Is this my new "normal"
I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma earlier this year. Had lumpectomy and (after weeks of deliberation) didn't need chemo. 3 weeks of ray. That all finished a couple of months ago and with ...
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Once you are on the cancer train, I don't know that you ever really get off it. ***singing Hotel California in my head*** I was first diagnosed in 2006 and had a recurrence in 2016. While I don't think about my disease every day, it's never far from my mind and it takes very little for that jerky, rolling out of control feeling of being transported against my wishes to reappear.
I'm a great advocate for getting some mental health support. We don't think twice about treating the physical, but there seems to be a reluctance to deal with the stuff going on in our heads, My long term shrink--whom I fondly think of as 'That Poor Woman'--has literally been a life saver when everything turns to shit, or I start obsessing about the possibility that it might. Coping strategies are really important. The best one for me is to try to step outside myself and regard whatever is grinding my gears through the lens of 'Isn't that interesting' To explore what has triggered me and observe how those circumstances are making me behave (really badly on some occasions)
The affordability of mental health care is a barrier, and I can be totally honest and say that you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find a professional that suits you. That said, even the unsuccessful candidates have been helpful, if only because they have made me feel exceptionally sane and sensible. In comparison. Your GP can write you a referral as part of your chronic care program which will give you subsidized access for a couple of visits.
This is a tough gig @POSB24 and takes a lot more out of us than we realize. Hang in there. MXX
I'm a great advocate for getting some mental health support. We don't think twice about treating the physical, but there seems to be a reluctance to deal with the stuff going on in our heads, My long term shrink--whom I fondly think of as 'That Poor Woman'--has literally been a life saver when everything turns to shit, or I start obsessing about the possibility that it might. Coping strategies are really important. The best one for me is to try to step outside myself and regard whatever is grinding my gears through the lens of 'Isn't that interesting' To explore what has triggered me and observe how those circumstances are making me behave (really badly on some occasions)
The affordability of mental health care is a barrier, and I can be totally honest and say that you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find a professional that suits you. That said, even the unsuccessful candidates have been helpful, if only because they have made me feel exceptionally sane and sensible. In comparison. Your GP can write you a referral as part of your chronic care program which will give you subsidized access for a couple of visits.
This is a tough gig @POSB24 and takes a lot more out of us than we realize. Hang in there. MXX