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Depression affects more than your thoughts; it also affects you physically, and it affects your recovery. The good news is that much can be done to treat depression. Treatments range from alternative therapies to education to standard medications. One or more of these should help you if you experience depression while you have cancer. The ONS Web site lists clinical studies conducted on these topics.

This section describes the latest findings for treating depression when cancer is present.

Most Helpful

Social support and education can help you learn more about how to handle life with cancer, provide you with support, and help you work through emotional issues associated with cancer. Many options are available-some include counseling; some don't.

A variety of antidepressants are available to ease symptoms of depression. Your symptoms, the type of cancer you have, the type of cancer treatment you are receiving, and other medications you already take will help determine which type of antidepressant (or other medication) may help you.

Studies indicate that antidepressants plus some form of counseling (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) work better than either option alone.

Likely to Be Helpful

Methyl phenidate is a medication that stimulates the nervous system. It can help improve mood and cognitive functions.

Relaxation therapy is a collective term for a number of techniques (for example, guided imagery or meditation) that cause progressive muscle relaxation. Relaxation therapies can reduce many cancer treatment-related side effects, including depression. 

Not Enough Evidence

Although massage therapy has been studied more for its positive effects in alleviating fatigue in people with cancer, it also has been shown to reduce symptoms of pain, fatigue, emotional stress, anxiety, and depression. Massage therapy helps the body in many ways. It improves circulation of blood and lymph fluid, calms the nervous system, reduces muscle tension, increases metabolism, and enhances tissue healing.

Hypnotherapy guides you into a relaxed state in which you are more able to accept and use suggestions about improving your health (for example, responding to pain or changing mood). You make the actual changes as a result of guided suggestions. Contrary to what many people may think, hypnotherapy does not require you to be in a "deep trance" for it to work. A patient can converse with the hypnotherapist during a session.

 

Options

education, support groups, counseling, psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy

 
 

Antidepressants

medications that help restore the normal balance of chemicals in the brain

 
 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that seeks to correct wrong or maladaptive thinking or behaviors. CBT has been used with great success for mood disorders, including depression.