The shock and uncertainty of diagnosis cause many people to lose this and suspend living for a few weeks. This will to live will be stronger in patients who find their lives enjoyable and who have things in their lives they honestly look forward to. The final 15 to 20 say, 'I'll do anything I have to do to get well. It is these latter people for whom this book is written. Commitments for future activities can produce a powerful energy.
Great results can come about from working toward meaningful goals.
Family members should set goals for the patient and encourage plans for the future. The low self-esteem confirmed by so many sutdies of cancer patients immediately begins to rise when they are encouraged to be selfish and express their anger. The reason it is so important for a cancer patient to develop a more fulfilling, less stressful emotional life is that chronic depression and stress depress the immune response. Drugs and therapies are probably not as effective against cancer as the specific antigens an individual's body can create. Isolation increases depression and anxiety and can work against healing.