Life can throw us all many challenges. People react in different ways when they hear bad news like having cancer. Learning new ways to cope, grieve and heal can made a huge difference!

People react in different ways when they hear they have cancer.

Patients have a range of normal reactions when they hear they have cancer. These include:

• Repeated frightening thoughts.

• Being distracted or overexcited.

• Trouble sleeping.

• Feeling detached from oneself or reality.

These reactions may also be symptoms of cancer-related post-traumatic stress (PTS). Talk with your healthcare team if you continue to have these symptoms.

PTS can occur at any point during the cancer journey.

Patients with cancer may have symptoms of post-traumatic stress at any point from diagnosis through treatment, after treatment is complete, or during recurrence.

Cancer-related PTS may or may not lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a specific group of symptoms that affect survivors of stressful events. These events usually involve the threat of death or serious injury to oneself or others. Cancer and its treatment may cause distress, but it does not mean it will develop into PTSD. Your healthcare team will evaluate your symptoms during your cancer journey.

• Certain factors may make it more likely that a patient will have PTS.

  • Physical factors

  • Psychological, mental, and social factors

• Certain protective factors may make it less likely that a patient will develop PTS.

• PTS symptoms develop by conditioning.

• Not everyone is at increased risk of cancer-related post-traumatic stress. Certain physical and mental factors that are linked to PTS or PTSD have been reported in studies:

  • Physical factors

    • Cancer that recurs (comes back) was shown to increase stress symptoms in patients.

    • In survivors of childhood cancer, symptoms of PTS occurred more often when there was a longer treatment time.

    • Breast cancer survivors who had advanced cancer, long surgeries, or a history of trauma or anxiety disorders, were more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD.

  • Psychological, mental, and social factors

    • Previous trauma.

    • High level of general stress.

    • Genetic factors and biological factors (such as a hormone disorder) that affect memory and learning.

    • Lack of social support.

    • Threat to life and body.

    • Having PTSD or other psychological problems before being diagnosed with cancer.

    • The use of avoidance to cope with stress.

Certain protective factors may make it less likely that a patient will develop PTS. Cancer patients may have a lower risk of PTS if they have the following:

• Good social support.

• Clear information about the stage of their cancer.

• An open relationship with their healthcare providers.
  
  
  

PTS symptoms develop by conditioning.

Conditioning occurs when certain triggers become linked with an upsetting event. Neutral triggers (such as smells, sounds, and sights) that occurred at the same time as upsetting triggers (such as chemotherapy or painful treatments) later cause anxiety, stress, and fear even when they occur alone, after the trauma has ended.

In patients who have a history of PTSD from a previous trauma, symptoms may start again by certain triggers during their cancer treatment (for example, being inside MRI or CT scanners). These patients also may have problems adjusting to cancer and cancer treatment.  

Ways to help ease triggers and look for glimmers. Take a look at these healing techniques:

Breathing

Conscious breathing allows one to activate the parasympathetic nervous system; also known as the relaxation or "rest and digest" response. Deep breathing is one of our easiest, most convenient and natural tools to combat issues like stress and anxiety. Just by breathing, you can gently move and connect with your pelvic floor muscles, reduce pain, decrease high blood pressure and even aide in digestion.

Long-term stress can increase blood flow to tumors, encourage tumor growth and keep your body in a constant state of inflammation. Educate yourself, work on deep breathing and consider practicing mindfulness! Cancer or not, relaxation is good for your body!

more to come…

Tapping (EFT)

EMDR

References:

https://www.urbanbalance.com/benefits-deep-breathing/

https://fight-the-fatigue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Breathing_Lymphatic-Drainage-WarmUp-Series4512.pdf

https://www.urbanbalance.com/services/emotional-freedom-techniques/

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/survivorship/new-normal/ptsd-pdq