The NY Times Health Blog had an article discussing mental
health of patients and their caregivers as they cope with not only depression
with cancer treatment but anxiety during cancer remission. Below are excerpts from the article along
with commentary about DonnaBellas Angels plans to address the mental health
wellness.
DonnaBellas Angels motto is “Medicine Heals the Body, Art
Heals the Soul” because of the emotional stress that can accompany the
management a chronic or terminal illness.
“Now
a new analysis finds that within two years of a cancer diagnosis, the
pervasiveness of depression in patients and their spouses tends to drop back to
roughly the same levels as in the general population, only to be replaced by
another mind-demon: anxiety, which can even intensify as time passes.”
The disease may be cured or a loved one passed away, but the
emotional healing is ongoing.
“People
who have not confronted a life-challenging illness may be perplexed by the
residual anxiety in patients, long after they have successfully completed
treatment.”
It is the hope that the art will help improve the emotional
journey. We hope that DonnaBellas Angels
art will provide hope in living and it will be art to provide memory in
passing.
“Dr.
Mitchell said that in his clinical practice, key predictors of anxiety in
family members included whether a caregiver felt out of control and unable to
participate in the patient’s care; witnessed an unexpected or unpredictable
deterioration of a loved one…”
DonnaBellas Angels art is meant not only for patients, but
for family and friends too. We encourage
the sharing of the art prints among individuals.
“The
analysis did not identify certain cancers as having more psychological impact
than others. Rather, the burden of the disease on an individual patient,
including symptoms and treatment complications, was more telling than the type
of cancer, Dr. Mitchell said.”
Family and friends can all get the same art print to keep as
a reminder of their loved one. When the
art print is viewed you can thinking about sending the person good intentions
or prayers, it is up to the recipient to determine their meaning within the art
piece.
“Even in an era of scarce resources,
hospital-based psycho-oncology programs should probably not be exclusively
reserved for patients,” said Dr. Ilana M. Braun, chief of the adult
psychosocial oncology division at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston
Such programs, she says, should “be made available in some capacity to those in
remission and to loved ones impacted by cancer in their family.”
Below is a story shared by Katharine and Mark O. with DonnaBellas
Angels on what the Spring Hearts Cancer Angel art print meant to them when
coping with grief.
"When a close family member was diagnosed with a terminal
illness, DonnaBellas Angels was gracious enough to provide her with an angel
print. The print meant so much to Mickey that she kept it close to
her on her bedside dresser. When she passed away, her best friend
asked to have the print because it remained her of Mickey. DonnaBellas
Angels gives hope and life to those who are ill as well as gives hope and life
in passing. It helps loved ones of patients to know that they are not
alone."
- Article quotes from
NY Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/12/anxiety-lingers-long-after-cancer/
-See Spring Hearts Cancer Angel online at: http://donnabellasangels.org/art/cancer_cannot/angel-spring-hearts.html
Thank you for viewing DonnaBellas Angels art! Donations are always welcome and appreciated.
Thank you for viewing DonnaBellas Angels art! Donations are always welcome and appreciated.
