Depression and cancer
When you have cancer, feeling sad at times is normal. For some people, a low mood may continue or get worse. This may mean they have depression.
Do I have depression?
People often have feelings of sadness or loss after cancer treatment. You may feel sad about how things have changed, or about things you cannot do any more. Your mood may be low at times for lots of reasons.
People may have told you to think positively during your treatment. You may hear this even more when your treatment has finished. Being positive does not mean you have to feel happy all the time. It is a positive thing to accept and talk about your feelings, even the difficult ones.
As you begin to recover and move on with your life, feelings of sadness and loss often improve. But for some people, the low mood continues or gets worse. It may become depression.
Symptoms of depression
Sometimes it is difficult to know whether you are depressed. Symptoms of depression can include:
- feeling low in mood or sad most of the time
- losing interest in things you used to enjoy, like your hobbies or social life
- changes in sleeping, eating or concentration
- feeling helpless or vulnerable
- problems starting or finishing tasks.
Remember, it is normal to have these feelings sometimes. But if they go on for more than 2 weeks, talk to your doctor or nurse.
We have more information about cancer and mental health support.
Suicidal feelings
Coping with depression
It is important to remember that depression is common and that there are many things that can help. You may need help even after your cancer treatment finishes. There are many ways to cope and different types of support.
Some people find that talking about their feelings can help. If you can, talk to your family, friends or partner about how you feel so they can support you. You can also try talking to someone who is going through similar experiences. This might be through a cancer support group or an online social networking site, such as our Online Community.
We have more information about things you can do to help yourself.
If you think you need more support, talk to your GP, specialist nurse or another healthcare professional. They can listen to you or refer you to a counsellor or psychologist. They may also talk to you about medication that can help treat depression.
If you feel very low but cannot contact someone from your healthcare team, you can talk to Samaritans. It has a 24-hour confidential helpline on 116 123 that you can call for support.
Support from Macmillan
Macmillan is also here to support you. If you would like to talk, you can do the following:
- Call the confidential Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week, 8am to 8pm).
- Chat to our specialists online.
- Visit our emotional support forum to talk with people who are dealing with the emotional impact of cancer, share your experience, and ask an expert your questions.
Anti-depressant medicines
Your doctor may prescribe an anti-depressant drug for you. There are different types of anti-depressants. Your doctors may need to try more than 1 to find which suits you best. It can take up to 4 weeks after you start treatment for you to feel the benefits. Your doctor will monitor how well they are working for you.
Most people need to take anti-depressants for at least 6 months to help them through their depression. Anti-depressants are not addictive, but you should not stop taking them suddenly. This can cause withdrawal symptoms. When you stop taking anti-depressants, it is important to follow your doctor’s advice.
Side effects
Like all other drugs, anti-depressants can cause side effects. These are different for each drug and for each person. Ask your doctor to explain what the possible effects are. You can also read the leaflet that comes with the anti-depressant. This will tell you what to expect. Tell your doctor about any side effects you have.
It is important to follow your instructions when taking anti-depressants. Tell them about any other health conditions you have or other medicines you are taking. Some anti-depressants can react with other medicines.
You can read more about anti-depressants on the Mind website.
St John's wort
St John’s wort is a herbal treatment. It can react with other medicines, including cancer treatments. This can make them less effective. If you are thinking of taking St John’s wort, it is important to speak to your doctor first.
About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our diagnosis and staging information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk
Common mental health problems: identification and pathways to care. Clinical guideline [CG123]. May 2011. Available from: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123 (accessed November 2022).
Depression in adults: treatment and management. NICE guideline [NG222]. June 2022. Available from: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng222 (accessed November 2022).
Depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem: recognition and management. Clinical guideline [CG91]. October 2009.
Date reviewed
Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.
This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.
The language we use
We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.
We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
- use plain English
- explain medical words
- use short sentences
- use illustrations to explain text
- structure the information clearly
- make sure important points are clear.
We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
You can read more about how we produce our information here.
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