A study was done in Holland and followed several cancer patients and provided information and support on their cancer and recurrence issues. They compared two groups, one who received access to normal psychosocial support. The other group received blended cognitive therapy consisting of:
- five individual, 1-hour, face-to-face counseling sessions
- three 15-minute Internet chat consultations
- access to an informational website
It doesn't sound like a lot of support but after three months:
"Overall, about 33% of people who received blended cognitive behavior therapy had their fear of recurrence ease significantly, while none of the people who received usual care had their fear ease significantly."
So if you are concerned about recurrence don't hide in your house, go out and get some support. I think support doesn't always need to come from professionals. Sometimes just talking to others with your type of cancer is very supportive in itself. If you are very concerned you need to get some professional counseling.
All this goes back to my point that your emotional well being is just as important as your physical one.
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