Cope With A Cancer Diagnosis
Dealing with cancer will always be a heavy issue; depending on your experiences, it is often a painful one. Dealing with cancer is a process, and the goal is to help you better handle the illness. What does this mean? It means that often, young people are inexperienced in dealing with big issues like cancer, and as a result, handle it internally and unhealthfully. Realizing that there are probably more productive ways to deal with the disease will allow you to have a healthier approach to cancer:

Don’t Blame Yourself
Often, teenagers can become overwhelmed and feel some sort of guilt when a parent or loved one gets cancer. This guilt is similar to that of many children with divorced parents who believe they played some role in the split up. Be realistic when dealing with cancer. Realize that you had nothing to do with it, and you have no physical connection to a particular person getting cancer. 

Don’t Make it About You
Along with the guilt factor, many children can feel abandoned when a parent or loved one gets cancer. They presume the cancer patient will die and wonder how he or she could do this to them. They might focus on how awful it makes them feel, often forgetting the patient. Realize that cancer is frequently curable, but more importantly that being selfish with the issue only makes it more difficult for everyone. Don’t burden the cancer patient with your own issues. They need you much more than you need them. Try to realize what they are going through. It is much more painful and difficult than you might think.  Help the person; don’t force him or her to waste energy trying to support you.

Have a Positive Outlook
The devastation that you might feel is natural, but being depressed won’t help anyone. The real survivors of cancer are usually those who never gave up and have maintained a positive outlook the entire time. You can help, by remaining positive, and focusing on the good things about the process not the bad things. Remember: We’re All Role Models, so your positive outlook and attitude may serve as a model for the cancer patient.

You’re Not Alone
As a child, relative, or friend of a cancer patient, you are not alone. There are millions of other people just like you trying to adapt and deal with the life-changing diagnosis of cancer. Don’t try to keep everything bottled up. Talk to people about your feelings and emotions; lay everything out honestly.  You can help both yourself and the cancer patient by maintaining open lines of communication at all times. No one should suffer alone or silently.

Combining all these strategies will not only make this process an easier one for you, but it may serve as a great help to the patient. Keep in mind all the ideals of WARM2Kids, because they apply here. Look at it like this. The only time you really fail is when you fail to try; so try. Try to understand and inspire the patient not to give up. Serve as a role model to a cancer patient by working and talking with others, maintaining a positive outlook and using your knowledge as power. Nobody’s perfect, but if you try hard enough, you are better able to help both yourself and the patient.