Linda, NHL survivor and psychologist, writes: "A diagnosis of cancer often results in strong emotional reactions.  A mental health professional can help differentiate between what is called an "adjustment disorder," or as I prefer to term it "adjustment reaction," and a clinical depression or anxiety disorder.
Based on this assessment, different treatment options may be recommended. These might include just counseling, a brief course of medication to help through the initial difficult time, or a longer course of medication, or a combination of medications and therapy. Online Depression Screening Test med.nyu.edu    This is "a preliminary screening test for depressive symptoms that does not replace  in any way a formal psychiatric evaluation." If you are experiencing a lot of stress, please do not consider it a sign of weakness to reach out for this kind of help.  Therapy and/or medications may help you weather through this difficult time.  If you've experienced episodes of clinical depression or significant anxiety prior to your cancer diagnosis, this  may be a particularly vulnerable time for you to experience a recurrent episode.  If you can find a mental health professional experienced in oncology issues in your area, they may prove more helpful than one who does not have a specialty in this area.  If you do opt to go for counseling, trust your gut in choosing a therapist that feels right for you. If the first one doesn't click, it is worth trying another to see if you can find a better match. "Two books I thought good on emotional aspects you might want to reference in here-- first appears to be out of print, but libraries likely to have.. was written by a psychologist who survived testicular cancer:" The Road Back to Health: Coping With the Emotional Side of Cancer by Neil A., Ph.D. Fiore    Dancing in Limbo: Making Sense of Life after Cancer Glenna Halvorson-Boyd and Lisa K. Hunter And here's an excellent online resource: National Institute of Mental Health brochure on Symptoms of Depression and its treatments  NIMH.nih.gov

 

Feelings

The diagnosis of cancer and setbacks in treatment can sometimes trigger the following strong feelings and emotions:

	Shock, and disbelief
	Paralyzing fear and anxiety of the future
	A preoccupation with the word "cancer"
	A heightened awareness to any physical aches and pains
	Grief for what is thought to be the loss of your life goals and plans
	Concern about the unspoken and yet obvious reactions of others who know of your diagnosis
	Becoming overwhelmed by the enormity of decisions to be made, some of which must be made very quickly
	Feelings that this is unfair to yourself and to your loved ones
	Confusion and lack of control and feelings of uncertainty

Resources

	New: NCI Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment  Cancer.gov | PDF
	New: NCI Caregiver Stress: How to identify and suggestions for relieving  PAL
	New: Post-traumatic stress (PTS) outcomes in NHL survivors  ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder www.medicinenet.com  "Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that develops as a  result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience.    PTSD sufferers re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid  places, people, or other things that remind them of the event (avoidance), and are  exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal). "
	Depression  MedlinePlus
	Depression and anxiety in oncology: the oncologist's perspective.  J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62 Suppl 8:52-5; discussion 56-7. PMID: 12108823  PubMed
	Encouragement  PAL
	Facts and Myths about Attitude and Cancer  cansa.co.za
	Sexual side effects  PAL
	The Road Back to Health: Coping With the Emotional Side of Cancer, by Neil A., Ph.D. Fiore - Amazon Book
	The Tyranny of Positive Thinking  PDF I got really depressed when people said I should think positive. I thought,  "If that's what I have to do to survive, I'm never going to make it."
	What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do:   10 Bright Ideas For Cancer Survivors and Caregivers  Cancer Crusaders - PDF

There are different antidepressants with varied effects and side effects from which your physician may choose/recommend based on your individual health issues.