It begins with shock — the shock of hearing your diagnosis and it’s followed by a paralyzing fear; the fear of treatment or fear of what the future holds. Then comes the anxiety of telling your family, especially children.
A cancer diagnosis involves exams, procedures, and lengthy (often painful) treatments, but it also brings excruciating periods of waiting and anxiety — days, months, and even years. Is this treatable? How will this impact my family? Did they get it all? Is it spreading? Is the therapy working? What if it comes back?
Cancer isn’t just a physical disease; it’s a disease of despair that infects the entire family. And then it spreads beyond the immediate family and infiltrates the extended family and friends. Breast cancer’s malignancy isn’t confined to the body — its reach affects everyone in its path, mentally.
PTSD is most often thought of as a combat-related disorder; however, in one study, almost 80% of women had PTSD symptoms after breast cancer diagnosis and up to 57% of patients’ symptoms persisted at one year after diagnosis. That’s more than half of patients struggling with nightmares, flashbacks, and overwhelming anxiety that persist long past treatment. For breast cancer patients, after the treatment, every ache or routine scan can trigger a wave of anxiety — a fear that returns annually at your checkup for five years because the cancer can return. The feeling is akin to winning the toughest battle you ever fought, barely surviving, and realizing that you have to fight the rest of the war. Unfortunately, the next battle you encounter is unseen and the wounds are internal.
Caregivers play an important role, serving as both worriers and advocates. They stand by their loved ones through every stage of treatment and attend every appointment. Feeling helpless — desperate to do something but often unsure of what to say or how to act. They often struggle with their own mental health issues as they prioritize their loved ones over themselves, disappearing in the wake of what breast cancer creates. Studies indicate that caregivers of breast cancer patients can experience post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as higher levels of anxiety and depression than the general population, burdened by the weight of wanting to help but not knowing how.
So, how do we navigate the complex interplay between physical and mental health for patients and caregivers? The first step is to recognize that mental health support must embrace both patients and their support network. It’s also key to remember that the journey through breast cancer doesn’t end with remission. Healthcare providers should incorporate mental health screenings as a standard part of cancer care for patients and their loved ones. Cancer’s impact doesn’t end with the body — it spreads into the emotional lives of everyone it touches. We need to address these emotional wounds as proactively as the physical ones. Then and only then, can we ensure that the healing process will begin.
After all, treating just the wound only addresses half the illness; healing requires we treat the entire person’s being.
Photo: belchonock, Getty Images
Joseph Perekupka is the CEO of Freespira, the only company to offer a medication-free, FDA-cleared digital therapeutic treatment proven to reduce or eliminate symptoms of panic disorder, panic attacks and PTSD in 28 days. Joe is a proven healthcare leader with over 25 years of commercial experience in multiple leadership and functional medical device and digital health roles. He plays an active role with organizations such as the Digital Therapeutics Alliance and DTx societies, where he maintains co-chair roles that are focused on propelling the DTx industry growth, and is passionate about creating equitable access to care for mental health patients nationwide.
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