Traumatised by the Cure

March 3, 2020

(Aeon) – A diagnosis of cancer or other potentially fatal illness can trigger intense anxiety and despair. The initial shock, compounded by the pain and dread of enduring one mutilating procedure after another, can prove overwhelming, both to patients and their loved ones. Add in the fear of recurrence, relapse and death, and reactions can range from transient post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms to full-blown PTSD.