Defensive pessimism is when someone anticipates a high-stakes outcome — like cancer test results — and mentally assumes the worst on purpose. This is not because people want bad news. But because certainty, even painful certainty, can feel safer than hope.

Art therapy unlocks an individual’s innate healing potential, allowing them not only to cope, but to truly thrive. Research shows that supporting cancer recovery also means supporting creativity—in all its beautiful and restorative forms.

What if grace is the missing piece to our lives? If you are on a quest to find more peace, more ease and less judgment and comparison, it’s worth exploring grace.

You’ve reached a major milestone by completing cancer treatment. Here are seven steps to prioritize your health as a cancer survivor.

Tips for living well with breast cancer, from disabled clinical psychologist Jennifer Caspari, Ph.D.

“How are you sleeping?” It may seem like a simple check-in, but for oncology teams, this question carries weight because the quality of your sleep can directly impact how your body responds to cancer, treatment, and recovery.

Fear, uncertainty, and anxiety can be overwhelming when you’re going through breast cancer. Remember, you’re not alone!

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone. Many people living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) or in remission/no evidence of diseas

Breast cancer isn’t just a physical condition. For many, it’s an emotional and psychological experience that can profoundly affect their...

By Rafia Nasir Cancer is a complicated experience, and it can take a significant toll on your mental well-being. Managing your emotions throughout your cancer journey is key to staying positive and focused on your recovery. That’s where emotional intelligence comes in. The concept of emotional intelligence entails recognizing how you feel, understanding why you feel that way, and learning how to deal with those emotions effectively. Additionally, it involves being attuned to

By Kristen Carter Dear Kristen, Do you have any suggestions for dealing with moodiness? Between the stress of having breast cancer and...

A breast cancer diagnosis can send you into a tailspin. The official pronouncement can stir emotions whether you’re newly diagnosed , face a reoccurrence, or experiencing progression. A breast cancer diagnosis can leave some people feeling shocked, numb, and asking themselves, “How could this happen to me? I was doing everything ‘right.’” Others may feel frightened in a stressful time of uncertainty, while some kick it into high gear and fierce planning mode, trying to contr

By Kristen Carter Dear Kristen, I’ve always been a positive person and I’m trying to stay positive since my recent cancer diagnosis, but it’s hard work. I believe our emotions and thoughts help create our reality, and that my positive thoughts will help me with healing. How do I stay upbeat instead of giving in to fear and anxiety and other negativity? Dear Reader, You’re right that our attitudes play a large part in our healing, and I thought I’d give you some good hard dat

Survivor's guilt is real and we all experience it in different ways. For some it is internalized with the stark reality that cancer can take what is most precious to us: our lives.

By Kristen Carter Dear Kristen, I have gained six or seven pounds since I finished chemo and began taking Letrozole. Nothing fits, I...

I am trying to reduce the stress and anxiety when I hear I have to see another specialist or have more testing completed

Most people are familiar with the devastating physical effects of cancer. It's rare to find someone whose life hasn't been affected by it in some way—whether indirectly, through a friend or relative, or directly. But what many people don't know is that the mental and emotional repercussions of cancer can be just as insidious as its physical side effects—and often much harder to recognize and address. In addition to the fear and stress of facing a life-threatening illness and

As we reach the end of May, which marks Mental Health Awareness Month, it feels as appropriate a time as any to discuss the benefits of...

Many breast cancer patients suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder typically brought on by a traumatic event. Notably, PTSD can happen after any life-threatening situation, and a breast cancer diagnosis or cancer recurrence certainly qualifies. PTSD can affect one’s ability to cope with life’s daily tasks and make it difficult to function. Several years ago, while hosting an exhibit table at a pre-COVID-19 era Nurse Navigator conference in Las

Physician (and Nurse) Burnout has been officially recognized for years and poses a significant existential threat to the safety of medical personnel and the treatment success of patients across the spectrum. Death by suicide in the medical profession has now reached approximately 400 annually just in the United States[1]. According to the Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report, nearly “half of all physicians experience burnout, with emergency care, critical care, and family medi

If you are dealing with the death of someone or even just struggling with sharing good news when people around you are struggling, it’s normal. To have survivors guilt or to struggle with feelings that others who are not metastatic don’t understand, is real, it’s natural and it’s normal.

By, William Laferriere, Survivingbreastcancer.org board member Hello darkness my old friend.... I’ve come to talk with you again, Because...