When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she may feel as though her life has been turned upside down.

Besides the shock of the news, she may be overwhelmed with questions about the cancer, anxious and stressed over rearranging her work and family life to start treatment and worried over what the future may bring.

“Your mental health, your physical health and your emotional health, they all work together,” said Tiffany Russell, mental health therapist for Alliance Health Center.

“When finding out anything traumatic, such as having breast cancer or any life change, it is important to address your mental health, too,” she said. “If you don’t, then it can actually make your physical health worse.”

Having cancer is hard on women and on their families, according to the American Cancer Society.

Besides the physical effects of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, or other medications, a woman can experience emotional stress from the changes to her body, feeling apart from family and friends, worries about money, problems with how the family is getting along and the household is running, and concerns that her life will never get back to normal.

It is easy to get overwhelmed, according to the cancer society.

“The first thing is to realize that it is okay not to be okay,” Russell said. “A lot of times as women, and especially as moms, we feel like we have to have it all together, be a superhero. But it is okay to stop and admit when you are not okay.”

Russell said the first step to dealing with these feelings is to find a good support system whether it is family, friends, a support group or a mental health professional. Accept any offers of help they may give, she said.

“Reach out to people and let them know what you are going through,” she said. “You don’t have to suffer in silence.”

During her treatment, a woman should find time for herself whether it is exercising, yoga, going for a long walk, taking a nap, soaking in a hot bath, reading, going to a game, or doing everyday chores like cooking and cleaning. Staying active will help her psychological well-being as she navigates her treatment.

If a woman begins experiencing anxiety that becomes overwhelming or feelings of sadness that do not go away or loses interest in hobbies and activities she used to enjoy and this lasts for more than two weeks, then it may be time to seek help from a mental health professional.

“If they are not feeling their normal self and it does not get any better but is progressing so they are not able to do the everyday things like go to work or take care of the household or they start forgetting things or they are having problems sleeping, then it may be time to seek professional help,” Russell said.

Getting treatment will give breast cancer patients an outlet to talk about their fears and their concerns.

“Having someone to talk to about what could happen or their fears of death or their fears of leaving their children behind can definitely help calm the anxiety,” she said.

After finishing treatment, even if they have received a good prognosis, many women worry that their cancer will come back, especially in the first few years. That is a common feeling among cancer survivors.

“Any life change, whether it is breast cancer, death or COVID, it is definitely normal to have those feelings of not knowing what to expect,” Russell said.

Keeping follow-up doctor appointments and not skipping early detection methods, such as mammogram screenings, should help those worries fade over time.

But they should never forget they can always reach out to a mental health professional if those fears of a recurrence continue to linger.

“The door is never closed to mental health,” Russell said. “They can always reach out after their treatment if they still have anxiety.”

 

“The first thing is to realize that it is okay not to be okay. A lot of times as women, and especially as moms, we feel like we have to have it all together, be a superhero. But it is okay to stop and admit when you are not okay.” Tiffany Russell, mental health therapist for Alliance Health Center