PTSD

If you look a little further down the page, we have a whole forum called Depression, Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 So, yeah, it's common. Sometimes I thought of it as the last stage of breast cancer treatment - surgery, chemo, rads, nervous breakdown.

But it gets better, at least it has for me.

I don't think you have to do it in the order ICanDoThis says.  Myself I did it diagnosis, surgery, nervous breakdown, rads. . . . 

Its normal, so normal that some surgeons who specialize in cancer even affiliate with therapists who specialize in treating cancer patients.

I got drugs and started seeing a therapist right after my surgery.  Its been very helpful.

so no, you are NOT alone.

I'm right there with you and the PTSD.  I see a therapist every 2 weeks and am on medication,  I can sleep, eat and keep track of my life.  I just celebrated my 1st year anniversary, when I told my therapist I'd  certainly been on a rocky road this year, he replied, "you were on a superhighway".  I think we minimize what we are going through, the PTSD is not a single event but a series of mindblowing experiences, the first time you hear you have cancer, the numerous tests and doctors, the new language we have to learn, fighting with insurance carriers...  It,s a wonder we don't fall down,  I didn't find this forum until I was through with radiation and it has been a weath of knowledge and support. You've come to the right place.  Karen

Hi....I just had my 6 mos. mammogram and got an all clear for another 6 months. After going through this for the past year with all the tests, lumpectomy and rads, I can honestly say I'm completely numb mentally.  DCIS  has been so downplayed since the first time I'd ever heard of it, I think the guilt of having the least amount of anxiety over it makes us feel even worse.  To this day, everyone and I mean everyone, thinks what I had and went through was nothing.  "It's not really cancer"...."no side effects from treatment".... and the list goes on and on.  I don't think that I will ever be able to look at my family and friends again in the same way.  Yes, as a woman, I can multi task like crazy, and I continue to do so to keep myself busy enough so that I don't have much time to think.  This is the only place I can come to and know what I feel will not be minimized and looked upon as if I'm looking for sympathy.  I do know this much, I am stronger than I ever thought I was....I went alone to every appointment except for the lumpectomy and that was only because I wasn't allowed to drive home afterwards.  Would I do it all again alone?  You bet I would!!  All I kept hearing was "don't worry....it's not really cancer"....so for me, it was best to be alone and let my thoughts take me where they wanted.  I began to keep a journal and that is very helpful...you would be surprised how satisfying that can be.  

I hope you find peace within your heart and will feel better with time.  We all go through our own personal hell and thank goodness you recognized you needed help.   The gals on this forum are wonderful....it's the one place you can come and truly be yourself.

God bless,

Cherylmare

Hi Agada-cancer and depressionj/PTSD can go hand in hand, as I found out. For me it was: diagnosis, surgery, start of a nervous breakdown, chemo, and complete nervous breakdown. My regular doc was flummoxed by my sleeplessness, inability to eat, and agitation. But I FINALLY got a referral (had to call myself) to a psychiatrist and started seeing a counselor who was also a cancer survivor. 

 2 days before I was diagnosed, my dear aunt died from cancer. I was there to say goodbye to her. It scared the daylights out of me, though, because I thought, "That might be me in a short while."

Diagnosis and treatment are huge life challenges. My counselor did say that feeling your feelings and thoughts about it upfront usually make for a good adjustment and acceptance later. Indeed, I am able to talk about my experiences with little emotional upset or feeling, but I've met other women years out where it seems sort of taboo to talk about.

Wishing you peace and comfort! PM if you ever need to, I've been there.

Catherine 

Here is a short interesting article from medicineworld.org on the "Psychological Needs of Breast Cancer Patients"-

http://medicineworld.org/cancer/lead/11-2006/psychological-needs-of-breast-cancer-patients.html 

Kate33:

Thanks for posting the article about the psychological needs of breast cancer patients.  What stood out to me was the mention that despite treatment many continued with their symptoms.

 Although I have only recently started an antidepressant, I have been seeing a therapist for a few months and have identified the main issues that are troubling to me.  What I have been  wondering about is do women who are taking AI's have more failures in their treatments simply due to the fact that their estrogen levels are so low?

Any thoughts out there?