People with differing views

[Anonymous01]

Hi everyone 😊

How do you deal with people who don’t agree with cancer therapies such as radiotherapy and really try to push their opinions/beliefs on to you/your loved one with cancer?

I have a family member who believes that my family member with cancer is radioactive after receiving radiotherapy, and is getting extremely upset that their suggestion of natural therapies (in conjunction with chemo and radiotherapy) aren’t being taken seriously. They say that the conventional medical system ‘doesn’t know it all’.

My family member hasn’t refused to look at the complementary therapies, just advised this person that they need to let their care provider know of any complementary therapies before they start them, to ensure it won’t affect their treatment. This did not go down well with the family member suggesting the complementary therapy.

I’m finding it really hard to watch this person force their ideals/beliefs on to my loved one with cancer. I am of the belief that it’s your body, your choice. The person critical of chemo/radiotherapy I would confidently say has issues with mental health and this makes it hard to have any kind of rational conversation with them. 

I’m sorry, I don’t really know what I’m asking for, apart from how do you deal with it yourselves, if it comes up? Have you had to deal with this yourself and what approach did you find worked well? 

Thank you so much.

[Wife84]

I can only offer compassion and empathy.  

I have had the same issue with uninformed family and friends with Covid vaccines. 

I affirmed their right to choose,  bit my tongue when they misquoted statistics I tried to maintain respect and reassure them that my view was well researched,  that I was not being vaccinated in fear. I repeatedly said it was my choice to protect vulnerable friends and family however I could...

I have no answers as I have not felt respect for my choices the way I try to respect them.  

I hear others have success with "I will check your suggestions out " or "thankyou for that we will consider it " but some people don't seem to notice their own unkindness.  

Sorry you are going through this 😔 

❣🙏

[Andrrew]

I am a sceptic of most quackology that isn’t peer reviewed. 
HOWEVER…My partner is not. She received a prognosis of inside a year in November and talked in a squeak for three months. Then she got onto this slightly fanatical Facebook site and its dodgy snake oil schemes, but in doing so, reclaimed some sense of control, and her voice back and smiled at my terrible jokes. 
I don’t have a compromise as far as vaccines are concerned. You can have all the freedom and right to choose as you like, but nowhere near me or my family. We had Covid over Easter and she will die if she gets it again and she has no freedom or right to choose.