Surviving Breast Cancer: What to expect

In this article, we will review with you some of the common psychological and emotional changes that you can expect after surviving breast cancer. We want you to be aware that such changes are not permanent, but are natural consequences of the assault that your body experienced.
There is no doubt that dealing with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can leave you exhausted and tired. This exhaustion can take its toll on your body and your nerves as well, and can lead to emotional ramifications that will cause severe depression and anxiety. It is important that you speak to your doctor and your support group about the feelings that are overcoming you in order to allow yourself to heal properly. Anxiety and depression can affect your life, relationships and even your own healing process, and eventually affect the possibility of cancer return as many doctors conclude that positive thinking is instrumental in eradicating cancer.
Anxiety
From the moment you heard the news of your diagnosis with breast cancer, you have already encountered your first shock and anxiety episode. Many women if not all, experience intense feelings of anxiety about dying, possible surgeries, alterations to their bodies, and the effects of cancer on their relationships. This anxiety can develop further with the treatment and does not disappear immediately after you have been cleared off cancer. Most times these feelings stay unresolved within your psyche, and it is important for you to identify them. Some of the symptoms will be emotional withdrawal, refusing to exercise, smoking, drinking, and in some severe cases taking drugs. The best way to deal with the ramifications of anxiety is to consult your doctor who will advise on a counselor or psychologist trained in treating cancer-patients. This is as important as chemotherapy, and ignoring your emotional well-being can be catastrophic.
Depression
Feeling that you are hopeless and sad is a natural reaction to being diagnosed with breast cancer, and can very much continue even after your treatment and recovery. Like anxiety, depression can be fatal to relationships and your mental well-being, and it is crucial for you to deal with your feelings and emotions almost immediately. What counseling does in this case is offer you a safe environment to freely express any negative thoughts and feelings you might have that you wouldn’t otherwise express in your home. You will need help, and you should not be ashamed to admit it or acknowledge it. In fact, what you have survived was epic in all proportions, and you from all people should be aware of that.
Relationships
The relationship between you and your family members may change. For example, if you have children, then you can expect them to react in different ways depending of course on their age and character. Clinginess with younger children is quite common, which is then contrasted with distance from teenagers. Your children are reacting to the fear of losing you, and you should take the time to understand them and speak to them honestly about their concerns. This will not be permanent, but you will have to address it and not ignore it so it won’t develop into a serious alteration in the relationship.
Also, if you have a partner, you will find that the roles will change. He can become very protective, to a point of becoming a parent. Also, you may notice that he is trying to be positive the whole time, which could lead you to pile up inside all of your negative thoughts and feelings. However your partner is reacting, you need to be aware that the toll of what’s happening to you affected him as well, and his reactions if understood are quite natural. You may want to sit with him and acknowledge how difficult it is for him as well, so that he relaxes and allows the relationship to regain its normality again.
All of these ‘after’ symptoms are minor in comparison to what you went through, and the heroic act of surviving a viscous disease. Always remember that your body and you won a battle and that should put a smile on your face every time you are reminded of your perseverance.