|
| |
Breast Cancer:
How Your Mind Can Help Your Body
Each year 185,000 women in this country learn that they have breast cancer.
Because less than a
quarter of them have genetic or other known risk factors, the diagnosis often
comes as a devastating
surprise. The emotional turmoil that results can affect women's physical health
as well as their
psychological well-being. This question-and-answer fact sheet explains how
psychological treatment
can help these women harness the healing powers of their own minds.
What impact does a breast cancer diagnosis have on psychological well-being?
Why is it important to
seek psychological help?
How can
psychological treatment help women adjust?
Can psychological
treatment help the body, too?
What type of
psychological treatment is helpful?
What impact does a breast cancer diagnosis have on psychological well-being?
Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer can be one of the most distressing events
women ever experience. And women may not know where to turn for help.
Distress typically continues even after the initial shock of diagnosis has
passed. As women begin what is often a lengthy treatment process, they may find
themselves faced with new problems. They may find their personal relationships
in turmoil, for instance. They may feel tired all the time. They may be very
worried about their symptoms, treatment and mortality. They may face
discrimination from employers or insurance companies. Factors like these can
contribute to chronic stress, anxiety and depression.
Why is it important to
seek psychological help?
Feeling overwhelmed is a perfectly normal response to a breast cancer diagnosis.
But negative emotions can cause women to stop doing things that are good for
them and start doing things that are bad for anyone but especially worrisome for
those with a serious disease. Women with breast cancer may start eating poorly,
for instance, eating fewer meals and choosing foods of lower nutritional value.
They may cut back on their exercise. They may have trouble getting a good
night's sleep. And they may withdraw from family and friends. At the same time,
these women may use alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine or other drugs in an attempt
to soothe themselves.
A breast cancer diagnosis can also lead to more severe problems. Researchers
estimate that anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of cancer patients experience
depressive symptoms, which can make it more difficult for women to adjust,
participate optimally in treatment activities and take advantage of whatever
sources of social support are available. Some women become so disheartened by
the ordeal of having cancer that they refuse to undergo surgery or simply stop
going to radiation or chemotherapy appointments. As a result, they may get even
sicker. In fact, studies show that missing as few as 15 percent of chemotherapy
appointments results in significantly poorer outcomes.
How can
psychological treatment help women adjust?
Licensed psychologists and other mental health professionals with experience in
breast cancer treatment can help a great deal. Their primary goal is to help
women learn how to cope with the physical, emotional and lifestyle changes
associated with cancer as well as with medical treatments that can be painful
and traumatic. For some women, the focus may be on how to explain their illness
to their children or how to deal with a partner's response. For others, it may
be on how to choose the right hospital or medical treatment. For still others,
it may be on how to control stress, anxiety or depression. By teaching patients
problem-solving strategies in a supportive environment, psychologists help women
work through their grief, fear and other emotions. For many women, this
life-threatening crisis eventually proves to be an opportunity for
life-enhancing personal growth.
Breast cancer patients themselves aren't the only ones who can benefit from
psychological treatment.
Psychologists often help spouses who must offer both emotional and practical
support while dealing with their own feelings, for instance. Children, parents
and friends involved in caretaking can also benefit from psychological
interventions.
The need for psychological treatment may not end when medical treatment does. In
fact, emotional recovery may take longer than physical recovery and is sometimes
less predictable. Although societal pressure to get everything back to normal is
intense, breast cancer survivors need time to create a new self-image that
incorporates both the experience and their changed bodies. Psychologists can
help women achieve that goal and learn to cope with such issues as fears about
recurrence and impatience with life's more mundane problems.
Can psychological
treatment help the body, too?
Absolutely. Take the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy, for
example. For some women, these side effects can be severe enough to make them
reject further treatment efforts. Psychologists can teach women relaxation
exercises, meditation, self-hypnosis, imagery or other skills that can
effectively relieve nausea without the side effects of pharmaceutical
approaches.
Psychological treatment has indirect effects on physical health as well.
Researchers already know that stress suppresses the body's ability to protect
itself. What they now suspect is that the coping skills that psychologists teach
may actually boost the immune system's strength. In one well-known study, for
example, patients with advanced breast cancer who underwent group therapy lived
longer than those who did not.
Research also suggests that patients who ask questions and are assertive with
their physicians have better health outcomes than patients who passively accept
proposed treatment regimens. Psychologists can empower women to make more
informed choices in the face of often-conflicting advice and can help them
communicate more effectively with their health care providers. In short,
psychologists can help women become more fully engaged in their own treatment.
The result is an enhanced understanding of the disease and its treatment and a
greater willingness to do what needs to be done to get well again.
What type of
psychological treatment is helpful?
A combination of individual and group treatment sometimes works best. Individual
sessions with a licensed psychologist typically emphasize the understanding and
modification of patterns of thinking and behavior. Group psychological treatment
with others who have breast cancer gives women a chance to give and receive
emotional support and learn from the experiences of others. To be most
effective, groups should be made up of women at similar stages of the disease
and led by psychologists or other mental health professionals with experience in
breast cancer treatment.
Whether aimed at individuals or groups, psychological interventions strive to
help women adjust to their diagnoses, cope with treatment and come to terms with
the disease's impact on their lives. These interventions offer psychologists an
opportunity to help women better understand breast cancer and its treatment.
Psychologists typically ask women open-ended questions about their assumptions,
ideas for living life more fully and other matters. Although negative thoughts
and feelings are addressed, most psychological interventions focus on
problem-solving as women meet each new challenge.
Check out the web links for
Cancer!
A breast cancer diagnosis can severely impair women's psychological functioning,
which in turn can
jeopardize their physical health. It doesn't have to be that way. Women who seek
help from licensed
psychologists with experience in breast cancer treatment can actually use the
mind-body connection
to their advantage to enhance both mental and physical health.
The American Psychological Association Practice Directorate gratefully
acknowledges the assistance of Alice F. Chang, PhD, and Sandra B. Haber, PhD, in
developing this fact sheet.
October 1997
We can help.
Learn about Therapy.
Check out our Staff!
Wilmes-Reitz Psychological
23945 Calabasas Rd., Suite 202
Calabasas, California 91302
(818) 591-8270
|
