In Why Don’t I Feel Hope? I talk about hopelessness as a physical problem. If changes in the brain block the proper firing of brain cells needed to experience hope, willpower and/or spiritual faith may not be enough (just as a severed spinal cord makes it impossible to move the legs)—no matter how much patients want to feel hope.
While doctors can’t measure hope with scans or blood tests, logic gives us a starting point for addressing potential obstacles to hope.
First, imagine two patients alike in every way except Patient #1’s cancer is highly curable and Patient #2’s cancer is usually fatal. Would you expect the second patient to feel more, less, or the same amount of hope of recovery as the first patient?
Now, imagine two other patients. They have the identical, treatable cancers with the same 50-50 chance of cure. In all important ways, they are the same except…
Situation #1
Patient #1 feels fine and is well rested.
Patient #2 has slept poorly for weeks due to pain.Situation #2
Patient #1 never knew anyone with the diagnosis.
Patient #2 lost his twin brother to that diagnosis 18 months ago.Situation #3
Patient #1 believes his God will help him to survive.
Patient #2 believes his diagnosis is punishment for an indiscretion years earlier.
In these examples, pain, sad memories, and guilt negatively influence the ability to feel hope. We know that certain medications and certain tumors can cause depression through their effects on the chemistry of the brain.
Next post: What can patients do to overcome such obstacles to hope?
We welcome your comments! SEE COMMENTS UNDER COMMENT BOX (below)
Subscribe here for e-notifications of new posts. Privacy Policy: We collect only your name and email address—
and we do not share with anyone. You may unsubscribe easily at any time. For archives of older posts, click here.