March 26, 2006: Sunday: - Psychological profile: Sound Familiar?

I wasn't particularly tired when night came so I continued reading in Dr. Lee's book, What Your Doctors May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer. I am in Chapter 5: The Nature of Breast Cancer. On p. 99 begins a section entitled: The Psyche of Breast Cancer. Here are some excerpts from it:

"Breast cancer is a multifactorial disease that is created on many levels, perhaps beginning when your mother was in the womb and what she was exposed to there that she passed on to you... In addition to having its own unique biochemical profile, breast cancer has its own unique psychological profile. Dozens of studies have been done on the emotional and mental attitudes of women who get breast cancer and a very clear picture has emerged: In short, women who get breast cancer tend to take care of everyone but themselves."

"The symbolism of this psychological profile for breast cancer is inescapable. ... at a deep and fundamental level, a woman's breasts are our ultimate human symbol of nurturing.... That your own breasts can, in effect, turn around and attack you with a cancer when you aren't nurturing yourself (or receiving nurturing from others) is a valuable lesson that should not be lost on any woman..."

In her classic book, Our Bodies, Ourselves, author Christiane Northrup, M.D. says, "Much breast cancer is related to our need to be self-contained and self-nurturing. Caroline Myss notes, 'The major emotion behind breast lumps and breast cancer is hurt, sorrow, and unfinished business...' An important study found that breast cancer increased by almost 12 times if a woman had suffered from bereavement, job loss, or divorce in the previous five years..."

"Women with breast cancer frequently have a tendency toward self-sacrifice, inhibited sexuality, an inability to see themselves as supported by others, an inability to discharge anger or hostility, a tendency to hide anger and hostility behind a facade of pleasantness, and unresolved hostile conflict with their mothers."

"Your personality and life's tragedies and stresses are not necessarily your destiny.... Balance in nurturing is as important as balanced hormones."

More or less to some degree throughout my life, I'd say all of these statements have described me. Too many of these indicators, to a certain extent, are still true today. Although I’ve done gained much understanding (and applied it) in overcoming the trials of my early life, I clearly, I have a lot more work to do.

If I’d been warned a long time ago when I went through counseling for sexual abuse, would I be here today? I wonder if this scenario is a similar one for other women with female cancers?