude, patients turn more to new leisure and sports activities than family and friends. Thus, around 34% of patients have had this initiative, 12% higher than the other group. However, among family and friends, they opt for the option of doing activities with their family or friends; This is stated by 63% compared to 52% in the case of the patient group.
After learning the diagnosis, nearly 8 out of 10 patients claim to have adopted changes in sports and healthy habits, far more than friends and family, highlighting the benefits of practicing sports as a therapeutic tool, both physically and emotionally. Furthermore, patients maintain these new habits more once they have overcome the disease, as they are more aware of these benefits.
Regarding changes in attitude after the illness, a greater awareness of the finiteness of life stands out among family and friends, indicated by 45% of those surveyed. However, in the case of patients, greater emotional intelligence and more desire to live stand out, reported by 31% and 48% of them respectively.
