Stress and Cancer
By Sheryl
June 1, 2010
Much has been written about and studied on stress and its relationship to cancer. As with many studies, there are many opposing opinions; it’s enough to make me dizzy. Stress definitely can cause cancer. There is no relationship between stress and cancer. Stress can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off the constant barrage of evil cells. Stress has no effect on your immune system. Let go of stress. Don’t worry about stress.
It’s enough to make me, well, stressed.
But it doesn’t really matter. Not to me, anyway because I’m already convinced of the connection.
I think about the years preceding my diagnosis. My second son came (surprise!) just 18 months after the first. Irish twins, they were called. Now, for some people, this would not be a problem. Some are naturally calm, unruffled under just about any circumstance. But for me, it was a problem; I’m not one to handle stress well. And having two young children – both in diapers, both in cribs, both needing constant attention, in addition to dealing with (untreated) postpartum depression, my husband’s attempt at starting his own business, a house that was falling apart, money problems – left me quite breathless and stressed.
What was happening with those strong, overwhelming emotions I was experiencing, day in and day out? I’m convinced that the constant barrage of high-stress situations rendered my immune system weak and helpless.
And what of my best friend, who survived for 10 years after her diagnosis and treatment? Not long after going through a painful divorce – along with which came a move, a necessity to return to work, a lot of aggravation and grief – she suffered a recurrence of the cancer she thought she had beat long ago.
I realize that staying stress-free is not possible, but I strive to stay as far from it as I can manage. Honestly, it scares me. And while I realize that I can’t always manage to keep up with what I need to, I’m always measuring the “stress level” of things, and constantly asking myself what’s worth stressing over and what’s not.
Here are questions I ask myself
Is that toxic friend really worth my time?
Is it worth it to get aggravated by traffic, which I can’t control anyway?
Shouldn’t I find something more constructive to do than worry?
Are a stranger’s negative comments or actions really worth my time or thought?
Don’t I need to remember to look at all the good things in my life, rather than the negative ones?
Isn’t it important to remember that problems usually resolve themselves, or become clearer, when I don’t act out of emotion but give myself time to calm down?
Isn’t it wise to let go of things that I can absolutely not change?
I have tacked the following saying to my bulletin board, and I read it when I’m feeling overwhelmed. (My apologies for not giving the person his or her due, but I don’t know who said it):
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
Yoga, exercising, good nutrition, adequate sleep and nurturing, and caring relationships all go a long way toward knocking out stress.
And what happens when I seek to eliminate stress? It is usually a very nice thing. It’s like a (gentle) slap in the face: I get off the runaway train, get on firm footing, and go about my life much more unencumbered than when I first headed out.
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