A breast cancer diagnosis is possibly the most devastating news that a woman can hear. The breasts are a part of what makes a woman feel like a woman. The added thought of surgery and other cancer treatments plays with the overall psyche. Many people don't realize that pain and psychology go hand in hand. The psychological effects of breast cancer is an interrelationship of the pain and how a woman defines herself.
Depression
Physical pain does not just affect the body--it affects the mind. A woman can become depressed when dealing with the pain associated with breast cancer treatment, especially since she may no longer be able to participate in activities that she once enjoyed.
Breasts
One of the major psychological effects of breast cancer occurs when a woman anticipates whether or not she will lose her breasts. Even if they remain intact, she may wonder if she is complete after doctors have treated her, especially if she has a scar.
Hair Loss
Hair is an outward expression of a woman's personality. Many breast cancer sufferers become devastated at the thought of losing their hair.
Interpersonal Relationships
Another psychological effect of breast cancer is how the cancer patient interacts with those close to her. She may feel like a victim in the eyes of friends and family members. This feeling worsens if she is not treated with respect by others or if people avoid her. It is common for a cancer patient to feel a sense of loneliness.
Intimacy
Declined desire for intimacy is another one of the many psychological effects of breast cancer. A woman may actually have a lower libido because of the treatments, or mentally, she may shut that part of herself off because she may feel that no man would want her that way.
Tags: breast cancer, psychological effects breast, breast cancer, cancer patient, effects breast, effects breast cancer, feel like
