Talking about your cancer
Telling family, friends and colleagues about the diagnosis of cancer is something that many people find difficult - who to tell, when and how. There is no simple 'right answer' for what to do, but there is support and advice available.
Key points to remember are:
- Cancer is not something to be ashamed of.
- Sharing your situation with family and friends you can talk to gives them an opportunity to help and share their feelings with you.
- Keeping the diagnosis to yourself can isolate you and distance you from those who do care and want to be there for you.
- People will react differently and it is often hard for them to know how to act towards you - you may need to help them too.
- Do what feels right for you and your situation, either at home or at work.
Link:Talking about your cancer
Produced by:Macmillan Cancer Support
Advice on talking about cancer including talking to children and coping with other peoples reactions.
Link:Who to talk to
Produced by:CancerHelp UK
Advice for patients and their relatives/friends on who to talk to about cancer.
Link:British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Produced by:British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
An organisation for trained counsellors and those using counselling skills. They produce a directory of counselling services and can provide you with a list of counsellors in your area.
Link:Counselling Directory
Produced by:Counselling Directory
You can search for a counsellor or psychotherapist near you as well as find out more about the different types of counselling available using the counselling directory.
Link:Living with dying
Produced by:Healthtalkonline
Healthtalk Online have interviewed 41 people and 1 carer about their experiences of living with a terminal illness.
Link:Maggie's centres: where to find us
Produced by:Maggie's
Maggie’s Centres offer free, comprehensive support for people with cancer, their families and friends
Find out more about where our centres are located and what they offer.
Link:Riprap
Produced by:RipRap
This site is developed especially for 12-16 year olds who have a parent with cancer. In riprap, you can learn more about cancer and its treatment and through individual stories you can see how this might affect you and your family.
Link:Talking to children about cancer
Produced by:Macmillan Cancer Support
This section aims to help you talk to children of any age about cancer.It will also help you to understand their reactions and suggest ways to help them cope.
Link:Talking to children about cancer
Produced by:CancerHelp UK
This section of CancerHelp UK is about talking to children about cancer. There is information about:
How to talk to children about cancer,children's misunderstandings about cancer,relating to school, Children's books about cancer
Link:The Samaritans
Produced by:The Samaritans
The Samaritans provides a confidential service offering emotional support for anyone in crisis.
Page last edited: 21 February 2012
