Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Consolation and the search for meaning are the greatest need during the illness period"

Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized the importance of motivation and psychological stability in illnesses with difficult treatment processes such as cancer and said that people can cope better with their illness if people find something that will make their lives meaningful. Emphasizing that the period of severe illness was the period when the need for consolation and the need for the search for meaning was the highest, Tarhan said that "In such periods, the old approach was in the style of 'fighting illness and death'. To fight against things that man cannot control, that one cannot afford, is suffering. In the new scientific approach, it is recommended to walk with the illness."

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan made his remarks about the importance of psychological well-being and spiritual guidance in cancer treatment on the occasion of Cancer Week.

The meaning attached to cancer is different from other diseases

Stating that motivation is very important in cancer disease, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Cancer disease is considered as the most feared disease group among many chronic diseases. Chronic diseases include pancreatic disease, COPD, that is, chronic lung respiratory failure disease, kidney diseases requiring dialysis. There are many new methods and developments related to the treatment of these diseases. In some diseases, the meaning that people attach to the disease that they know can be improved with a standard surgery is different, but the meaning attributed to cancer and the meaning attributed to COPD or kidney disease are very different.".

Quality of life and mental health disorder

Stating that cancer disease evokes death more than other diseases, which negatively affects the mental health of the patient, Tarhan said, "These diseases remind more people of death and not being able to resist. People will lose many comforts of life, and they think that they will lose their body comfort. The quality of life of patients deteriorates a lot. These diseases have a very negative impact on mental health."

Why are morale support programs important?

Noting that morale support programs are applied in the world in diseases with difficult treatment processes such as cancer, Tarhan said, "Especially in diseases such as cancer, morale support programs are made according to the demand of the person. Here it is necessary to understand the word morale correctly. The word morale in Turkish (Manevi) comes from the root meaning (mana). To be able to look at the semantic dimension of anything. For example, you look at a book and examine it. When the financial dimension of the book is evaluated, the writing is good, very high-quality paper is used. The semantic dimension of the book is related to the messages in the book... We should not confuse these two.".

The search for meaning is unique to human beings

Stating that not only the seemingly visible parts of life but also the invisible issues are questioned in the issues related to chronic death and the end of life, Tarhan said, "This situation is only related to the search for meaning in human beings and distinguishes human beings from other living things. It is about the metacognitive genes that cause the search for meaning in man. There is no search for meaning in any other living thing. When you look at the world of meaning in the imagination of a dog, there is a bone, but the world of meaning of man is different in everyone and it varies according to everyone's personality."

At such times, the search for meaning begins

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan also stated that people are in search of meaning at such times, that is, when they are struggling with severe diseases, and said, "If people find something to make their lives meaningful at such times, they can cope better with chronic diseases. However, death needs an explanation. The search for a meaning that explains death, satisfies man, convinces man and removes the uncertainty after death is almost the best satisfying for humans.".

The most important psychological need of a human being is to be happy

Emphasizing the importance of psychological stability in the recovery part of the fight against the disease, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "The most important issue affecting the course of the disease is related to the psychological needs of the person. There are also studies on the most important psychological needs of man. Two separate studies on those living in Scandinavia and those living in Africa. They ask ‘What is the greatest psychological need of man?’. In the two countries, people are asked, ‘Is it to be famous, to be rich, to have a lot or to be happy?’ In both samples, people prefer to be the happiest. Right now, the science of well-being is referred to as the science of happiness. Science calls this well-being. This is the greatest psychological need of man.".

Power of morale moves people

Emphasizing that the need for psychological well-being increases more in chronic diseases and severe diseases, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "The power of moral that moves people is the power of spirituality.

When the life energy is taken away, the motivation of the person also decreases. Their ability to mobilize themselves is also declining. Morale and motivation are important for this reason.".

The search for consolation and meaning increases during this period

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that "If a person can add meaning to their work and life, one has a reason to take action in such cases" and completed his remarks as follows:

"One can be happy with what one does. In such cases, it can activate themselves. A person who is ill, has more needs in such a situation. The period in which the person is most open to suggestion is the period when a person is severely ill. This is the period when the need for consolation and the search for meaning are at its highest. In such periods, the old approach was 'fight against disease and death'. To fight against things that man cannot control, that one cannot afford, is suffering. In this method, the new scientific approach, it is recommended to walk with the illness.".

 

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)