Walking a tight rope?

Question

In the book, "The Secret" it states that it follows the "Law of Attraction". To combat sickness...it states to see yourself as being whole and healed.

Fighting Breast Cancer requires one to follow through on treatments...the web site suggests not reading anything on the condition, but being unifomed does not seem right either.

So, how do you stay positive and think about being whole while fighting Breast Cancer?

Answer 1

I haven't read the book, so can't comment on it.

But while it can't do any harm to see yourself as being whole an healed, there isn't any evidence that I'm aware of that it does any good either.

I'm not sure what website you're referring to; not reading anything about your condition might work for some people; I know some people prefer not to know details of their cancer. I'm the opposite; when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I told all medical professionals I encountered 'I want to know what you know'; Knowing the details of my own particular cancer  - good or bad - was important to me, as was learning  as much I could about breast cancer in general.

As for staying positive... positive thinking has no effect on cancer - not in preventing it, treating it, curing it or in any way affecting its progress.

I've never read or heard of a clinical trial 'proving' the efficacy of positive thinking on disease, though I've seen and heard many people claim that 'studies show' this is the case without being able to cite a single study when challenged.

These links provide some evidence to the contrary. The first is a report of a Dutch study of 9,700 women over 13 years. The study found that the development of breast cancer had no link with personality - no link with anxiety, anger, depression or optimism:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/a...

This research is a prospective study, ie at the start of the study no one had breast cancer and the women were followed for 13 years. Many studies of this kind are retrospective (asking people after they have had cancer if they were stressed, anxious etc - not reliable at all).

This next link is to a report in the British Medical Journal which pretty much explodes the theory that a 'fighting spirit' is associated with longer survival from cancer or that 'hopelessness and helplessness' means poorer outcomes. The researchers analysed existing studies from1979 onwards; their conclusion is:

'There is little consistent evidence that psychological coping styles play an important part in survival from or recurrence of cancer. People with cancer should not feel pressured into adopting particular coping styles to improve survival or reduce the risk of recurrence.'

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/...

Urging a seriously ill person to be, stay or think positive can be counter productive; it can make the person feel guilty and therefore worse because they just CAN'T feel as positive as everyone is urging them to be. That was certainly my experience

I was diagnosed with grade 3 stage 3 breast cancer, with 13 lymph nodes invovlved. Following surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and hormone treatments I am, almost 5 years after diagnosis, fit and well with no evidence of cancer at my routine check-up last month. So being the negative grouch that I was during treatment did me no harm!

Answer 2

I have never tried particularly to stay positive. I just try to stay real. I try to remember that I have cancer and that it is a disease that can kill me. I also keep in mind that my body has responded fantastically to the chemo and that this is the most important factor in my prognosis.

It is impossible for me not to think of cancer every day. I have been going for treatments daily/weekly/every other week since the end of December.

Thoughts didn't cause my cancer, and thoughts aren't going to banish it. I try to do what I think will make a difference: eat less processed food, eat more natural/organic food, and exercise every day that I'm able. I stress less about work and just let traffic and other unimportant silliness roll off my back. I try to be kind to everyone because so many people have been so wonderful to me during the course of my diagnosis and treatment.

Answer 3

The problem with every single book like this . . is that it never once takes children and cancer into consideration. Guess what infants get cancer too. So . . how in the world do any of these theories even begin to hold up . . do you really think you can get an 18 month old baby to think positive and be able to 'fight' their cancer.

Childhood Cancers

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types...

I think remaining positive for adults is more of a good choice to make while you undergo a devastating disease. Remaining positive is just a whole lot more pleasant than moping around and being sad or being angry all the time. But in either case . . people live and people die . . there is no evidence that staying positive will save your life from cancer . . if it did than my son would certainly still be here. If anything he was the most positive, loving soul I have ever met . . never once saw him anxious or fearful . . even when he was dying.

Personally what you have read is just a choice you make . . it may make you feel better . .but that is it . . no miracles . . but hey, if it makes you feel good . . go for it.  We found that reading and researching and communicating with as many people as possible was the best way to handle the cancer for us. The scariest part was when some of our sons doctors would ask us for information about the disease . .. . it really demonstrated to us just how little is known and that the patient needs to gather as much information as they possibly can in order to make informed decisions.

Good luck to you.