After her remission from cancer, Christine’s friends abandoned her just when she needed them most | Bianca Denny

While her friends expected a seamless return to pre-illness life, Christine feared a relapse, feeling a sense of limbo between her old and new self The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work Christine’s* friends and family had been pillars of support after her cancer diagnosis. Her community responded quickly and consistently while she underwent treatment – home-delivered meals, child-minding, lifts to medical appointments, even an online fundraiser to help with living costs while she was unable to work. A year on, Christine was thrilled to share news of remission. But after feeling buoyed by dozens of congratulatory messages and a celebratory group dinner, she felt an abrupt shift within her friendship group. Daily check-ins and offers of help dwindled, replaced by an expectation to “get back to normal”. Christine also felt a shift within herself, noticing she felt flat most days and was increasingly consumed by thoughts of her illness and recollections of treatment and procedures. She felt as if her friends were abandoning her just as she needed them most. Continue reading...

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