The Mind-Body Approach to Cancer Care

The Canadian Cancer Society estimated that in 2008 there would be over 73,000 deaths due to cancer in Canada. Current estimates are that 39% of women and 45% of men will develop this disease. (1) So, cancer is a serious threat that should not be minimized or denied (“we can run, but we can’t hide!”)

Medical treatment addresses the physical symptoms, but what about the impact of this disease on the cancer patient’s thoughts, feelings and spirit, as well as those of their family and friends? These psychological and relationship effects of cancer are fundamentally important and often require professional attention by psychologists and other mental health professionals.

The shock of hearing you’ve been diagnosed with cancer; the sudden unexpected possibility of premature death; the fear of losing functional abilities you’ve always taken for granted; the unwanted necessity of becoming more dependent on others; the disruption of your lifestyle; the realization that one’s life and identity have been transformed—these and many other implications can first trickle into consciousness, then threaten to flood and overwhelm cancer patients and their loved ones.

Let’s examine how your psychological strengths and weaknesses affect your ability to cope with cancer. People with histories of emotional deprivation in childhood, persistent feelings of helplessness, denial and depression are more likely to have cancer. (2) Stress reduces immune system functioning, which lowers natural killer cells that fight the development of tumors and promote DNA repair, making us less capable of defending against cancer. Those with personalities prone to deny or repress their feelings, as well as individuals unable to escape conditions of prolonged stress are somewhat more likely to develop cancer, although genetic, dietary and environmental influences probably play larger roles. (3) While the scientific evidence linking stress with cancer is still weak, there is enough evidence to say that “letting go” of stressful events and living more comfortably in the present moment may help prevent the development of cancer, as well help boost the immune system so that the body can more effectively fight the cancer once it has started.

Here’s how mind-body healing approaches use techniques like relaxation, meditation, and imagery to reduce stress and boost immunity to fight cancer. These techniques can be learned and produce quick results. They can improve and prolong quality of life for cancer patients, as well as for their loved ones.

Relaxation at first seems like the wrong thing to do when faced with a serious threat to one’s life. Yet relaxing in response to fear effectively reduces stress, pain and anxiety associated with cancer and the medical procedures used to treat it, as well as improving mood. (4) There are a variety of relaxation techniques with proven effectiveness, including breathing, imagery and progressive muscle relaxation techniques. These techniques can be learned from a psychologist and produce significant reductions in stress after one or two weeks of practice. Try practicing this breathing technique: select a quiet place to sit comfortably. While breathing normally, inhale thinking “one”; then exhale thinking “relax”; inhale thinking “two”, then exhale thinking “relax”; continue in this manner counting from one to ten and back to one. Notice the shift in your consciousness and feeling of calmness.

We all know the value and pleasure of daydreaming to remove ourselves from unpleasant situations. This is the essence of Imagery. Active imagery involves imagining a desired result, while receptive imagery is the intuitive insights that arise spontaneously while we are deeply relaxed. Imagery techniques include smells, movements, touch and taste, as well as visual memories. You can try reducing your stress by imagining, for example, a place you have often visited where you felt completely safe, relaxed and had a deep sense of well-being. Now imagine all the details as vividly as possible—the sights, sounds, textures, odors and tastes associated with your mental “snapshot”. Intensify those sensations until they seem as real as if you were really there in that place. Now, just remain there for several minutes in your image and enjoy the calmness and well-being that arises naturally in you, the same feelings you had when you last visited that place.

Meditation is a kind of awareness of the present moment without distress about the past or future, with relaxation as a side-effect. There are different types of meditation emphasizing concentration (on a meaningful word or visual image, for example), mindful awareness (noticing without obsessing about or judging our inner and outer experiences), and movement (whirling or dancing, for example). Meditation techniques can be learned from some psychologists, as well as other trained meditation instructors. These techniques require extended practice to achieve mastery, but even beginners may notice improvements in mental, emotional and spiritual calmness. You could begin by taking a walk and attentively observing your moment-to-moment thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, as well as the sights and sounds in your surroundings. This can help you let go of your preoccupations and increase your appreciation of being alive in the present moment.

Understanding the interaction of mind and body strengthens our self-healing powers. Integrating relaxation, imagery and meditation techniques can improve the effectiveness and shorten the period of recovery from medical treatment. Finally, sometimes cancer patients and/or their loved ones simply need someone to talk to privately, who will listen to their concerns and assist them to effectively cope with the many challenging situations associated with a life-threatening illness. Psychologists can help individuals and families to regain being “captain of their own ship”, i.e. managing the cancer, rather than the cancer managing them.

References:

1. Website of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology
2. Bahnson, C.B. 1980. “Stress and Cancer: The State of the Art” Psychosomatics. 21 (12): 975.
3. Gordon, J.S. and Curtin, S. 2000. Comprehensive Cancer Care: Integrating Alternative, Complimentary and Conventional Therapies. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.
4. Lyles, J.N., et al. 1982. “Efficacy of Relaxation Training and Guided Imagery in Reducing the Aversiveness of Cancer Chemotherapy.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 50(4): 509-524.