Staying Positive, in the Words of Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer treatments can drain you in all aspects: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To support the claim, studies from 2014 and 2019 show that anxiety and depression are prevalent among cancer patients, which can have adverse effects on quality of life.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To guide cancer patients in their journey toward remission, HealthiNation interviewed breast cancer survivors and asked for their advice on how to stay positive throughout the battle with breast cancer.

Here’s a look at what some of the patients had to say.

Pay Attention to Something More Meaningful

Leslie, diagnosed at 44, advised that instead of dwelling on your diagnosis, you should “Focus on something else. Focus on your children. Focus on your puppies. Focus on your health.”

Sometimes, It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

Theresa, diagnosed at 44, said no one expects you to be okay, so you don’t need to put on a brave face 24/7. “Some days, you just want to crawl into a hole and stay in bed—and that’s fine.”

Learn to Appreciate the Little Things

Rosanna, diagnosed at 31, spoke her truth and admitted that staying positive was far from easy. According to her, “It’s difficult to stay positive during such an intense time, but I think you need to focus on the little things. For instance, I started realizing how much my husband does for me. He was so supportive and did everything. You start to realize all the little things in life, and start being grateful.”

Use Your Personality to Cope

Mark, diagnosed at 55, asserted that now is the time to put your character into good use. “One of the aspects of coping with anything is—you take your personality with you. Do not abandon those personality traits just because you have developed a disease. Use those personality traits to sustain you.”

Join a Support Group

Jamie, diagnosed at 45, believes finding a community that understands exactly what you are going through is vital. She notes that “You might find joining a support group is helpful for gaining information and the camaraderie of the people who might be in a similar situation as you.”

Go Ahead and Grieve

Nicole, diagnosed at 36, understands how heartbreaking and painful it is to receive a breast cancer diagnosis. “I think you have to understand and give yourself a moment to grieve for what you are going through. I think that’s very important.”

Surround Yourself with People Who Lift Your Spirits

Sally, diagnosed at 40, remarked that finding the right support system can do wonders for your depression and anxiety. “Surround yourself with people who really lift you up, whose energy somehow contagiously transfers to you and makes you feel like you’re going to be okay.”

Share Your Thoughts with Someone Who Understands

Theresa, diagnosed at 44, reassured that having a shoulder to lean on can help you cope, sharing that “I think that it’s very important to choose a strong-willed person, whoever that may be in your life, who’s going to keep a smile on your face, who’s going to understand if you don’t want to talk, and be there when you want to talk.”

By hearing the words of encouragement of those who actually get it, we hope that despite the challenges, you make the decision to focus on the bright side and deal with distressing thoughts better.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4143739/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK65970/
https://www.healthination.com/health/breast-cancer-staying-positive