Coping With Emotions & Advocating For Your Mental Health
- Journalist Amy Robach, 51, has admitted she struggled “mentally” when she first received her breast cancer diagnosis back in 2013.
- The former “Good Morning America” host was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and underwent a bilateral mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and chemotherapy to treat it and reach remission just on year after her diagnosis.
- A cancer diagnosis can have a profound impact on mental health, affecting patients, survivors, and their loved ones in a variety of ways. Some ways a diagnosis can reveal itself in your mental health can be through added stress and anxiety, mood swings, depression, and social isolation.
- Coping with a diagnosis or some other stressor in your life can be an emotional experience that affects your mental health. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik suggests people facing these challenges tap into their support group to help navigate their emotions.
The 51-year-old mom of two, who is now cancer-free and previously spoke with SurvivorNet on how her battle with breast cancer “saved her married” with her now-ex, actor Andrew Shue, told Dr. Ruth Oratz, a breast and medical oncologist of NYU Langone Health, that her stage two invasive breast cancer diagnosis in 2013 wasn’t easy to accept on the Amy & T.J. Podcast Series.
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Recounting how she felt when she learned she had breast cancer, Robach told Dr. Oratz, “I was alone when I was diagnosed and the NYU psychiatry team actually came in to help me because I was not well mentally in the moment.
“And I was so grateful for the staff you had and the people who were there to help someone like me in that moment who was, in fact, alone, and needed…I genuinely needed assistance to even get through that next hour. Let alone the tests I was facing throughout the day.”
Despite the fear of uncertainty which experienced, Robach previously informed SurvivorNet that her cancer diagnosis saved her marriage with Shue. As per the New York Daily News, Robach finalized her divorce with Shue in March 2023. ‘
She has since embarked on a new relationship with her fellow journalist T.J. Holmes, and we’re so thrilled she’s doing better than ever, both physically and mentally.
Robach told SurvivorNet five years ago, “I don’t know how other people handle that news, but I didn’t handle it well. I became an absolute wreck, a total mess. I had my husband on speaker phone at the time of diagnosis because he was 3,000 miles away.
“I remember the radiologist, because my husband said nothing, we were all shocked beyond belief, said into the phone, ‘Mr. Shue, your wife’s not taking the news very well.’ …trying to get him to say something.”
She continued, “I had an idea of what he should be doing, what he should be saying, what he should be feeling, and if he didn’t do any of those things the way I wanted him to, or what I thought I needed, I was extra upset and extra angry.”
Robach also pointed out how it took some time for her to realize that her then-husband, who became a national name in the 1990s when he co-starred as Billy Campbell on “Melrose Place,” was dealing with the same emotional roller coaster that she was.
“We were already struggling when I got the cancer diagnosis,” she explained.
“So this kind of threw everything into a further tailspin, until it didn’t … until we realized that we were only stronger together and that we had to give each other a break.”
They eventually learned to deal with the uncertainty that the diagnosis brought, Robach says she and her husband actually got a lot better at communicating with one another.
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Amy Robach’s Breast Cancer Journey
Robach’s cancer journey began when she was encouraged by Robin Roberts during a segment on the morning show. Like Roberts, who also learned of her cancer diagnosis while undergoing a self-exam, Robach underwent a mammogram on the program to promote breast cancer awareness.
RELATED: Access To Good Information Is Crucial After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Her screening led to her diagnosis of stage 2 invasive breast cancer. She also learned cancer had spread to her sentinel lymph nodes. After her tumor was detected, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy (also called a double mastectomy), where both breasts were removed. Following the procedure, Robach underwent six months of chemotherapy. Luckily, her treatments helped her reach remission.
.@ABC News anchor @arobach opens up about the lessons she learned while battling breast cancer in 2013: "Realize how precious time is and no one is guaranteed a tomorrow." 💗 https://t.co/9BUBbAnKcD pic.twitter.com/aCkglXFn8p
— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 29, 2020
Robach also discussed a few of the trials and tribulations you undergo as you take on cancer.
Her cancer journey strengthened her compassion for others. She says she developed a new kind of compassion that wasn’t possible before her experience with breast cancer.
“Cancer is something that has changed my life forever, something that I will always live with,” Robach expressed at the time. “There’s anger at first because you’ve lost security, and you’ve never had it to begin with. None of us have security, but you are grieving this loss of security because we all feel like there’s tomorrow.”
“We all feel like there’s another day. When you get to something like this, you’re angry that you lost that. That’s been taken away from you. From that anger, I think, grew compassion and empathy,” she added.
She also considers that loss of security one of the gifts that cancer can bring, saying, “You truly can feel other people’s pain in a way that you couldn’t have before.”
Coping With Emotions After Cancer
After a cancer diagnosis, patients often are consumed with emotions, and managing them all can be a daunting task.
“People have a range of emotions when they’re diagnosed with cancer,” Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik previously explained to SurvivorNet.
“And they can include fear, anger … and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process. Going through a cancer diagnosis is just the beginning of a complicated, complicated process,” she added.
Expert Resources On Coping With Emotions
- New Hard Evidence That Exercise Measurably Reduces Anxiety– 150 Minutes Per Week Makes The Difference
- How to Help Your Loved Ones Dealing With Loneliness, Anxiety, & Cancer
- Genetic Testing Can Match Those Living With Anxiety, Depression & More With Proper Medication
- Changing the Culture: Medical Professionals Shouldn’t be Ashamed to Seek Mental Health Treatment
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- Responding to Stress: How to Cope With Complex & Changing Emotions
- How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
According to Mental Health America, “56% of adults with a mental illness receive no treatment, and over 27 million individuals experiencing a mental illness are going untreated.”
Mental Health & Coping with Emotions
While millions of people have unmet mental health needs, the need for mental health resources is even greater among cancer patients and their families.
Research published in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences found that “35 to 40 percent of cancer patients have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder,” and the number of people experiencing mental health challenges is “higher among cancer patients with advanced stages of cancer and in palliative care settings.”
According to Dr. Asher Aladjem, a physician psychiatrist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, addressing your symptoms one by one with a mental health professional can go a long way in making treatment a more tolerable experience.
“Patients need to know they’re entitled to get the whole spectrum of services, and the mental health service is a very important one, I think,” Dr. Aladiem tells SurvivorNet.
How To Perform Breast Self-Exams
Breast self-exams (BSE) are a simple yet important self-check method that involves observing and feeling the breasts for any changes or abnormalities.
While they are not a replacement for professional clinical exams or mammograms, BSE can serve as an essential first step in monitoring breast health and detecting any potential concerns, SurvivorNet’s experts explain.
Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
The optimal time to perform a BSE is about a week after the beginning of your menstrual cycle when your breasts are less tender and swollen. If you don’t menstruate, choose a consistent day every month to perform the exam.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to performing a breast self-exam:
- Observe in the mirror: Stand in front of a mirror, undressed from the waist up, with your arms relaxed at your sides. Examine your breasts and nipples for changes in size, shape, or color. Look for any dimpling, puckering, or redness on the skin. Then, raise your arms overhead and examine your breasts from all angles, including with your hands on your hips.
- Palpate while standing: While standing or sitting, use the pads of your three middle fingers to gently press on your breast tissue, moving in small circular motions. Cover your entire breast, from the collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage. Apply light, medium, and firm pressure as you examine each area, feeling for any changes or lumps.
- Examine your nipples: Gently squeeze your nipple between your thumb and index finger. Check for any discharge, and if present, note the color and consistency. Make sure to examine both breasts.
- Palpate while lying down: Lie down flat on your back with a folded towel or small pillow under your right shoulder. Place your right hand behind your head. With your left hand, follow the same palpation process as in step 2, covering the entire breast area. Repeat this process for your left breast, placing a towel or pillow under your left shoulder and switching hands.
Remember, the goal of a breast self-exam is to familiarize yourself with the normal appearance and feel of your breasts. This familiarity will make it easier to detect any changes that may occur, allowing you to take prompt action and consult a doctor if necessary.
Also keep in mind that some changes are normal and may not indicate a serious issue, but it’s always better to be proactive and discuss any concerns with a healthcare professional.
You should consult with your doctor if you notice a new lump, nipple changes, dimpling or puckering in breast appearance, unusual breast or nipple pain, or redness/swelling of the breasts.
Screening For Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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