Mood Disturbance - National Cancer Institute

Mood disturbance can be feelings of distress, sadness or symptoms of depression, and anxiety. A brain or spine tumor diagnosis can cause a ... Skiptomaincontent NCI-CONNECTRareBrain&SpineTumorNetwork   RareBrain&SpineTumorNetwork LivingwithaTumor ManagingYourSymptoms LivingwithaTumor NewlyDiagnosed InTreatment HavingaRecurrence FinishedwithTreatment GuidingQuestions AskYourNeurosurgeon AskaboutYourDoctor'sExperience AskaboutYourDiagnosis AskaboutTreatment AskaboutClinicalTrials AskaboutaRecurrence AskWhenTreatmentEnds AskaboutSupport ManagingYourSymptoms BodyPain CognitiveSymptoms DifficultyWalking Fatigue GastrointestinalSymptoms Headache MoodDisturbance Seizure SleepDisturbance Weakness SymptomManagementApp Self-Care EmotionsandFeelings MentalHealth PhysicalHealth ReturningtoWork RelationshipsandCommunication Spirituality,Beliefs,andValues RelatedOrganizations Stories MoodDisturbance Credit:iStock WhatisMoodDisturbance Mooddisturbancecanbefeelingsofdistress,sadnessorsymptomsofdepression,andanxiety. Abrainorspinetumordiagnosiscancauseavarietyofchangesinemotionsandmoodthatcanaffectthewayyouthinkandfeel.  Distress Distressisanunpleasantpsychological,social,spiritual,and/orphysicalexperiencethataffectsthewayyouthink,feel,oract.Distressisnormalfeelingduringcancercare,butitmaymakeithardertocope.  Distressmayincludethefollowingsymptoms:  Feelingsad,fearful,worried,angry,orhelpless Changesinsleep,eatinghabits,orsociallife Changesinyourabilitytotakecareofyourselfand/orothers Questioningyourfaith,yourpurpose,orthemeaningoflife Frequentthoughtsaboutillnessordeath Difficultyconcentrating  Anxiety Anxietyisapersistentfeelingofdistress,worry,and/ortensionthatcanhappenwithorwithoutacause.  Anxietymayincludethefollowingsymptoms:  Bodilysymptoms,suchasshortnessofbreath,sweating,headache,ormuscletension Negativethoughtsandfeelings,suchasexcessiveworrying,feelingafraid,irritable,or“onedge” Difficultyconcentrating  Changesinsleep  Becomingtiredeasily  Sadness Sadnessordepressivesymptomsisachangeinyourmood,thatcancauseupsanddowns,feelingblueordisappointmentthatinterfereswithdailyactivities.  Sadnessmayincludethefollowingsymptoms: Feelingdepressed,hopeless,empty,guilty,orworthless Lackofinterestorpleasureinmostactivities Lackofenergy Changesinsleeppattern,sexualdrive,orappetite Difficultyconcentrating Thoughtsofself-harmordeath WaystoManageMoodDisturbance KeepalogofanymoodchangesandsymptomsyouareexperiencingandlookforpatternsinajournalortheMySTORITMapp. Considerbringingasupportivefamilymemberorfriendtoyourhealthcarevisits.Talkwithyourdoctoraboutanyquestionsyouhave,asunderstandingyourdiseaseandtreatmentplancanhelpreduceuncertainty. Createaroutinethatincludesavarietyofrelaxationtechniquessuchasmusclerelaxation,massage,prayer,mindfulness,meditation,orlisteningtocalmingmusic. Checkinwithyourselfoften.Concentrateonpositivethoughtsandemotions.Tryreadinganinspirationalorfunnybook,writingpositivemessages,orthinkingaboutthreegoodthingsthathappenedeachday. Focusonyourbeliefsandvalues.Findactivitiesthatprioritizewhatmatterstoyou,suchasspendingtimewithlovedones,volunteering,practicingyourfaith,ormeditating.  Trydoingthingsthatmakeyoufeellikeyourselfagain,suchaswritinginajournalorsettinggoals.  Ifyourdistress,anxiety,ordepressionispersistent,askyourdoctoraboutstartingcounseling,cognitivebehavioraltherapy,musictherapy,orguidedimagery.  ClinicalTrialtoReduceStressandImproveMood Toimprovenegativefeelingsexperiencedbypeoplewithbraintumors,researchersdevelopaclinicaltrialusingvirtualrealitytotargetpsychologicalsymptoms. Someself-careactivitiesyoucandotoimprovemooddisturbancecanincludediet,exercise,sleep,ormedication.  Nutritionalissuescanunderliedepression.Workwithyourhealthcareprovidertodevelopanutritionplan.Avoidalcohol,caffeineandsugarydrinks.Alcoholusemayincreasefeelingsofdepression,anxiety,ordistress.Caffeineusemayincreasefeelingsofanxiety.  Exercisemaybehelpfulinmanagingmooddisturbancesandcanimprovethewayyoufeel. Yogainparticularmaybehelpfulinrelievinganxietysymptoms.  Somemedicationsmaycauseanxietyordepressionasasideeffect.Askifthereareothermedicationsyoushouldtaketomanagethesesideeffects.Sharethisinformationwithyourdoctor.  WhentoReportMoodDisturbance Connectwithyourdoctoranddiscussanyconcernsyouhave.Shareyourloggedsymptomsandself-careactivitieswiththem. Askyourdoctorwhenandhowtoreportyoursymptomstothem.  Reportifyourmooddisturbancegetsworse,ifyourmoodissevere(>7),ormooddoesnotimprovefromyourself-careactivities. Askyourdoctorwhatyoushoulddointhecaseofanemergencyandwhenyourmooddisturbanceshouldbereportedurgently.