Often a person who has recently been diagnosed with oncodiagnosis, emotional support and informational assistance are no less important than the treatment itself.
For example, a woman who has just found out about breast cancer really needs the support of her husband, children, friends. But sometimes, for various reasons, she cannot discuss the situation in detail with one of them. Including because she believes that those who have not had such experience will not be able to understand her.
Another example is a man whose wife got cancer. He is very scared for her. Their life has changed, and it is unknown what it will be like next. He can't find the right words, doesn't know how he can help. And we also need to somehow talk about all this with the children.
In both cases, both the person with cancer himself and his loved one can be helped by people who have gone through it themselves. They are commonly called equal consultants. These are volunteers who, in calls or correspondence, suggest how to navigate treatment, what all these incomprehensible terms mean, how to deal with side effects.
And also how to find words of support and cope with fear and grief yourself.
For the first time equal counseling appeared A Brief History of Peer Support: Origins / UNC in the 1970s in the USA: former patients of psychiatric clinics began to unite in support groups on the principle of "equal — equal". Now there is such a practice in various fields: diabetes, addiction, mental disorders and oncology. Equal counseling has started in Russia Vasilets N. "Positive guide". Peer-to-peer consultants in HIV support programs" (Methodological Guide) in the late 90s in the HIV community.
An equal consultant is someone to whom you can ask the most shameful question and not be afraid of misunderstanding and condemnation. They themselves not only live their own diagnoses or the diagnoses of their loved ones, but also internally accept such an experience. This is a special process, and it is thanks to it that they can support a person who is currently undergoing treatment.
They never interfere with it, do not give appointments, do not make decisions for the person who addressed them. Their task is to talk about what options there may be, share reliable sources of information and support, based on their experience.
An equal consultant usually has more time for an individual than a doctor.
He can, for example, discuss in more detail the side effects of treatment and how they are easier to survive . Also, the help of equal consultants is very much in demand when drawing up an action plan and thinking about how to implement it with the resources that are available.
In addition to support in treatment, there is also an emotional, human side of the issue. It may seem that this part is very similar to the work of a psychologist, but these are two different formats. An equal consultant shares his experience, his resource. At the beginning or in the middle of treatment, it is very important for people to see someone who was in the same position a few years ago, and now he is sitting opposite you, looks good, feels joy and lives his life.
Not every person in remission and with a desire to help others can be considered an equal consultant. To obtain this status, people take a special educational course — recruitment takes place twice a year. Future consultants study hundreds of situations, learn how to gain trust, how not to harm, in which issues you can help a person, and with which it is better to send him to a psychologist or a doctor.
For effective assistance, it is important that equal consultants themselves be in good condition and not burn out: for this, during work, they communicate with more experienced colleagues and improve their qualifications.
The help of equal consultants is always free and available to everyone. In order to get it, it is enough to fill out the form on the website or call the toll-free federal number 8 800 444 13 50. And there will be another person in your support team who knows what you're going through right now and is ready to be there.
