Simonton therapy is a type of psychotherapy addressed to people suffering from cancer and their relatives. The goal of Simonton therapy is to improve the quality of life of these people and to lift them out of a state of hopelessness. The therapy helps patients with in the treatment process, often affecting its effectiveness.

The term " Simonton therapy " comes from the name of an American oncologist - Carl Simonton. It was he who was one of the first to recognize the potential of psychotherapy in oncological treatment and was one of the pioneers of psycho-oncology.

Simonton noticed that the problem that often blocks cancer treatment is the feeling of hopelessness in patients. Many of his patients refused to participate in treatment, not believing in the effectiveness of the proposed therapies.

Patients assumed they would lose in the fight against cancer and did not want to start treatment. They treated the cancer as a death sentence, not believing that medicine could help them win against it.

The emotional sphere of Simonton's patients, their fears and stress became a challenge for this doctor. The oncologist decided to include psychotherapy in the routine oncological treatment. Psychotherapy focusing on the problems of those whose mental condition has suffered as a result of a serious illness. After nearly fifty years, the Simonton method is used in many countries in the standard cancer treatment.

Simont therapy - for whom and for what?

The Simonton method is a psychotherapy directed at people suffering from malignant neoplasms and their relatives, who are not always able to support patients. However, there are no obstacles for such therapy to be attended by people suffering from other chronic diseases or even he althy people who, for example, feel a great fear of cancer. Psychotherapy can be conducted individually or in groups. There is also the possibility of family therapy.

The Simonton therapy was developed to increase the physical and mental comfort of the patient, and in particular to:

  • improve the mental condition of a person and thus - the quality of his life,
  • involve the patient in the treatment process and increase his faith in the effectiveness of this process, increase confidence in doctors,
  • facilitate the communication of the patient (his relatives) with the environment in the face of the disease,
  • eliminate or at least minimize the level of anxiety and stress and teach the patient to enjoy life despite illness,
  • help to cope with pain and any negative consequences of illness and treatment.

Simont therapy - what is it?

The Simonton method is based on working on many levels at the same time. Therapy applies to many spheres of human life.

  • The sphere of behavior

The patient begins to understand how important relaxation, good habits, recreation are in life and that fun can also be a part of the sick person.

  • Cognitive sphere

The patient learns a he althy approach to life, setting new goals and solving current problems.

  • Spiritual sphere

Man discovers meaning in his life, finds faith.

  • Emotional sphere

The patient eliminates negative emotions from his life (stress, guilt, fear, hopelessness) and replaces them with positives. He builds faith in the success of treatment, he visualizes himself in full he alth.

  • The sphere of communication with loved ones

The patient's family and relatives learn how to be supportive and understand them. The sick person learns to build and repair relations with the environment.

  • Physical sphere

Patients improve their quality of life and their well-being through active spending of time and a he althy diet, they begin to understand the importance of recreation.

The effectiveness of therapy depends on success in each area. The overarching goal is to change the way patients and their families think about the cancer itself.

The Simonton method requires an individual approach to each patient. Therapy should be adapted not only to his physical abilities, but above all must respect all emotional limitations.

Each sick person requires a different time for full therapy to start coping with the disease and replace negative feelings with positive ones. The success of treatment is the ability to enjoy life despite illness and faith in recovery.

Simont therapy - how does it affect the disease?

The basis of the Simonton therapy is to minimize the stress and anxiety experienced by the patient, because it has been proven many times that stress is responsible for the production of hormones that block the human immune system.

The stronger the immune system, the greater the chance of treatment success in the patient. That is why it is so important to eliminate fear from the patient's life.

Simontian therapy also has a purposechange the negative attitude towards life and make the patient feel hope. Pessimism is an enemy to fight against.

Lack of hope for recovery or successful treatment increases the risk of failure. There have been studies (1987, authors: Kempthorne-Rawson, Persky, and Shekelle) that prove that pessimism and depression contribute to higher mortality among cancer patients.

The Simonton method improves the quality of life of patients and their relatives and makes treatment more effective.

The therapy increases the involvement of patients in the treatment process, which is appreciated by oncologists. Better communication with the patient, greater understanding and self-confidence is the easier path to he alth.

The Simonton therapy is the first therapy in the field of psycho-oncology, the effectiveness and impact of which on the lives of patients have been proven by research. It has been shown that conventional treatment combined with psychotherapy based on Simonton's method can extend patients' lives up to two times and improve the quality of life.

Psychotherapists using the Simonton method believe that therapy helps not only in the disease, but also in life after it. The knowledge acquired by the sick person, the change in the way of thinking and approach to life are permanent and significantly improve the quality of life also after recovery.

Category:

Psychology