Breast Cancer Mental Health Resources

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While breast cancer is a physical illness, it is one with significant mental health impact too.

People learning of their breast cancer diagnosis – or discovering their elevated risk for this disease – can experience a wide range of challenging feelings, such as anxiety, sadness, anger, and frustration. These difficult emotions may also arise during and after breast cancer treatment. It is important to consider that these feelings may be normal reactions to distressing life events, and there are effective ways to address them so they do not impact day-to-day life.

If these negative feelings become overwhelming or chronic, it is vital to seek help so they can be treated before they worsen and impair daily function, compromise quality of life, and/or interfere with breast cancer treatment.

In addition to severe or persistent negative emotions, additional signs of distress include:

  • Lack of restful sleep
  • Constant fatigue or pain
  • Withdrawal from social interactions or enjoyable activities
  • Not eating well or exercising
  • Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs to manage negative emotions

 

If you or someone you know is living with or impacted by breast cancer and are experiencing these or other mental health symptoms, do not hesitate to seek well-being support. This can include practicing self-care, talking to loved ones, engaging community resources, and bringing up these concerns with the care team (primary doctor, oncologist, nurse and/or mental health professional).

There are a variety of well-being resources and supports available for those living with and impacted by breast cancer, including:

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Additional mental health resources are also available through:

 

We also encourage the following practices to improve well-being:

  • Keeping a journal to increase awareness of symptoms, feelings, and experiences
  • Practicing mindfulness to improve the mind-body connection
  • Developing and maintaining healthy habits
  • Building and continuing social connections to family, friends, and communities
  • Talking to your healthcare team regularly about well-being issues and concerns

 

Identifying and addressing well-being challenges in a timely manner can not only improve quality of life but may also lead to better overall health outcomes. We encourage you to use the above strategies and resources to promote your mental and physical health.

For more breast cancer-related information and resources, visit the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer site.

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