Maybe this is an annual mammogram; maybe you find your breast lumps or have experienced pain. Whatever it is for you to start this journey of breast cancer, it is important to recognize the path you travel as a whole. This means that breast cancer can affect your mood and body. My understanding of this topic is not only from my training as a psychotherapist, but from breast cancer patients. So as you experience this experience, let's explore ways to strengthen your emotional health.
It is important to develop an emotional survival plan as early as possible during the treatment process. To develop your plan, make sure that three to five people in your life are emotionally safe, supportive, and able to serve you during treatment. Invite them to be part of your support team and share your requirements. Be clear, if you ask for emotional support, or if you need something more similar, like taking chemotherapy or preparing meals. If you don't have a loved one near you, please recommend it to the Cancer Support Network, which may be helpful. If you are used to independence, then asking for help can be a daunting task. But it is absolutely crucial.
The second step in developing a plan is to determine your health response skills. List the five coping skills that are available during treatment. Before coping with cancer, my coping skills were related to athletes. I must learn to expand my list, then include listening to my audiobooks, meditation, listening to spa music and writing on Pandora. In that case, I have coping skills in the days when I feel uncomfortable. Why write these copying techniques? Because the days when you need them most are probably the days when you can't recall them. There is a list to refer to that will be unlimited help.
The third step is to define a goal or theme that goes beyond the physical aspects of the disease for your treatment period. This can provide a purpose or meaning for your treatment time. I have 52 chemotherapy sessions, once a week, for one year. I felt so overwhelmed that I decided to call it the "year of internal work." I focus on what I can learn about myself, other people, life, and the world of cancer. I strive to be a better person, mother, partner and friend. This theme allows me to focus on something bigger than cancer or my treatment.
Another step is to determine how you can take care of yourself. List four to five things that can increase your self-care ability. This may include someone from the food delivery to ask your faith group to visit you to adjust your exercise program. It can be small or large. For example, I was diagnosed in the fall, which meant that I made Christmas shopping for my loved ones. In order to do self-care, I ordered all gifts and gift bags online. This allows me to still choose gifts for important people in my life without consuming energy. Play creative!
Embrace your emotions from a place of self-sympathy. Many celebrities portray their cancer journey with a positive eye, which is great. Cancer teaches many life courses. But cancer also has dark days; those gratitude for living have faded, and you feel tired and depressed. Admit these emotions and know that they will pass. I promise not to defeat myself because I have no positive attitude. In fact, studies have shown that shaving is more destructive than constructive rather than constructive.
If people in your life need you to be active because they don't know how to deal with the original emotions from cancer, then accepting your own emotions can be difficult. You may feel pressure to invalidate your feelings to ease the emotional discomfort of your loved ones. It is important to remind yourself that managing your feelings is not your job, especially during this time. A simple one, "I will let myself experience my feelings.
Many people think that as a therapist, I will know how to deal with my emotions during this time. But the mood after breast cancer diagnosis is overwhelming for everyone. Putting together emotional survival plans will help and guide you through the most emotionally challenging times. Be sure to include your support staff, coping skills, topics during treatment, and a list of self-care strategies. If you follow the plan and feel you need more support, please contact a therapist in your area to help you solve your emotional problems.
Orignal From: Face the emotional resilience of breast cancer
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