Who are peer consultants and how do they help those who have been diagnosed with cancer?
Miscellaneous / / May 22, 2023
They can be asked a shameful question without fear of judgment. Or just ask for emotional support.
Who are peer consultants
Often, for a person who has recently been diagnosed with cancer, emotional support and informational assistance are as important as the treatment itself.
For example, a woman who has just learned about breast cancer, really needs the support of her husband, children, friends. But sometimes, for various reasons, she cannot discuss the situation in detail with one of them. Including because he believes that those who have not had such experience will not be able to understand it.
Another example is a man whose wife got cancer. He is very scared for her. Their life has changed, and it is not known what it will be like in the future. He cannot find the right words, does not know how he can help. And you also need to somehow talk about all this with the children.
In both cases - both the person with oncology himself and his loved one - people who have gone through it themselves can help. They are called peer consultants. These are volunteers who, in calls or in correspondence, suggest how to navigate the treatment, what all these incomprehensible terms mean, how to deal with side effects.
And also how to find words of support and deal with fear and grief yourself.
First time peer counseling appeared in the 1970s in the USA: former patients of psychiatric clinics began to unite in peer support groups. Now this practice is in different areas: diabetes, addictions, mental disorders and oncology. In Russia peer counseling began in the late 90s in the HIV community.
Why do we need peer consultants if there are doctors and psychologists
A peer consultant is someone who can be asked the most embarrassing question and not be afraid of misunderstanding and condemnation. They themselves not only live their own diagnoses or the diagnoses of their loved ones, but also internally accept such an experience. This is a special process, and it is thanks to it that they can support a person who is currently undergoing treatment.
They never interfere in it, do not give appointments, do not make decisions for the person who applied to them. Their task is to talk about what options can be, share reliable sources of information and support based on their experience.
A peer consultant usually has more time for an individual than a physician.
He may, for example, discuss in more detail the side effects of the treatment and how to relieve them. been through. The help of peer consultants is also very much in demand when drawing up an action plan and thinking over how to implement it with the resources that are available.
In addition to support in treatment, there is also an emotional, human side of the issue. It may seem that this part is very similar to the work of a psychologist, but these are two different formats. A peer consultant shares his experience, his resource. At the beginning or middle of treatment, it can be very important for people to see someone who was in such a situation a few years ago. same position, and now here he is, sitting opposite you, looking good, feeling joy and living his life. life.
Why you can trust this kind of help
Not everyone in remission and with a desire to help others can be considered an equal counsellor. To obtain this status, people undergo a special educational course - kit it takes place twice a year. Future consultants study hundreds of situations, learn how to gain trust, how not to harm, in what matters you can help a person, and with which it is better to send him to a psychologist or doctor.
For effective assistance, it is important that peer consultants themselves be in good condition and not burned out: for this, while working, they communicate with more experienced colleagues and improve their skills.
How to contact peer consultants
The help of peer consultants is always free and available to everyone. In order to receive it, it is enough to fill form on the website or call the free federal number 8 800 444 13 50. And there will be another person in your support team who knows what you are going through right now and is ready to be there.
Read also🧐
- What to do if a child has leukemia
- How to support a loved one who is facing cancer
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