92% of adults find life after cancer harder than cancer treatment.
At Life after Cancer, we’re here to change that.
Our support groups, workshops and 6-week programmes are designed specifically for individuals who have finished cancer treatment. Facilitated by trained coaches with personal cancer experience, our services reduce isolation and enhance mental wellbeing – with 98% of our community members reporting these positive results.
Understanding and Improving Chemo Brain after Cancer Treatment
Have you ever entered a room for something and immediately forget what you are looking for, or why you are even there? Do you get distracted and forget your words shortly after engaging in a conversation? Do you find it difficult to concentrate on one thing and feel that it’s taking quite a long time to learn something new? Do you experience brain fog and do you find yourself mentally (and physically) tired?
These are symptoms of chemobrain, what the research literature refers to as ‘cancer related cognitive impairment’. The thing is, you actually don’t need to have chemotherapy as part of your cancer treatment to have chemobrain.
An extensive amount of literature is now recognising and validating the concept of chemobrain (or brain fog) in those of us diagnosed with cancer. What’s more, research from neuroscience shows that chemobrain can persist up to 20 years after diagnosis and treatment for cancer.
The implications of living with chemobrain are not just personal but have social and affective consequences like impaired workability, poorer self-confidence and self-esteem and these can increase our risk of anxiety and depression.
This workshop will focus on:
- Understanding chemobrain.
- Its nature and risk factors.
- How it can be managed and improved over time.
What you will take away:
Drawing from the latest research in cancer, you will hear and learn about the latest research developments on building emotional resilience, with helpful tips and recommendations.
About Nazanin Derakhshan
Nazanin Derakhshan is a Professor of Experimental Psychology who has pioneered and published substantive research into understanding the roots of vulnerability to anxiety and depression as well as developing interventions to boost resilience. A key discovery of her work is the role of ‘cognitive efficiency’ in vulnerability and resilience to anxiety and depression. Following her own cancer diagnosis, Naz has raised awareness and conducted extensive research into chemobrain and its role in emotional vulnerability in women with a breast cancer diagnosis. Her research has established useful ways by which we can boost cognitive and emotional resilience, improve workability and reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Naz is the founder and director of the award winning Centre for Building Resilience in Breast Cancer (BRiC). This is a psychoeducational support network with over 2500 women diagnosed with breast cancer anywhere in the UK and at any stage of their journey. The aims of the centre are to empower women with continued support after diagnosis.
Spaces Are Limited – Sign Up Early
You’ll receive the Zoom link a few hours before the session begins.
Cost: Donations support the continuation of Life after Cancer's services. Free tickets are available thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. If free spots are full and you’re unable to afford a space, email us at support@life-aftercancer.co.uk with your name and the event you’d like to attend - we’re here to help.
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