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Breast Cancer Diagnosis Can Lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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Being diagnosed with breast cancer can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS

For any woman, receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer is an emotionally draining and devastating experience. As her treatment schedule moves forward, the fear and sense of uncertainty are only likely to grow, adding to the feelings of distress. Not surprisingly, the psychological strain of going through a process in which your life is literally on the line can have effects that are significant and long lasting. In a very real sense, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is at war with the disease, a war in which there will ultimately be only one survivor. While advances in treatment have obviously shifted the odds strongly in favor of the breast cancer victim, the diagnosis is still a traumatic and life altering experience. Like those who find themselves in the middle of any war zone, breast cancer victims are vulnerable to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Symptoms of PTSD
A study by the Dartmouth Medical School found that virtually all women who had been afflicted with breast cancer were suffering some degree of emotional upset, and that 47% were suffering from symptoms severe enough to require clinical intervention. Researchers from Panteoin University in Athens, Greece found that 45% of the Greek women diagnosed with breast cancer who agreed to be interviewed for their study were experiencing symptoms consistent specifically with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some of the most prominent indicators of PTSD in connection with breast cancer include:

  • Flashbacks to the moment when the breast cancer diagnosis was first given
  • Sudden mood swings and bouts of crying or extreme irritability
  • Intrusive thoughts that make it almost impossible to focus on anything else but the cancer
  • Difficulty sleeping, plus recurrent cancer-related nightmares that disturb sleep
  • Hypervigilence or obsessive concern with personal safety in all situations
  • Persistent feelings of fear and paranoia
  • Self-destructive behavior involving drug or alcohol use, or binge eating
  • Inability to take an interest in hobbies or the activities and achievements of loved ones

Depression often follows a diagnosis of breast cancer and can co-exist and overlap with PTSD. What sets the PTSD experience apart is the obsessive focus on negative thoughts, both with respect to the cancer and to life in general. For the person suffering from post-traumatic stress, breast cancer comes to be seen as proof that the world is a dark and dangerous place full of hidden dangers and threats.

Finding Help and Helping Yourself
Needless to say, the emotional upheaval caused by PTSD combined with the normal physical and emotional trauma that accompany a breast cancer diagnosis can make for an overwhelming combination that hinders the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment. While getting help for PTSD would be wise no matter what the circumstances, for breast cancer patients it is doubly important that they look after their mental health, since their lives quite literally could depend on it.

Therapy and support groups are always available for those suffering from post-traumatic stress in any mid-sized or larger city, although admittedly breast cancer victims living in small towns or rural areas could have a more difficult time finding resources. Fortunately, in addition to professional help and peer support, there are a number of ways that a person suffering from psychological disorders like PTSD can help themselves cope and recover.

Healthy lifestyle is always an effective antidote for emotional upheaval and turmoil. Getting plenty of exercise, especially outdoors in the sunshine, in settings where other people are present, is excellent for the brightening of mood. Stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol should be studiously avoided, and dietary choices should focus on healthy options such as fruit and vegetables while rejecting junk foods and sugars that can play havoc with emotional and physical states.

In addition to these standard recommendations, there are other possibilities available that can help restore the mind and the body to equilibrium. Sometimes referred to as holistic or alternative approaches, some of these methods for mind-body healing include:

  • Meditation
  • Massage
  • Acupuncture
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Mood altering music
  • Yoga
  • Tai chi
  • Keeping a personal journal

Of course, all of these practices and lifestyle alterations can help a person deal with the trauma and stress brought into their life by the battle against breast cancer, regardless of whether or not PTSD is also present.

Healing the Mind, Healing the Body
A diagnosis of breast cancer is a life-altering, fear-inducing event that can cause shock and trauma serious enough to lead to psychological difficulty. Any woman who finds herself experiencing symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, or any other psycho-emotional difficulty such as depression or panic attacks, should seek professional help and guidance immediately. Emotional and physical health are intimately interrelated, and anyone trying to recover from a serious disease such as breast cancer needs to take care of their mind-body system in its entirety if they hope to become well and whole once again.

Related Articles: 
Depression After Breast Cancer Diagnosis
I Have Breast Cancer - Now What?

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