This page gives only an overview of this topic. For more information see the links at the bottom of this page

Sadness and depression

It is very natural to feel sad when you lose something or have been disappointed by something in life.  So it is quite normal to feel sad when you have been given a diagnosis of prostate cancer.  The sadness may come and go depending on what is going on with your treatment and any side effects that you may have.  You may feel sad that your health is no longer as good as it once was or you can and you no longer enjoy certain things in life as you used to.  You may find the uncertainty about your future very difficult to cope with.  For others changes in your ability to enjoy sex can cause a lot of anxiety and sadness. Sadness is part of healing and allows you to deal with your loss and then move on.    However, if your sadness does not go away and you feel that you are not able to move on you may be suffering from depression.  Sadness and depression are very different. Sadness usually goes away within a couple of weeks.  Depression lasts longer and you may begin to find it hard to feel good about anything in life. Getting up each day can become a problem.  More than 50 out of every 100 people (50%) with cancer suffer from depression at some stage of their illness. The important thing to know is that depression is not something to hide or feel bad about. It is an illness just like diabetes or cancer.  With the right treatment and care most people will feel better within a few weeks.  Men often find it hard to ask for help when they are feeling depressed but the longer you leave it the harder it will be to treat.  If you feel that you might be depressed ask your doctor for advice on how to best cope with your feelings. You can also look at the ’depression checklist’ available on the websites listed below.

Links:

For those men who feel they may be experiencing depression, symptoms and checklists are available on the Beyond Blue website at http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=89.579.

The American Cancer Society has a section called Cancer and depression: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_4_1X_Cancer_and_Depression.asp?sitearea=MBC

CancerHelp UK information has a very good section called Cancer and your emotions: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=13387

References:

Massie M J. 'Prevalence of depression in patients with cancer', Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs, 32, 57-71, (2004).

Souhami R and Tobias J, Cancer and its management (5th edition), Blackwell, 2005    ISBN 1405126361