Cancer Survivors Face Emotional Challenges after Successful Treatment
Your bout with cancer—or maybe a battle royal—is over. You beat the disease, withstood the treatment. You’re a survivor.
But after treatment, many women find themselves dealing with emotional fallout—fear of recurrence, depression, body changes, loneliness, and changing relationships—to name a few.
The June issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource offers steps to deal with life’s chapters after cancer:
Be honest: Don’t be afraid to admit your emotions to yourself and others. Often, this can help eliminate confusion and promote bonding, particularly between you and your partner. (No matter how long you’ve been together, your partner can’t read your mind!)
Reserve judgment on yourself and others: Realize that the current circumstances aren’t your fault and that feelings come and go. Even if you don’t feel appreciative, loving, or happy at the moment, your emotions tomorrow could be different. Try not to be critical of how loved ones have handled things during your illness or how they’re handling your return to health.
Clarify expectations: As you move on, make clear to your family and friends what you can and can’t do. Encourage your family members to be open about their expectations of you, too.
Stay connected: Staying connected to yourself, to others, to your spirituality, is one factor most often cited as being helpful when recovering from cancer. Interact with family and friends, participate in organizations that nourish social interactions or spiritual beliefs, or join a support group for cancer survivors.
Laugh as often as possible: Laughing promotes the release of endorphins, brain chemicals that help fight pain and depression.
Take care of yourself: To feel your best, try to stay your healthiest. Focus on appropriate exercise, sleep, and a healthy diet.
Ask for help: Some women feel they shouldn’t complain after surviving cancer. Getting professional help to adjust to these emotional challenges isn’t a sign of weakness, but one more step toward growing stronger and taking care of yourself.
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