Turning to Faith Helps You Cope with a Diagnosis
- "Real Housewives of Potomac" star Mia Thornton, 38, cancer scare spotlighted on the reality TV show was emotional for her and her family. The anxieties you feel about a diagnosis or even the possibility of one is something many cancer warriors and their families know all too well.
- Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis and this is also completely normal. Having support from loved ones helps you navigate this stressful phase of the journey.
- Although Thornton did not have cancer after undergoing tests, she leaned on her faith to help her through her cancer scare. A study published in Cancer includes data that found "69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health" compared to "only 45% of the general U.S. population."
- New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans previously spoke with SurvivorNet about how faith can help people cope with the complex emotions that come with cancer.
- "It's important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you've never prayed before, you don't know what to say, a heartfelt plea, 'God, help me, be with me,'" Pastor Evans told SurvivorNet.
"Real Housewives of Potomac" star Mia Thornton, 38, became the focus of the popular reality TV show when she revealed she was facing potential breast cancer. She admitted the call from her doctor sparked a "wave of emotions" for her and her husband. Since then, the resilient mother and entrepreneur appears to be doing well but coping with a diagnosis or health scare is extremely stressful for both patients and their loved ones.
View this post on InstagramRead MoreThornton is considered a firecracker on the "Real Housewives of Potomac" TV show which chronicles the lives of six affluent women in Potomac, Maryland. She is an entrepreneur and a regional developer and marketing executive for the Joint Chiropractic according to Bravo TV.In a recent Instagram post, Thorton shared an inspirational message noting, "In life, there will always be barriers, obstacles, and setbacks. The true testament begins when you chose to Remain deeply rooted in your Faith and obedient to his word. Understand that closed doors are God's Protection and he has more in store for your life than you could ever Imagine."
Her words of encouragement may have helped her endure a cancer scare that became a key storyline on the reality TV show. Last year, she discovered two lumps prompting a cancer scare and a flurry of emotions and anxiety.
View this post on Instagram
"Same time last week, the doctor called at 7:31 am 'Mia, I'm so sorry but your test results came back and I need you to go to Johns Hopkins Cancer Center today for further evaluation," she wrote in a post.
She said she and her husband were overwhelmed with emotion after being called for further evaluation.
"Even with such terrible news, I felt an extreme amount of peace and energy instilled that allowed me to remain strong," she said.
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She then leaned on her faith in God to help her cope with the anxiety of a potential cancer diagnosis.
"I know God has a plan and I know we are often challenged to remain humbled that tomorrow is not promised and that our days on this earth are numbered," she added.
Luckily, further testing revealed the reality TV star did not have cancer.
Coping With a Diagnosis Is Often Filled with Emotions
The amount of stress and anxiety you feel when faced with a cancer diagnosis or the possibility of a diagnosis can be insurmountable. Surely, the emotions Thornton and her husband felt were difficult but also completely normal, psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.
"The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It's also important for those you look to for support whether that's a therapist, friends, and family, or both to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions," Dr. Plutchik said.
If a stressful event is affecting how you think and feel, it may be time to seek some sort of mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking out a support group, or many other approaches.
Finding Support Amid a Health Challenge
How Faith Can Help Cancer Warriors Cope
Thornton relying on her faith in God is something many cancer patients also do while coping with their diagnosis.
A study published in Cancer includes data that found "69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health" compared to "only 45% of the general U.S. population."
Cancer psychologist Dr. Andrew Kneier helped co-author "Coping with Cancer: Ten Steps toward Emotional Well-Being." He also co-authored a column published by Stanford Medicine with Rabbi Jeffery M. Silberman, director of spiritual care at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. They offer more context to the impact faith has on cancer patients.
"A person's faith or spirituality provides a means for coping with illness and reaching a deeper kind of inner healing," Kneier and Silberman said.
"Coping means different things to different people: it can involve finding answers to the questions that illness raises, it can mean seeking comfort for the fears and pain that illness brings, and it can mean learning how to find a sense of direction at a time of illness. Religious teachings can help a person cope in all of these dimensions," Kneier and Silberman continued.
WATCH: Turning to Faith During a Cancer Journey.
New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans tells SurvivorNet about the importance of finding ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing after a challenging health diagnosis, such as cancer.
"It's important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you've never prayed before, you don't know what to say, a heartfelt plea, 'God, help me, be with me,'" Pastor Evans told SurvivorNet.
"You can reach out to God, and you can reach out to people, your friends, and family, and say, 'I can't do this on my own. I need you.' "It's in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can find something deeper that we never would've encountered without this hardship," Evans continued.
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