When a person is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can be a difficult and overwhelming experience. It is normal to feel a range of emotions, including stress, anxiety, sadness, emptiness, depression, anger, fear, numbness, and even shock. These feelings can come and go during the diagnosis and treatment process. It is important to recognize that these emotions are normal and to seek help from mental health professionals if needed.
Research has shown that 19.0% of cancer patients experience clinical levels of anxiety and 12.9% of patients report clinical levels of depressive symptoms. In one study, decreased symptoms of depression were associated with longer survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Quality of life scores in this sample coincided with the population's expected average over 12 months, suggesting that early intervention can help relieve patients from time-limited negative emotions. It is also important to note that while emotions decrease in most patients, a substantial minority experience persistent negative emotions.
Therefore, it is important to take time to treat oneself well during these emotional phases and recognize how far one has come. Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national non-profit organization that seeks to create a world that understands that there is more than one way to get breast cancer. They provide resources for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and their families to help them cope with the emotional response to the diagnosis. In conclusion, it is normal for a person diagnosed with breast cancer to experience a range of emotions such as stress, anxiety, sadness, emptiness, depression, anger, fear, numbness, and even shock.
It is important to recognize these emotions as normal and seek help from mental health professionals if needed. Living Beyond Breast Cancer provides resources for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and their families to help them cope with the emotional response to the diagnosis.
