Yes, personality and emotional changes are common after chemotherapy due to "chemo brain," treatment side effects, and the psychological toll of cancer, leading to mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, and cognitive issues like poor focus or memory, often creating a feeling of a "new self" rather than returning to an "old" one. These shifts are normal responses to a profound experience, affecting values, identity, and behavior, and typically improve but sometimes require professional support.
During anti-angiogenic treatment some psychiatric symptoms such as paranoid personality disorders, memory impairment, dementia, emotional coldness and social withdrawal were observed.
Most people say it takes 6 to 12 months after they finish chemotherapy before they truly feel like themselves again. Read the resource Managing Cognitive Changes for more information about managing chemo brain.
Depression and anxiety in cancer survivors
Lingering feelings of sadness and anger can interfere with your daily life. For many people, these feelings become less intense with time. But for others, these feelings can develop into depression. Tell your provider about your feelings.
Problems with cognitive function may be called cancer-related cognitive impairment, "brain fog" or "cancer fog." Problems with thinking and memory after having chemotherapy are commonly known as "chemo brain" or "chemo fog." Cognitive problems can impact your emotional well-being and overall quality of life.
There's no single "hardest" mental illness, but Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia, and severe/treatment-resistant conditions like depression or bipolar disorder are frequently cited due to extreme emotional volatility, distorted reality, profound functional impairment, and significant impact on relationships and daily life, making them incredibly challenging to live with and manage. The difficulty often stems from intense internal pain, difficulty regulating emotions, social isolation, and the pervasive nature of symptoms.
You might have physical changes like hair loss, skin changes or new scars, ostomies, weight changes, or loss of limbs. Cancer and treatment might also cause changes to your sex organs, sexual health, fertility, or mental health. Some of the changes may be temporary, while others are permanent.
How long does chemo stay in your body? Chemotherapy stays in your body for two to three days (48 to 72 hours). Some drugs can take up a week for your body to break them down. Once the kidneys and liver break down the chemo, your body excretes the remnants through urine, sweat, stool and vaginal fluid (in women).
Chemotherapy can reduce the production of blood cells made in the bone marrow. This can lead to low blood cell counts, which are the most common side effect of chemotherapy. There are different types of low blood cell counts.
The side effects from chemotherapy tend to be the worst the day after it's administered. “If you're on a strong chemo regimen, usually the day after is when you'll experience the worst symptoms,” says Iheme. “By worst, I mean you'll experience the most fatigue, weakness and nausea.
Signs of improvement can show up early in chemotherapy. These signs include tumor shrinkage on scans, lowered tumor marker levels in blood tests, and better blood counts. Healthline says these signs help doctors see if treatment is working.
Radiation therapy and chemo are often combined to treat cancer. While both treatments are effective, chemo generally produces more serious side effects than radiation therapy. How radiation therapy is used to treat cancer. American Cancer Society.
Chemo brain
Emotional and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, and having trouble sleeping can add to that foggy feeling. Chemo brain can also intensify feelings of frustration or anger. That's OK. These feelings can be managed.
Overview. Chemo brain is a common term people with cancer use to describe trouble with thinking and memory that can happen during and after cancer treatment. Chemo brain also can be called chemo fog, cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction.
While some studies suggest a link between chemotherapy and mild cognitive impairment, which is considered a precursor to dementia, the evidence is somewhat limited. Some data suggests chemotherapy may not increase the risk of developing dementia.
After a chemotherapy infusion, the body must recover from the harsh chemicals. Ways to flush chemo out of body include staying hydrated, eating nutrient-rich foods, and supporting liver and kidney function.
A return to normalcy is typical, but it takes a while – usually six months or so. “All who have done chemo do finally get back to normal,” Patricia said. “Treatment for breast cancer can take a whole year, but six months after it ends, life comes back – incisions heal, hair grows back, chemo brain fog lifts.”
Trace chemotherapy wastes are materials that have come into contact with or may contain only a residual amount of a chemotherapy agent. This includes empty drug bottles or IV bags, as well as gloves and other PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) used during administering chemotherapy drugs.
Can chemo brain affect personality? Some studies suggest chemo brain can contribute to depression, frustration or irritability. This can make everyday tasks feel harder than they used to. It's normal to feel discouraged, but recognizing these changes can help you find effective coping strategies.
The good news is that short-term side effects — such as hair loss, nausea and diarrhea — start improving as soon as you finish chemotherapy. And, normally, they go away entirely.” Long-term side effects, meanwhile, may last for months, or even years, after finishing chemotherapy.
Complete response - all of the cancer or tumor disappears; there is no evidence of disease. A tumor marker (if applicable) may fall within the normal range. Partial response - the cancer has shrunk by a percentage but disease remains. A tumor marker (if applicable) may have fallen but evidence of disease remains.
According to psychology, there are specific personality types that are notoriously difficult to live with. These can include the passive-aggressive communicator, the relentless critic, or the energy-draining pessimist. However, recognizing these traits is the first step toward managing the stress they cause.
Anorexia Nervosa – Highest Mortality Rate of Any Mental Disorder: Why? While all eating disorders are dangerous mental health conditions, anorexia nervosa (AN) has the unfortunate distinction of being the deadliest eating disorder—and, by some accounts, the deadliest psychiatric disorder.
People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are triggered by intense emotions, particularly fear of abandonment, rejection, and invalidation, often stemming from past trauma, leading to reactions like sudden anger or self-harm when feeling criticized, alone, or facing instability, sudden changes, or perceived neglect, according to sources like Borderline in the ACT. Common triggers include relationship conflicts, cancelled plans, perceived or real abandonment, reminders of trauma, or unmet needs like sleep, disrupting their fragile sense of self and emotional regulation.