Mind-body medicine

Your mind is a powerful force for healing.

Your cancer diagnosis signals the start of a challenging emotional journey. Along the way you may be afraid, angry, or discouraged. You may feel guilty or powerless sometimes, but full of hope, determination, and confidence at others. Recognizing and expressing your changing feelings can help you deal with your illness, navigate your treatment process, and strengthen your sense of well-being.

Recognizing the connection

Mind-body medicine recognizes that having a physical illness can, and almost always does, have a profound impact on your thoughts and emotions. Rather than considering treatment for the body as more important than treatment for the mind — as often happens in cancer care — mind-body medicine believes that empowering you to respond to and work with your feelings can improve the healing process and your overall quality of life.

That doesn’t mean that being happy and confident will cure the cancer. In fact, it’s important for you to express what you’re feeling, even if that’s fear, anger, or even hopelessness about the cancer. You may have to point that out to loved ones, who may want you to stay focused on the bright side. At the same time, it’s equally as important to reject the idea that there’s a connection between being sick now and not having responded to or expressed your emotions in the past.

Healing your mind, healing your body

Mind-body medicine recognizes your innate capacity for self-awareness and self-healing. While many aspects of your illness and treatment can make you feel like you are losing control, mind-body therapies can help you to regain a sense of empowerment.

Researchers are continuing to study how emotional factors may affect your immune system. While that work hasn’t reached definitive conclusions, mind-body techniques have been shown to improve overall mood, help people with cancer cope more effectively, and even ease many cancer- and treatment-related symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and pain.

Finding a release

Mind-body medicine encompasses a whole spectrum of therapies, including:

Counseling and psychotherapy. Talking with a licensed therapist, such as a social worker or psychologist, either individually or in a group setting, can help you deal with the stresses of your illness and learn new coping strategies.

Meditation. This practice aims to focus and relax the mind and heighten awareness. There are a number of ways to meditate. In concentrative meditation, you repeat a prayer or a word, or focus on your breath or an image to calm your mind. In mindfulness meditation, you passively observe your thoughts without judging or reacting to them. Some studies even suggest that regular meditation may have a positive impact on brain and immune system function. Practiced regularly, meditation can help you gain perspective on emotions, relieve pain, and improve relaxation and sleep.

Visualization and guided imagery. These techniques use relaxation and imagination to focus your mind on healing. During a session, you may picture your immune system destroying cancer cells or imagine yourself in a peaceful place. Visualization may help you manage pain and has been shown in some cases to improve the healing process. You can purchase guided imagery audio recordings online and at many bookstores.

Creative self-expression. Enjoying your creativity through activities such as painting or drawing, dancing or playing an instrument, keeping a journal or simply listening to music helps people connect in a positive way to their feelings, and may help alleviate anxiety and depression.

Finding support in others

Studies show that people who share their experiences feel less isolated and more empowered.

Support groups are places where people with cancer and survivors meet and discuss common experiences. Many people feel that others with cancer have unique insights into the challenges of living with the disease. Also, it’s sometimes easier to be open and honest about your feelings with people who aren’t part of your everyday life. That doesn’t mean you’re rejecting the people who love you.

Online support groups and communities offer an opportunity to connect with a much larger network of people. If you live in a rural area, are confined to your home, or want to make a connection with people who have a similar diagnosis to your own, online communities can be especially valuable.