First Steps of Life With Lung Cancer

A diagnosis of lung cancer can be traumatic and may very well leave you feeling hopeless and helpless. But studies indicate that a lung cancer patient's physical and emotional state could determine how well and how long that person lives.

After diagnosis, it is common to experience a wide range of emotions that progress across the five stages of grief — starting with denial, or thinking "This can't be happening to me," and ultimately leading to acceptance of the illness and its treatment.

Denial: You don't accept what is happening to you; you refuse to believe it.

Anger: You are mad at yourself and/or the people around you.

Bargaining: You feel guilty, blame yourself, and promise to do things better or be a better person if you're cured.

Depression: You feel sad and desperate, like your life is over and you cannot go on.

Acceptance: You finally find the motivation and the strength to deal with reality and fight back.

The Mind-Body Approach: Techniques to Help You Heal Emotionally

A variety of self-help techniques described as mind-body approaches may help you deal with the emotional stages of a lung cancer diagnosis, according to James S. Gordon, MD, clinical professor in the departments of psychiatry and family medicine at Georgetown Medical School in Washington, D.C. and the founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Dr. Gordon, who is also the former chairman of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, says that "the recent literature is not at all clear which approach is better. All different approaches are useful for different people and they are also useful at different times for the same person." Gordon also suggests patients try these activities within a small support group, rather than just individually, because the benefits can be greater.

• Relaxation. Relaxing can improve your body's defense mechanism, improve your level of stress, and help you focus on your daily life so that you feel less overwhelmed by the overall burden of cancer.
• Meditation. Relaxation coupled with self-awareness may improve quality of life and reduce the degree of your symptoms.
• Guided imagery. Visualizing something you like or daydreaming can help you escape from a difficult situation.
• Hypnosis. Profound relaxation accompanied by guided imagery can help you control the symptoms and stress of cancer.
• Biofeedback and autogenic training. These techniques can help you control your own body functions and may help manage the pain, symptoms, and stress related to lung cancer.
• Self-expression in words. Expressing yourself through writing or humor can relieve hopelessness and helplessness.
• Art and music therapy. Both represent simple ways to express yourself, which can be positive coping strategies and help reduce pain.
• Exercise and yoga. Exercise can help prevent the occurrence and recurrence of cancer. It can lessen the side effects of cancer treatments, such as fatigue, and improve your mood and quality of life.

Gordon offers these other words of support for patients with lung cancer: "The most important thing is that nothing is ever written in stone. I have seen, and there are many cases in the professional literature of people, even with very advanced cancer, who have recovered.”

Don't deal with lung cancer on your own. Support from your doctor, family, friends, and other people managing lung cancer can help you work through your feelings and maintain a positive outlook to improve your chances of healing.