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Breast cancer: Can emotional stress increase the risk?
The connection between stress and breast cancer is quite complicated. But can emotional stress increase the risk of breast cancer?
Did you know feelings of jealousy, neglect, anger, loss, hatred or sorrow can be fatal to your health? Not only do they cause discomfort, but emotional stress is also said to directly affect the development and advancement of breast cancer. On the other hand, if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, you may feel stressed or anxious. In some cases, it can become so severe to cause anxiety attacks, which further lead to panic or a sudden surge of fright.
Constant worrying about family or work can lead to sleep loss and increase the risk of fear and anxiety. A new study recently found that stress can double the risk of breast cancer. So, what should you do to take care of your mental health?
Dr Samir Parikh, consultant psychiatrist and director of the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare says, “Being diagnosed with an illness like cancer, regardless of which type of cancer, in itself can be a devastating experience for both the patient as well as their families. There are many emotional upheavals that individuals go through from the time of diagnosis through the treatment processes.”
“In the initial stages of diagnosis, a swarm of thoughts crowd our mind: ‘Why me?’ ‘I've never had any serious health issues before, how can I have cancer?’ ‘I've never committed a sin, why am I being punished?’ ‘I don't want to die!’ These are serious questions with no easy answers,” he rules out.
“The condition of cancer is often described by patients as an unwanted guest who has entered their body without their permission, and now refuses to go away,” Parekh says, adding, “Indeed cancer can be a life-altering experience, impacting an individual’s interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, career and lifestyle. While some find it easy to accept and adapt to this unanticipated condition, others may find it difficult to comprehend why this has happened to them. Especially for breast cancer, there are concerned about changes in body image, which could have potentially life-altering impacts on the individuals’ sense of self, interpersonal functioning as well as overall well-being and confidence levels.”
Advising patients on how to go about their normal life, he says, “The thought about cancer often brings associations with death and dying. Ironically, living with cancer does not always imply the end of life. It has often been seen how patients are able to go through their treatment smoothly and continue to lead fulfilling lives thereafter. Psychological interventions with patients and their families can also involve working on their strengths and existing coping skills. Therefore, it is possible for people to lead normal, uninterrupted life, follow their delete routines and overcome the overall stigma associated with cancer.”
Women with breast cancer have a radically improved chance of survival if they take care of their mental well-being and surround themselves with a positive environment.
