The Mental Effects of Prostate Cancer
By: Eden A
Hello everyone! Here is the last article of our Men's Health series, which highlights Prostate Cancer, and the effect of the disease on mental health in men. Happy Reading!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that is shaped as a small walnut that produces semi- fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
Doctors can identify the DNA changes in the prostate. The DNA tells the cells what to do, similarly to the brain. These changes tell the cells to grow and divide more quickly than other cells would do. The abdominal cells from a tumor (when someone has prostate cancer) can break away and spread easily.
Apart from physical distress, men can be mentally impacted by prostate cancer as well. Prostate cancer can mentally make people feel bad and have poor mental health and are more at a risk of a mental illness. it’s hard for some to urinate, pain/discomfort, and those are the most common impacts. More distress can lead to pain and can worsen symptoms.
Sometimes, people could face more stigma and shame than ever, feeling as one isn’t valid. Prostate cancer stigma comes from many forms and can lead to a barrier and self-disclosure for a person. Some forms of stigma could include social stigmas, mental stigmas and physical stigmas. All of those forms can impact your religion, race and sex.
At the same time while facing the stigma, a support group is extremely beneficial for facilitating positive mental health growth in patients with prostate cancer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading the last article in our Men's Health series! We hope you learned about the mental health issues that can come with disease such as Prostate Cancer. If you liked this article, please read our article on Men's Mental Health, which covers important issues regarding mental health issues in men.
Thanks for reading and please keep an eye out for our Pride articles coming up!
Until next time, Eden and the Writing Committee!
SOURCES:
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, June 4). Prostate cancer. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087
Healthy male. Healthy Male. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.healthymale.org.au/
Zlatopolsky, A. (2022, March 25). Prostate cancer's impact on Mental Health. Healthline. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/advanced-prostate-cancer/facing-the-stigma-of-prostate-cancer