Cancer Phobia medically termed as Carcinophobia is a type of mental disorder in which a person gets the fear of getting caused by cancer. You must be thinking that it is normal to have a fear of cancer then why it is called a disease? Yes, it is normal to have a fear of disease and its causes, but in many cases, it is seen that people take the signs and symptoms so seriously that they impact their daily life.
Cancer Phobia is a Lifelong disease. A person suffering from Cancer Phobia or Carcinophobia endures the fear of getting caused by cancer for the whole life. Simple cold, headache, or pain in joints or anything would be a symptom of disease for the person who has carcinophobia. So, go through the complete article and read all the essential details about Cancer Phobia, How is Cancer Phobia Caused, What are the symptoms of Cancer Phobia? And What can be the possible treatments for Cancer Phobia?
Causes of Cancer Phobia
There are various environmental and biological factors responsible behind the cause of Carcinophobia.
- Any Traumatic Exposure in Life: This is the most influential cause of cancer phobia. If a person has seen his/ her loved ones gone through cancer or the patient has the past experience of cancer are more likely to get Cancer Phobia. Also, the movie flicks plays a vital role behind the cause of carcinophobia. A person continually watching movies with intense pressure and suffering somewhere related to any disease or cancer are prone to Cancer Phobia.
- Any Genetic Factor: The heredity or genes can also be the reason behind the cause of cancer phobia. A person with a past family history of cancer possess the chances of getting caused by carcinophobia.
Symptoms of Carcinophobia
The primary symptoms of Carcinophobia which a person can experience are:
- A constant fear of getting diagnosed with cancer.
- Going for intensive and regular medical check-ups from the fear of getting caused by a disease.
- The stress of getting cancer or infection.
- A worry or tension about the health.
- People might also experience severe panic attacks. This happens at the advanced stage of cancer phobia. Along with this panic attack, the patient might undergo/ experience shivering, increased heartbeat, dry mouth, sweating, dizziness or fainting, feeling confused, nausea or vomiting, abdominal discomfort, hot or cold flashes.
Treatment Methods for Cancer Phobia
For the treatment of Cancer Phobia, psychotherapies and medicines are the most recommended. But as cancer phobia is a type of anxiety, so we can’t say that medication is the only treatment. Environment, health, positive thinking, etc are equally important in treating cancer phobia. The therapy which is given to the cancer phobia patients is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy which is given to the patient to improve his/ her mental health. CBT is the most common treatment method to treat anxiety and depression. Through CBT, doctors interconnect the thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions to determine the feelings and the problem which the patient is facing.
The doctors suggest/ recommend one therapy in a week or in two weeks. Each session is of around 30 to 60 minutes, and the complete treatment course is completed in 5-20 sessions.
So, in this way, the problem of Cancer Phobia or Carcinophobia can be corrected. Also, the patients are suggested to avoid the causes of cancer phobia which are mentioned above and if you face any of the Carcinophobia symptoms, go for an immediate check-up, followed by a treatment. For the best and most effective Cancer Phobia treatment and consultation, the patients are advised to visit Candrol.
I am Swati Malhotra, a health, wellness and beauty enthusiast who loves to write anything and everything about them. Follow my writing here at 247healthblog and question for queries in the comment section given below!