I know I feel sad, which seems normal considering the situation. How would I know if I am depressed? Can that be treated?
It is true that you will have some sadness, some fear, some anger, all sorts of feelings, about having mesothelioma. The feelings are normal. You should be able to talk to someone about these feelings. There should be a person involved with your care that is designated to help you deal with emotional reactions, or you should ask to see someone if you feel you want to talk to someone outside your family.
Talking about your feeling helps. You should try and talk about some things with your family, because they are having similar feelings some of the time. If you want to talk to a professional, make sure you ask to do just that.
Depression is a feeling of sadness and a lack of interest in normal activities that is deeper and lasts longer than just the reaction when being told about the cancer. It lasts longer than two weeks, and talking about it does not necessarily help. If you feel very sad and the feeling seems to be there all of the time for longer than two weeks, you should talk to your doctor about getting medical treatment. There are medications that can help treat depression and improve the way you feel significantly. Some of these medicines have some added benefits, like helping you sleep, or helping control your pain. Be sure to ask your doctor if you feel like you are depressed and can’t shake the feeling.