Six Reasons Why Cancer is an Emotional Diagnosis Too
By Cynthia Hayes, Author, The Big Ordeal: Understanding and Managing the Psychological Turmoil of Cancer
No matter when you hear the words, “You’ve got cancer,” you are bound to have an emotional reaction. The news is devastating, and the physical challenges that lie ahead are very real. But, unfortunately, that is only half the story. Cancer is an emotional diagnosis too, and our psychological and physical responses to the disease and its treatment are intertwined, coloring the entire experience. Why is cancer so emotional?
We fear we will die
For millennia, cancer has been a death sentence. So even though there have been advances in detection and treatment that mean mortality rates continue to decline, we all fear we will die. No matter what stage or type of cancer, the news instantly propels us into an existential crisis. Unfortunately, the shock that comes with hearing those words often ignites the fight or flight syndrome in our brains, flooding the system with adrenaline, which might help us flee but doesn’t really help us sit still and absorb the rest of what the doctor might be telling us. And so, the roller coaster ride begins.
There is incredible stress and anxiety
Most of the time, the initial diagnosis isn’t the whole story—there is so much about the disease and prognosis that remain a mystery. What type of cancer is it? How advanced will it turn out to be? What will be the best way to treat it? How will you respond to treat...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Cynthia Hayes Tags: featured health and fitness philosophy psychology self-improvement cancer healing illness pickthebrain self improvement Source Type: blogs
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