appear to handle it I think that stress is a contributing factor for some people but there are so many causes but anything that treduces the immune system opens one to desease of one sort or another and stress is certainly tiring even when we appear to be coping well and so it reduces our ability to fight deseases. My life too is like a cheap novel and I appear to have handled it all so well BUT suddenly just as life appeared to have turned a corner after a particulalry stressful 6 years on top of a previously pretty stressful 20 years I got dx with bc. The problem with feeling that stress is a factor is that means we believe we could have done something to have prevented it which leads to guilt about our stressful state which leads to more stress - vicious circle.
I am certainly also finding the actual treatment with chemo extremely stressful. I am having both physical nauseau reactions and strong mental anxiety attack reactions - this is very hard to handle and worries me becasue it is affectign my ability to cope with a debilitating phase in my life
Hi Caro Sorry to hear you are having a tough time. Just wanted to say that I too had very bad panic attacks after my first diagnosis but got through them with help from a pyschotherapist and prozac. Everything felt out of my control. Sometimes I think when we have had to deal with long periods of stress we find ways of controlling our lives so that the threat of stress is reduced and then when you get dx with BC all of those controls that you have put in place are thrown out of the window hence the panic that then ensues when you are trying to regain control. I hope you can find some help, someone professional to talk to who can support you through this time. Good luck and I hope these forums help give you some support.
It has been really interesting reading everyones thoughts. I too don’;t know whether stress is a cause or a symptom of BC I just know that I think it has played a big part in my experience of BC. I don;t feel guilty anymore I can’t help the life that I have had to lead and I still find it hard to change my lifestyle so that I have no stress. Life would be boring after all without some challenges.