Decreasing Stress

Therapy, relaxing hobbies, guided imagery, exercise. All these are really vital to your spirit, mind, and body.

One of the most common psychological responses to the experience of cancer is anxiety!

A clear distinction does not always exist between the normal fears that cancer initiates and other anxiety reactions that are intense. What is known is that cancer is a stressful journey and normal anxiety reactions present at different points along the cancer continuum: at diagnosis, during treatment, at recurrence, and other times when the patient does not know what to expect and feels powerless to what is happening to them.

The most effective anxiety and stress relief technique I have found is in the form of education! I believe that if the patient has insight and knowledge about what exactly is happening to them and what they are facing, it gives them a sense of control and empowerment. Thus, decreasing the amount of stress and anxiety! For example, if I were to do a bone marrow biopsy on a patient I would first explain the purpose of the test. I would then take the person through the procedure one step at a time so that they would know what to expect at each moment in time.

Apprehension and fear drive stress and anxiety. Feelings of helplessness also contribute to stress and anxiety. To me, knowledge translates into control. It is important for us as healthcare practitioners to make the patient an informed "partner" in the his or her health care plan.

After education I believe in relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation, deep breathing, guided imagery, yoga, biofeedback, and meditation. Progressive relaxation and deep breathing techniques can be learned easily by the patient and can give them a sense of control over what may be a frightening treatment or procedure. Listening to relaxation or guided imagery tapes during chemotherapy treatments is very effective in reducing anxiety.

There is also a role for the short term use of anxiolytics (drugs that reduce anxiety) such as the benzodiazepenes (ativan, xanax, etc) but these should be reserved for special circumstances, e.g., the fear and physical discomfort associated with a bone marrow biopsy.

Educating the patient is weaved through all the interventions mentioned and is my number one choice!

It's important for the caregiver to understand that you are helping your loved one, but not at the expense of your own health.

Often caregivers do not fully understand their role. It's not up to a caregiver to get the patient well, but to assist the patient in obtaining what They believe will get them well.

Caregiver can help in many ways, but they are not the boss, the mother, or the food police of the patient:)

I do an exercise with the patient and caregiver to help both communicate and meet their needs. It's often not easy:)

As a woman, some of the risk factors you can control to decrease your chance of breast cancer are:
- Controlling your weight
- A nutritious well-balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lots of fluid.
- Sticking to a regular exercise routine that includes employing weights, stretching, and aerobic exercise.
- Limiting the amount of alcohol that is consumed.
- Limiting estrogen and oral contraceptives.
- Trying to reduce anxiety and stress in everyday life.