Palliative psychology
At the terminal stage of an incurable disease, doctors can no longer cure the patient, but they can alleviate his or her well-being and improve the quality of life. This is the main goal of palliative medicine, which covers various aspects of patient care. For a dying person, psychological support is no less important than taking painkillers or undergoing physiotherapy. In this case, the patient's contact with a doctor who is specially trained in palliative psychology methods for working with terminally ill patients is important.
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General information
The Importance of Psychological Support
Patients need constant psychological support, doctors who will teach them to understand and accept their condition, explain that they can live out the rest of their days not in passive anticipation of death, but actively, effectively and positively. This helps to alleviate the physical condition and restore a normal psycho-emotional atmosphere at home.
Support for palliative patients consists of comprehensive assistance: psychological, social and spiritual. This is very important for the patient and his relatives, who cannot cope with the resulting shock and emotional upheaval on their own.
Psycho-emotional stress in palliative patients
All people experience existential fear of death and only a few accept the news of inevitable death humbly. Faith and spiritual values of a person play an important role in this. In most cases, help is needed, a conversation with people who will help to look at death differently, relieve mental anxiety and learn to calmly think about the eternal.
Impact on quality of life
Palliative patients experience constant pain, irritation, cannot sleep normally, stay awake and react to events. High levels of stress, a sense of helplessness, loneliness and fear of death affect mental and physical health, which can accelerate a fatal outcome. In a fit of aggression and irritation, a patient can harm himself consciously or accidentally, interfere with the care of installed devices, colostomy bags, drains, droppers.
Palliative psychologists establish contact with the patient, help him to quickly go through the five stages of his condition and accept the situation, learn to cope with emotions and mental anguish, focus on how to spend the rest of his life as effectively as possible without losing its quality.
Methods and approaches to psychological assistance
Palliative psychology uses: cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, breathing practices. Doctors assess the patient's condition, what stage of awareness of their condition they are at now and select approaches to psychological assistance. Support is also provided to family members, who are helped to prepare for and survive a difficult period.
Psychocorrective methods
To achieve physical and psychological comfort of the patient and to alleviate his psycho-emotional state, the following is used:
- Methods for Relieving Physical Pain
- Consolation (with an emphasis on the value of the remaining time)
- Switching attention to important activities - putting documents in order, creating, recording video messages to relatives, learning something new, self-actualization
Intellectual activity helps cancer patients to renew their interest in life, use time to their advantage and that of their loved ones, and focus on something positive.
Key aspects of interaction
Interacting with a sick family member
Doctors use the following aspects:
- A trusting atmosphere between the doctor, the patient and his relatives. The patient should feel that he can openly tell the doctor about his experiences, and the doctor will support him and not judge him
- Honesty and openness. The patient has the right to know about his diagnosis and discuss it with the doctor. In doing so, the psychologist takes into account the emotional state of the patient
- Respect for the patient's feelings and wishes. This helps the patient maintain his or her sense of self-worth
- Physical comfort. An important component that contributes to peace of mind
The role of health workers
Palliative psychologists work with the patient and his family, and also involve medical workers of related specialties. This helps to provide comprehensive care for the patient's physical condition. Nurses teach relatives not only the rules of care, but also how to properly interact with the patient, what to do in unforeseen circumstances.
Diagnostics of emotional state
To assess the patient's mental and emotional state, doctors conduct:
- Observe behavior, note signs of depression, irritation
- Conversations that help reveal hidden experiences
- Psychological surveys on anxiety scale, type of depression
Balancing the state of mind
Creating a caring environment and emotional support from others can help a seriously ill person live out the rest of their days with dignity. Conversations with a psychologist, spiritual mentor, relaxation techniques, and art therapy can help stabilize the person's mental state. This approach helps to cope with anxiety and depression, relax, get rid of the feeling of meaninglessness of existence, and gain motivation for life.
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The role of psychological assistance for patients and their relatives
Patients in the last stages of cancer and incurable neurological diseases face a major psychological problem. When they learn about their diagnosis, they experience shock, then denial and aggression. These are the first three stages of the psychological state, which are extremely difficult for both the patient and his relatives. The next stage is depression and apathy, isolation from the world. Only after passing all four stages does the fifth stage come - acceptance and calm. In order to successfully pass all the stages and come to terms with the will of fate, a person needs the help of specialists.