Receiving treatment

absencep
absencep Member Posts: 2
edited January 2022 in General Cancer
What would you do to stay upbeat and positive?

Comments

  • Cookie48
    Cookie48 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2022
    read Carool 's comment there is a direct to Atlantic Monthly article on subject you might find it informative if not relieving
  • ImWorthIt
    ImWorthIt Member Posts: 65
    edited January 2022
    While I agree that staying upbeat and positive can certainly make you feel better, you are allowed to get down in the trenches from time to time and tell people that the fake happy is just getting to be too much.
    Some things that make me happy and sometimes pull me out of a negative headspace are:
    1. Watching a favorite TV show
    2. Reading my daily page out of "I Really Needed That Today" by Hoda Kotb,
    3. Looking up funny quotes on Facebook or other internet sites.
    4. Talking to a friend who will actually listen and not put on their plastic smile and rah rah cheerleader. Sometimes getting the negative- the frustration, sadness, confusion, annoyance- out and letting it hit the air is very healing.
    5. Talking to a friend who is guaranteed to make me laugh or smile. I think we all have that one friend who we know will make us belly laugh. Some friends are encouragers, gentle spirits, action people. Some are just fun to be around and the conversation is seldom deep.
    6. Journaling.
    7. Blow raspberries and wave off at the cheerleaders who say "Just stay positive. It's important to be positive. Don't be sad." Listen, you or your family member has cancer. You are allowed to be mad, sad, frustrated, confused.

    And last, but not least, if it gets too hard to get out of the really dark moments, seek professional help whether it is talk therapy or getting medications adjusted or taking a new medication to even things out- this is all overwhelming stuff and sometimes we just need a little extra support. Something uninvited came into your body and knocked it off course SO if you need to do- invite a support group in- in the form of medication, friends and therapists.
  • Carool
    Carool Member Posts: 787
    ImWorthIt, I love what you said. And thank you, Cookie48.

    I’m a born pessimist. I’m on Lexapro, an antidepressant/anti-anxiety med that’s helped me not go right to The Worst Possible anything (illness, event happening, etc.) the second anything even vaguely threatening appears. Not saying everyone needs meds, but they’ve helped me.

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