Emotion Suspension: Emotional Experience of Cancer Patients

People and communities’ reaction to cancer disease, much like any other diseases, can be due to their cultures, norms, and values. At the personal and family level, the unfamiliarity with the disease can cause many issues for a person. These conditions alter the patientchr('39')s daily functions, roles, and emotions. Efforts to manage emotions and form behaviors become processes of bonding between the patientchr('39')s body and social experiences. The aim of this research was to explore the emotions of cancer patients by discovering their understanding and interpretation.

This research employed a qualitative approach utilizing the grounded theory method. Semi-structured interviews were done with 17 cancer patients and their caregivers. Participants were selected through purposive sampling method (snowball), and the data provided from the interviews after implementation were analyzed using the theoretical coding method.

The findings were classified into 5 main categories including: helplessness in notification, expectation of continuous empathy, admission delay, desire for emotional retrieval, and social distress. Ultimately, "suspense of emotions" was proposed to be regarded as the major phenomenon that was experienced by cancer patients.

Based on the findings of the research, patientschr('39') confusion in the face of cancer and their special conditions can create a condition of coping with the situation which prevents the achievement of stability at early stages, and before reaching relatively established conditions, the patients and those close to them are suspended for some time. This condition puts their emotions in a volatile situation, which brings the experience of suspending emotions.