All the things mentioned in the video, “Being Your Own Wellness Advocate” are important components of being at your peak mental and physical wellness while you fight your disease. And the same is true for your primary support person and other loved ones as they rearrange their priorities to provide help and support while you make treatment choices and undergo treatment.
I would like to highlight one thing in particular: stress management while living with cancer. But first, I want to clear up a commonly held misconception.
Here’s a quote from a so-called “authority” website: “Stress can do more than just ruin a good day. It may also contribute to chronic inflammation and the development of severe medical conditions such as autoimmunity, irritable bowel disease, heart attack, stroke, depression, hypertension, and even cancer.” WRONG. Stress does not cause cancer. BUT….. Here is another quote:
“….. epidemiological and clinical studies over the past 30 years have provided strong evidence for links between chronic stress, depression and social isolation and cancer progression. By contrast, there is only limited evidence for the role of these behavioral factors in cancer initiation. Recent cellular and molecular studies have identified specific signaling pathways that impact cancer growth and metastasis, showing a clear relationship between psychosocial factors, specifically chronic stress, and cancer progression.” RIGHT. Stress doesn’t cause cancer; but it does feed the mechanisms that make cancer spread.
SO, right from the beginning of your family’s embarking on this “cancer journey”, IT IS WORTH TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!! There are some tools out there that help you tackle the chronic stress we all deal with in our daily lives and picking one that aims to “work” well for couples living in a stress-filled relationship. You may find another technique that suits you better. Before you choose, I want to set the stage, so to speak, before you and your loved one(s) begin.
Can I ask you (both patient and a primary support person) to take a few minutes to try a simple exercise? Each of you get a pen or pencil and something to write on in front of you, and separately answer the following three questions, off the top of your head.
- Looking back to the weeks and maybe months or so before you (or your loved one) were told you have cancer, describe three things that worried you the most. Think of things along the lines of relationship problems, family worries, financial difficulties, work issues, divorce, an upcoming wedding or household move……….
- Now try to remember what three things worried you the most, right after the cancer diagnosis. What three things worried you most, then?
- Presuming it has been several weeks since the diagnosis, describe three things that worry you most, right now, today?
I would be really surprised if you didn’t have three things that were stressful to you before you heard about the cancer. Did you feel like you were totally in control of managing those elements of your BC (before cancer) life? Do you believe that the level of stress in your life when you began living with cancer probably went up? And, combined with the BC stresses, do you and the members of your “home team” think you could consider yourselves on “stress overload” now?
Right now, can we all agree that it is a really good idea to take the time to find some tools and techniques to help you deal with stress more effectively as you continue your cancer journey?
Good decision!! Check out the next blog to get the details of sample stress management tools.
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