A TRAINEE doctor in Glasgow who was recently diagnosed with blood cancer has called for better mental health support for those battling the disease. 

After six months of gruelling chemotherapy, Ellie Brown - who works at the Royal Infirmary - has described her fight as a "rollercoaster". 

The 24-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in October last year. 

It wasn't until halfway through her treatment that she started to struggle and noticed her mental health was rapidly deteriorating. 

She said: “I had just finished university, moved to Belfast and was about to start my first job. 

“About six weeks later, I was diagnosed and had to come home. It was right during the peak of the first wave of Covid. 

“I couldn't’ have anyone with me during therapy so my support was reliant on the nurses. The pandemic really heightened an already isolating experience for me."

Glasgow Times:

Ellie received cancer therapy every second Tuesday which resulted in hair loss and constant exhaustion. 

She reflected on the harrowing experience, branding it as "horrific". 

"It was an extremely hard time for me", she said. 

"It was gruelling and felt relentless. Going back every two weeks was a mental task because I knew that I would be coming out feeling rubbish. 

“It was really hard because I had to put on a brave face for my friends and family, it was incredibly difficult for them, too. They had to watch me go through it all. 

“You don’t know how strong you are until you need to go through something challenging. Humans are incredibly resilient."

It took Ellie a breakdown at an appointment for her to realise she needed help, but she was hesitant to reach out as she believed others may have needed it more than her. 

Glasgow Times:

She said: "I started to lose my hair and it was Christmas, and it all kind of fell on me. 

“I started to live my life in two-week blocks and I kept focusing on my next round of treatment as soon as I received my last.  

"I went into an appointment weeks after I was diagnosed and broke down. It wasn’t until then I started speaking to someone. 

“Cancer is strange because you are diagnosed, then you are just sent home. It’s really difficult to process and a psychologist could really help with that at the very start.  

“At the same time, it is really difficult to ask for help and some don’t want to ask at all because you feel there are others who might have it worse than you so you don’t want to use up limited resources. 

“You feel that you need to be strong, which isn’t the case but you also don’t know how to react."

According to Teenage Cancer Trust, almost half of all young people fighting the disease in the UK don’t have access to a psychologist or counsellor during their treatment.

Without specialist help, it leaves many to struggle with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health issues.

Glasgow Times:

Ellie believes that those who are suffering from cancer should have access to a therapist at the time of diagnosis. 

She says that receiving help during this "critical point" in a cancer journey could curb mental health problems further down the line. 

She said: "At this point, you really know a tough journey will lie ahead and it’s a point in the journey where a psychologist would know exactly where your head is at. It’s all about being proactive rather than reactive.

“People always call it a cancer journey but I prefer to call it a cancer rollercoaster because you go through so many different challenges."  

And having a psychologist could help those who are finishing up their treatment to move on with their lives, Ellie has argued. 

She said: “After the chemo, there was the anxiety of the cancer reoccurring. You go from having scans and people around you every day to not having any of that anymore.

“You kind of feel like you’re on a treadmill and that you have blinkers on – I was so focused on the therapy that I only saw my life in blocks of two weeks ahead. 

“When that finished, you then have to think about the whole life that lies ahead of you and you are expected to be happy. 

“I think this is when a psychologist could come in useful because they could help you to move forward with your life and help you to process what has just happened to become the new you. 

“There are still some days where I think about it and think, did that just happen?  

“It should be the norm that you meet your doctor, you meet your consultant and then you meet your psychologist."

Glasgow Times:

Ellie's pleas for better mental health support come as part of Teenage Cancer Trust's #NotOk campaign, which calls on the government to fund specialist, age-appropriate psychological support for young people with cancer.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "Struggling to get specialist mental health support during cancer treatment is sadly not something Ellie was alone in.

"Nearly half of young people with cancer that we surveyed couldn’t access a psychologist or counsellor when they needed it, leaving many to struggle with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health issues.

"Without access to early, and ongoing specialist support, a young person's poor mental health could outlive their cancer diagnosis."

The Glasgow Times approached the Scottish Government for comment.