Hope

Hope, the belief that a positive outcome lies ahead, can be difficult to hold onto in the face of cancer. Knowing why hope is important, and how to create a sense of hope in your life, can help you approach survivorship with strength and confidence.

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Hope: Detailed Information

This information is meant to be a general introduction to this topic. The purpose is to provide a starting point for you to become more informed about important matters that may be affecting your life as a survivor and to provide ideas about steps you can take to learn more. This information is not intended nor should it be interpreted as providing professional medical, legal and financial advice. You should consult a trained professional for more information. Please read the Suggestions and Additional Resources sections for questions to ask and for more resources.

Hope is the belief or expectation that a positive outcome lies ahead. It is a way of thinking, feeling, and acting that may help you find ways to live with and through difficult situations. However, hope can sometimes be difficult to hold onto in the face of cancer. Knowing why hope is important and how to create a sense of hope in your life, may help you find the strength and confidence that are needed during the cancer journey.

How can survivors find hope?

People hope for different things at different times in their lives. When cancer is diagnosed, you probably hoped that treatment would be successful and that the cancer would go into remission. You may have relied on hope to get you through the difficult days of diagnosis and treatment and the changes that happened in your life.

After treatment is done, there can be a new set of concerns about what life will be like after cancer. You may wonder how you will deal with post-treatment changes. Deciding what role hope will play as you manage changes and uncertainties can help you find ongoing sources of strength and positive thinking.

Hope through sharing

Some survivors find hope by talking with other people. Your health care team can help you understand and make treatment and follow-up choices that will help you feel more confident and hopeful about your future. Loved ones, friends, co-workers, and others can also provide support and bring hope to your situation. Sharing your story with other survivors, and learning about the challenges and joys they experience in their survivorship, can be an important source of hope.

Look to the future

Survivors often find hope by looking forward to planned events, like a child’s graduation from high school, a wedding, or another type of gathering with friends and loved ones. Some work projects or hobbies may capture your attention, give you a sense of purpose, and help you look to the future when they will be completed.

Comfort through beliefs

Many find hope through spirituality, religion or philosophy. Those survivors who use this type of foundation for hope often believe that a higher power is helping them through the ups and downs of the cancer journey. For some, there can be a great help and comfort in learning how others have viewed challenges, talking with a faith-based leader, or by attending spiritual support groups.

Fact-based research

Some survivors prefer to use a scientific or evidence-based method to find facts and hope. They may search for research information about treatment and other cancer topics. They may also seek opinions from medical personnel or spend time learning about specific cancer topics, treatment options, and survivorship recommendations through health care journals or online.

In most cases, survivors will use some combination of the above approaches to find hope. There is no right or wrong way to hope. Talk with your loved ones and health care team if you find that it becomes difficult to hold onto hope or that you are feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed.

The following methods may help you define and hold onto hope in your life:

• Share your hopes with other people
• Write down your hopeful thoughts and feelings in a journal
• Talk with other survivors about ways to remain hopeful

What is the difference between hope and denial?

Holding onto hope and denial are not the same thing. Denial means that one is avoiding reality and refusing to admit the truth. This may result in pretending things are going well when they really are not. Experts who have studied hope say that, while having hope may help ease overwhelming doubts and fears, it is not denial. Hope is realistic. It is being honest with one’s self about the current situation while still looking forward to positive outcomes in the future. Survivors who are struggling with life after cancer may find that hope gives them vitality and courage during their survivorship.

Some survivors find it easy to feel hopeful and never give the concept of hope much thought. Others may think that having hope is important, but may not be sure how to hold onto that feeling during some experiences. The experience of hope is very personal, and it is different for every person.

Does hope change over time?

Hope is flexible and changes as you go through experiences. Only you will know what works best for you. In some cases, others might try to tell you that your situation is hopeless or that what you hope for is unreasonable. That can be very difficult to hear, and it can make it more difficult for you to manage your current situation.

If you realize that something you had hoped for does not appear to be happening, it may become necessary to refocus on other types of hopes. The outcome of situations cannot always be changed. However, you can decide what part hope will play in helping you deal with that situation.

Sometimes, the changes that come with cancer can feel overwhelming and cause a great deal of uncertainty. Hope can help you move forward despite bad news and disappointments. Hope may help you find the strength and courage to face the new and ongoing challenges.

Many cancer survivors have faced difficult situations in the past. They may continue to face challenges during treatment and after treatment is done. At times, it may be hard to remain hopeful. However, there are likely to be ways to renew a sense of hope even in the most challenging of times. 

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Hope: Suggestions

This information is meant to be a general introduction to this topic. The purpose is to provide a starting point for you to become more informed about important matters that may be affecting your life as a survivor and to provide ideas about steps you can take to learn more. This information is not intended nor should it be interpreted as providing professional medical, legal and financial advice. You should consult a trained professional for more information. Please read the Suggestions and Additional Resources sections for questions to ask and for more resources.

Hope is the belief or expectation that a positive outcome lies ahead. It is a way of thinking, feeling, and acting that may help you find ways to live with and through difficult situations. However, hope can sometimes be difficult to hold onto in the face of cancer. Knowing why hope is important and how to create a sense of hope in your life, may help you find the strength and confidence that are needed during the cancer journey.

How can survivors find hope?

People hope for different things at different times in their lives. When cancer is diagnosed, you probably hoped that treatment would be successful and that the cancer would go into remission. You may have relied on hope to get you through the difficult days of diagnosis and treatment and the changes that happened in your life.

After treatment is done, there can be a new set of concerns about what life will be like after cancer. You may wonder how you will deal with post-treatment changes. Deciding what role hope will play as you manage changes and uncertainties can help you find ongoing sources of strength and positive thinking.

Hope through sharing

Some survivors find hope by talking with other people. Your health care team can help you understand and make treatment and follow-up choices that will help you feel more confident and hopeful about your future. Loved ones, friends, co-workers, and others can also provide support and bring hope to your situation. Sharing your story with other survivors, and learning about the challenges and joys they experience in their survivorship, can be an important source of hope.

Look to the future

Survivors often find hope by looking forward to planned events, like a child’s graduation from high school, a wedding, or another type of gathering with friends and loved ones. Some work projects or hobbies may capture your attention, give you a sense of purpose, and help you look to the future when they will be completed.

Comfort through beliefs

Many find hope through spirituality, religion or philosophy. Those survivors who use this type of foundation for hope often believe that a higher power is helping them through the ups and downs of the cancer journey. For some, there can be a great help and comfort in learning how others have viewed challenges, talking with a faith-based leader, or by attending spiritual support groups.

Fact-based research

Some survivors prefer to use a scientific or evidence-based method to find facts and hope. They may search for research information about treatment and other cancer topics. They may also seek opinions from medical personnel or spend time learning about specific cancer topics, treatment options, and survivorship recommendations through health care journals or online.

In most cases, survivors will use some combination of the above approaches to find hope. There is no right or wrong way to hope. Talk with your loved ones and health care team if you find that it becomes difficult to hold onto hope or that you are feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed.

The following methods may help you define and hold onto hope in your life:

• Share your hopes with other people
• Write down your hopeful thoughts and feelings in a journal
• Talk with other survivors about ways to remain hopeful

What is the difference between hope and denial?

Holding onto hope and denial are not the same thing. Denial means that one is avoiding reality and refusing to admit the truth. This may result in pretending things are going well when they really are not. Experts who have studied hope say that, while having hope may help ease overwhelming doubts and fears, it is not denial. Hope is realistic. It is being honest with one’s self about the current situation while still looking forward to positive outcomes in the future. Survivors who are struggling with life after cancer may find that hope gives them vitality and courage during their survivorship.

Some survivors find it easy to feel hopeful and never give the concept of hope much thought. Others may think that having hope is important, but may not be sure how to hold onto that feeling during some experiences. The experience of hope is very personal, and it is different for every person.

Does hope change over time?

Hope is flexible and changes as you go through experiences. Only you will know what works best for you. In some cases, others might try to tell you that your situation is hopeless or that what you hope for is unreasonable. That can be very difficult to hear, and it can make it more difficult for you to manage your current situation.

If you realize that something you had hoped for does not appear to be happening, it may become necessary to refocus on other types of hopes. The outcome of situations cannot always be changed. However, you can decide what part hope will play in helping you deal with that situation.

Sometimes, the changes that come with cancer can feel overwhelming and cause a great deal of uncertainty. Hope can help you move forward despite bad news and disappointments. Hope may help you find the strength and courage to face the new and ongoing challenges.

Many cancer survivors have faced difficult situations in the past. They may continue to face challenges during treatment and after treatment is done. At times, it may be hard to remain hopeful. However, there are likely to be ways to renew a sense of hope even in the most challenging of times.