As a licensed professional counselor, my clients come to me for support, guidance and active listening with a variety of issues and concerns from behavioral to medical. Medical problems affect your mental health and therefore may affect your recovery even more. It is important that people look at the whole picture: healthy mind, body and spirit. As people take care of themselves, they tend to heal with best results.
Wellness with your body starts in your mind; get comfortable with making sure you do a good breast exam. Feel your boobs. No, seriously, feel your boobs. When is the last time you gave yourself a breast exam? Many times, people avoid feeling their boobs because they feel uncomfortable, or they touch them but don’t give a thorough exam to feel for lumps. By being pro-active with your boobs, you are protecting yourself and others. Educating others on what to look for if you do have a lump is very important, as many times it is easily missed. The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is the time when people around the country do their efforts to raise money towards research.
Someone recently stated to me, “It only affects 50 percent of the population.” The truth is it affects everyone. We all know someone who has breasts and may be affected: whether it’s your mom, grandmother, sister, aunt, girlfriend, wife and even men. Yes, men can get breast cancer, too. Men can develop breast cancer, but this disease is about 100 times more common among women than men. This is probably because men have less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can promote breast cancer cell growth.
Many times, people fear the unknown. So, instead of getting help or going to the doctor, they don’t get the help they need. This would include early preventatives, as well. The earlier the detection, the earlier you can get the proper help needed. Many women fear the unknown of their breasts. As children, most girls anxiously await puberty to fit into their first bra and, as they develop, their breasts help make them feel sexy, confident and womanly. The prospect of having them altered or destroyed can be devastating.
Choosing the right treatment for you may be difficult. Be proactive and talk to your support system, talk to your doctors, think of what is best for you with the best possible outcomes. It is important to choose treatment over waiting for something to fix itself. It may seem scary and a long process, but life is more important than the alternative.
When people go through a crisis in life, such as cancer, they may have additional stress, anxiety and depression, with a variety of other symptoms. It is completely natural to feel these emotions when going through such a big, unexpected change. It is important as a supporter of the individual to listen and to be there for her, through both good and bad times. Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we can speak.” During this time, try listening more to the person who is experiencing the pain.
As a counselor, it’s essential to see the entire scope of breast cancer for mind and body.I have seen people who have cancer and, during this time, some seem to talk about the devastation of their disease. It is important to recognize it is a horrible thing but not to catastrophize everything. Things may improve with proper care and a proper mindset. Surround yourself with loved ones who are optimistic and make you laugh—most of all, those who support you.
Amanda Levison is a Licensed Professional Counselor at the Neurofeedback & Counseling Center of Pennsylvania. For more information or to reach her, please visit www.neuroandcounselingcenter.com or call 717-202-2510.
