De-Stress For Your Breasts

The jury is still out. But the fact that researchers are actually
looking at stress as a possible contributing factor to breast cancer is
intriguing. I have always been interested in the mind-body link and
here is a topic that I was not sure what I would find when I started looking
into it. While I certainly do not claim any expertise in cancer prevention or
treatment, I do know a little (or a lot since one of my graduate areas of study
and continued interest is in health psychology), about how the mind and body
function together. Since I understand that much of what our mind perceives, our
emotional/psychological tendencies and even our dealings with stress directly
impacts our body’s health, I felt that just maybe I would find some evidence
that cancer too is related to what happens in our minds.

As in the case of heart health, genetic factors and a multitude of other
lifestyle factors contribute to individual cancer risk (yep, there it is
again—things we CHOOSE to do,  aka: lifestyle, make a very real difference in
our health). But also as in heart health, it seems that highly stressed individuals
also face the risk of turning loose the explosion of cancer cell
reproduction.

Although a direct link between stress and cancer cell growth is not clear,
there is at a minimum a roundabout route from stress to an increased risk of
breast cancer. Let me clarify: Researchers are unclear if stress actually causes
cancer cell growth or if, for example, highly stressed individuals partake in
unhealthier habits which contribute to an increased risk of cancer cell growth.
Make sense?

But if you really think about it—does it matter if stress is an underlying
cause or an indirect cause of cancer? Either way, it is contributing!

What’s the solution? How can we reduce stress and, in effect, improve our cancer risk?

AWARENESS of the RISK: I suppose the first step is
awareness. Being aware that you are putting yourself at risk for breast
cancer by not dealing properly with stressors in your life certainly seems like
the place to begin. Here are some resources to start with so that you can gain a
better understanding of the relationship between stress and breast cancer:

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20030924/does-stress-cause-breast-cancer

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/stress

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234645.php

Next, understand that stress starts in the eye of the beholder:
PERCEPTION. Sure, there are life circumstances that lay the stress on
thick (dealing with a death, divorce, loss of a job, moving are just a few of
the most common stressors). But, if we try to look at things differently the
stress load on your body can lighten a bit. For me, the most recent life
changing stressor, as you know, was the death of my husband and all  at once
becoming a single mom—there is no escaping stress from that! But, I will tell
you that taking care to adjust my mindset helps. I try to focus on the
peripheral blessings when the loss and negative life changing details start
getting to me. Friendships, personal growth, a new approach to loving my
children, family and friends, and a deepening in my faith are just some of my
silver linings.

Read the rest of this blog article at : http://missfitcomplete.com/blog/2012/10/15/de-stress-breasts/