“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience which you really stop to look fear in the face.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Cancer is the ultimate wake-up call. Not only is your body sick, but your spirit is also sick. A diagnosis of cancer is devastating, but it can also be an enormous opportunity to achieve true healing. Remember the well-known quote, “Cancer is a word, not a sentence.”

What is it that is so powerful about cancer? If we can break down the power of this word, we can begin to see the light of healing beyond the darkness of the diagnosis.

What is Cancer

I’ve worked with thousands of individuals who have cancer, and the one thing I know is that cancer is nothing more than a part of ourselves that has forgotten who it is. When we are children, we take parts of ourselves that we deem unattractive—emotional responses to situations that are unacceptable, undesirable, or just too upsetting—and push them down deep in our bodies. When we try to stuff something down or hide it away, we literally stop a part of the energetic flow in our own body. So it is with cancer: any time we shove something down and the blood flow can’t get to that area, stagnation can occur, a likely breeding ground for a tumor. A tumor is nothing more than some cells that literally have forgotten they are part of you and start to develop at their own rate.

It is so important that you know that cancer is not a death sentence but an invitation from your body to your psyche to integrate that forgotten part back into wholeness. It’s equally important that you know that you didn’t do anything wrong: you are not at fault; you did not bring this cancer on.

Life forces and circumstances, many if not all of them out of our control, put us in situations where we turn to defense mechanisms that we learned as children that encourage us to deny parts of ourselves. 

Think of cancer as a message from a part of you, asking you to bring that part back to yourself, even a part that before you deemed unloveable. It works with that deepest part of your yourself that will affect you the most. No matter what the physical result of your experience with cancer is, if you do this vital work to make yourself whole, you will be the winner.

What Causes Cancer According to Traditional Medicine?

Cancer, medically speaking, is a general term we give to diseases in which abnormal cells grow, divide, and invade other tissues in the body. In a normal, healthy body, cells grow, divide, and regularly die, which allows for new cell growth. Cancer cells form when this process is disturbed in some way. The cell’s DNA mutates or is damaged, and it doesn’t die as it is supposed to. This leads the body to produce new cells when they are not needed, and these new cells form tumors. The tumors can be benign or noncancerous, and they will not invade other tissues. Benign tumors can be removed and usually do not recur. Malignant tumors, however, are cancerous and pose a serious threat as they can spread (or metastasize) to other areas of the body.

There are over one hundred diseases that fall under the cancer umbrella, but the one thing they have in common, according to the American Cancer Society, is that the body’s own cells “grow out of control.”

Leukemia is a type of cancer that doesn’t produce tumors; it forms in the tissues that produce blood, such as bone marrow. Abnormal blood cells then enter the bloodstream.

The other major categories of cancer are Sarcoma (cancers that form in bone, cartilage, fat, blood vessels, muscle, or connective tissue), Carcinoma (those that form in the skin or tissues that line organs), Lymphoma and Myeloma (those that begin in the immune system), and Central Nervous System Cancers (which start in the brain or spinal cord). According to the National Cancer Institute, there are 1,437,180 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year. There are 565,650 deaths each year.

What causes the DNA in our cells to mutate? Conventional medical wisdom tells us it is due to environmental factors, such as chemicals, toxins, tobacco smoke, too much sunlight, or to genetic disposition, and this would seem to be true. For example, the most prevalent type of cancer in the United States is non-melanoma skin cancer. Over one million people are diagnosed with this form of cancer each year. A leading cause is a prolonged exposure to harmful sunlight without protection. This seems like a clear case of cause and effect. Of course, this has led people to stay inside or never to go out without slathering on sunscreen—a good idea midday in summer, but a bad idea in terms of getting the sunshine and Vitamin D we are all lacking these days.

But there is more to cancer than environmental and genetic causes.

We all know that there are Type A or Type B personalities. People with Type A personalities are said to be unable to relax, very work-oriented, aggressive, hostile, and insecure. Type B personalities, by contrast, are said to be patient, calm, and relaxed. Some people have added a third category: the Type C personality. This is also known as the Cancer Prone Personality. This theory holds that some people’s very personalities make them susceptible to developing cancer. For instance, those who are overly cooperative, unassertive, accepting of external authority, patient, and who bury negative emotions are said to have an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with some form of cancer.

When we turn to science to see if this is true, there is no concrete answer. A recent Japanese study conducted by researchers at Tohoku University looked at 30,000 people who were grouped according to personality: extraversion (those who were socially oriented), neuroticism (anxiety and unstable), psychoticism (aggressive, self-centered, emotionally cold), and lie (conformist, passive, naive). There was no connection found between personality type and development or progression of cancer.

Stanford University professor David Spiegel, however, has discovered a fact that seems to support a link between personality and cancer. He found those who had joined a support group and tended to have a strong fighting spirit after their diagnosis lived, on average, eighteen months longer than those who didn’t join a group. Also, those who deal with cancer by displaying a sense of denial seemed to fare better than those supposed to be Type C personalities. This is because Type C people would be resigned to their fate. They would passively accept it and believe that they had no control. They would give up, causing their bodies to give up.

An important question to ask ourselves is: Do we indeed have any control? We may think that we have no control over our bodies, but, in fact, we do. Our emotions, our feelings, and our energy all impact our bodies.

Benefits of Energy Healing for Cancer

Energy Healing is an important component in the treatment of cancer. Because it can address the root cause, it can help the individual focus on the underlying factors and reverse them. It also opens the channels so that treatments such as chemotherapy can work more efficiently. Conversely, it can also remove chemo from the body after it has done its work, thus reducing the toxic load on the body. I have seen many individuals sail through chemo with no side effects who worked with someone from the field of Energy Medicine simultaneously with their chemo treatments.

“The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated.” ~ Plato

When we talk about healing, we refer to more than just bodily cures. Yes, we may “cure” an illness, but are we healed? Healing encompasses our mind, spirit, and body. How do we achieve this balance? We discussed techniques for dealing with the stress surrounding a cancer diagnosis and treatment: these can be used with traditional medical practices to augment treatment. When we face something as serious as cancer, we should take a balanced approach with our eyes toward healing, not just curing.

While conventional (allopathic) medicine has focused on the physical treatment of cancer, complementary and alternative modalities offer other benefits. I recommend that individuals use their own intuition, listen to their hearts, and choose the modalities that they feel will work best for them. I encourage each person to listen closely to the diagnosis (but not the prognosis!) of conventional medicine, and if surgery is recommended, by all means, follow that directive. (Be sure to get a second or even third opinion in every case.)

It has been my experience that by the time a problem has festered to the point that cancer exists, we need all hands on deck to remove it—a surgeon to remove the tumor, an oncologist for stray cells, an acupuncturist to help maintain balance, and a practitioner of Energy medicine to address the core issues so that cancer doesn’t return. Other treatments that can be helpful are homeopathy for the root physical cause, naturopathy for overall balance, a nutritionist to build strength and decrease the toxic load, and tai chi, yoga, relaxation methods, and massage.

The use of counseling or psychotherapy can also be very beneficial. When treating cancer and other serious illnesses, it is important to get to the root cause and treat the problem, not merely the symptoms. Integrative medicine allows for a beneficial cycle: our work healing our wounded minds and spirits allows our bodies to open up and receive the benefits of conventional medicine. With a stronger body to open up and receive the benefits of conventional medicine. With a stronger body, we achieve a greater energy flow and, thus, a more balanced spirit and mind. They are interconnected, and more and more conventional doctors are seeing this truth.

The American Cancer Society says of complementary medicine: Some people believe that mainstream medicine is the only option they have when it comes to treating symptoms and side effects, relieving pain, and improving quality of life. Actually, there are many complementary treatment methods you can use safely, right along with your medical treatment methods you can use safely, right along with your medical treatment. For example, some people find that certain complementary methods—such as aromatherapy, biofeedback, massage therapy, meditation, tai chi, or yoga—are very useful to help control some of their symptoms and improve the quality of their lives.

They treat the mind and spirit, which in turn is essential to the body’s health. A basic tenet of complementary medicine is that the body has the ability to heal itself. Practitioners are there to guide us through this process.

To aid us in our goal of achieving greater balance in our energy centers, various techniques and therapies are available. Let’s quickly look at the most prominent.

• Acupuncture:
  • Very thin needles are inserted into the body at specific points. These points correspond to chi pathways called “meridians.” Chi is our life force, our energy. 
  • It is believed that acupuncture can be blocked pathways and stimulate energy flow.
  • This is essential to having a balanced mind/body connection.
  • Studies have shown that acupuncture can help relieve pain, lessen fatigue, relieve nausea, and reduce vomiting—all important considerations for cancer patients.
• Meditation:
  • Meditation is one of the quickest ways to calm the body and the mind and prepare it to heal.
  • Studies show regular meditation lowers blood pressure, regulates heart rate, and reduces levels of stress in the body; perfect for those looking to heal or avoid cancer.
• Massage:
  • Massage helps you connect to your body and emotions and is very nurturing.
  • Using pressure on various points along the body, the therapist unblocks energy and restores a more balanced flow. 
  • Anecdotal evidence suggests that Shiatsu helps relieve pain in the shoulders, neck, back, and head and reduces muscle stiffness and tension.
• Prayer:
  • Religions worldwide advocate prayer for spiritual well-being, and now science is finding that it is beneficial for physical health as well.
  • Both praying and being prayed for have been shown to improve prognosis and quality of life.
  • By helping to reduce anxiety and stress and by fostering a more positive attitude, prayer can be a powerful tool in our journey of healing.
• Energy Healing:
  • It is by balancing your energy and removing blockages that could interfere with treatments like chemotherapy.
  • It helps the individual reach the root cause and make changes at that level.

These are just some of the many complementary techniques that are available for cancer patients. It’s a sign that our society finally realizes that the mind plays an integral role in the body’s health; more and more doctors are referring patients for complementary therapies, and medical schools do not offer training in CAM (complementary and alternative medicine).

Even insurance companies are coming on board as they are beginning to cover many of these therapies. The United States government even established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The NCCAM is committed to studying the efficacy of CAM, training researchers, and providing coherent, thorough information to physicians and patients. All of these are positive signs that our society is beginning to understand the importance of healing, not just curing.

Cancer as a Healer

And, as extraordinary as it may sound, cancer can be healing in itself. The following cancer survivors have offered their views of their struggles and their triumphs.

Marianne Faithfull, an English actress and singer has said of her recovery from breast cancer, “It has been an extraordinary experience and, in many ways, extremely positive.”

Lance Armstrong, world-renowned bicyclist and hero to many has said of his battle with cancer, “The truth is, if you asked me to choose between winning the Tour de France and cancer, I would choose cancer. Odd as it sounds, I would rather have the title of cancer survivor than winner of the Tour because of what it has done for me as a human being, a man, a husband, and a father.”

And… “If there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it’s meant to improve us.”

These people and millions of others have found healing in the midst of suffering. They did not merely experience a “cure” for their cancer; they found lasting, purifying strength that led to the healing of the body and mind. I know it’s true because it happened to me too.

Let’s recall the words, “Cancer is a word, not a sentence.” Perhaps, though, it should be. Not a death sentence, but a sentence that mandates that we find balance and peace in our lives.

“You have the black dog on your back.” Winston Churchill famously referred to his depression as a black dog. Sometimes it menaces us with bared teeth. Other times, it lurks in the shadows. It’s almost hidden, but you catch a glimpse of it now and again, reminding you to be wary. There are hundreds of metaphors describing the pain of depression, but this one has always stuck with me. The pain, yes, but also the waiting… this is what makes depression so devastating to so many people. If you have had an episode of depression, then you are likely to have another, and it is the anticipation of another episode that colors even the good times with shades of gray.

Dr. R.W. Shepherd said, “If depression is creeping up and must be faced, learn something about the nature of the beast—you may escape without a mauling.” This is our goal; to learn something about the nature of depression so that when we feel the wolf breathing down our necks, we can push him back. We can eliminate this fear, as well as the oppressive weight of depression, but we must know it first.

What is Depression?

“Depression is a prison where you are both the suffering prisoner and the cruel jailer.” ~ Dorothy Rowe

During any given one-year period, as many as 19 million Americans experience depression. During a lifetime, 25 percent of women and 10 percent of men will develop the condition. More people have depression than have coronary heart disease or cancer, and it is the leading cause of liability among those 15-44 years of age. Lost productivity and medical costs amount to over $30 billion each year. The financial cost of depression is enormous, and the emotional cost cannot even be estimated. Lost opportunities to see loved ones, lost chances to travel or to enjoy new experiences, lost days, weeks, or months.

If it seems to you that more people have depression now than 20 or 30 years ago, you’re right. At least partly, more people are being diagnosed with depression because it is better defined and understood as a medical condition, according to William Avison, professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario. Professor Avsin says, “The diagnosis of depression is relatively new to medicine. It’s something that emerged in the 20s or 30s, and since then, we’ve refined our diagnosis of that, and we’ve refined our ability to identify people who have that illness.”

Another factor is the destigmatization of depression. Avison says, “I think it’s an illness now that people talk about… in the same way that we talk about heart disease or cancer to other kinds of diseases, unlike 20 years ago when people used to be somewhat stigmatized by mental illness and felt that they had to hide their depression and couldn’t talk about it.”

Despite this, depression remains both under-reported and misunderstood. Take, for instance, the following quote from A.B. Curtiss, author, and cognitive behavioral therapist, “Depression is a choice.” This seems like a devastating judgment on millions of people who suffer daily from depression—and yet, isn’t good health, to a large extent, a choice? This only adds to the confusion. Let’s eliminate some of the confusion and decide for ourselves whether depression is, in fact, a choice.

Over 19 million Americans suffer from depression, which can last anywhere from hours to months. Symptoms can vary but usually include:

• Negative feelings like hopelessness, pessimism, and despair
• Numbness, lack of feeling, or feeling empty
• Anxiety, guilt, helplessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of pleasure in once enjoyable activities, including hobbies and sex
• Low energy, fatigue
• Changes in appetite, weight gain, or loss
• Irritability
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Physical complaints, such as headaches, pain, and digestive disorders

There are different types of depression, the most common of which is a major depressive disorder or clinical depression. People suffering from clinical depression experience some or all of the symptoms noted above. Depression is different for everyone, and some people can experience remissions of several years when they have no symptoms. Others have recurrent episodes during a period with little relief in between. Those who have undergone a single episode of depression have a 50 to 60 percent chance of developing a second one. Of those who have had two, 70 percent will have a third, and if you’ve had three, you have a 90 percent chance of having a fourth.

Dysthymic Disorder is chronic, mild depression that persists for at least two years. In contrast to clinical depression, dysthymic disorder is a constant state. About 1.5 percent, or 3.3. million of the population over age 18 experience this condition in a given year. While the symptoms are not as severe as in major depression, dysthymic disorder is longer lasting and more resistant to treatment.

We all grew up with the stories of Winnie the Pooh. The gloomy Eeyore is a perfect example of someone with dysthymic disorder. He has a generally pessimistic view of the world, low energy, and low self-esteem, all of which are characteristic of dysthymia. I give the example of Eeyore not to diminish the severity of dysthymic disorder but to give you an idea of the pervasive gloom that it causes. Depression almost becomes a part of the personality of the person suffering from it.

Other types of depression include post-partum depression, adjustment disorder with depression (this is depression that occurs after a major stressor, such as the death of a loved one), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and depression related to other medical issues. While the reasons behind depression may vary, one thing binds sufferers together—the physical and emotional pain of depression. This is what so many people fail to recognize, depression hurts. 97 percent of those with depression say that it negatively affects their work and home lives and impacts their personal relationships. It is very difficult to live with depression, whether it is you or a loved one who actually has the condition. Living with someone with depression can be as trying as having depression yourself. Like all serious illnesses, depression hurts everyone.

Depression and the Body

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Robbie Williams has said, “The depression isn’t about anything, it’s not about ‘woe is me.’ It’s like the worse fight all day, and you can’t kick it.” Dr. Stephen M. Stahl of the University of California, San Diego Department of Psychiatry, writes:

…depression is also an illness that frequently presents with a large number of unexplained physical symptoms. Such symptoms are often not emphasized and are even excluded as components of the formal DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder.

Eight of the nine major diagnostic criteria for depression are related to emotional symptoms. The only physical symptom recognized as a criterion for depression is fatigue. According to Dr. Stahl, however, as many as 80 percent of depressed patients visit their primary care providers, presenting exclusively physical symptoms. These include headaches and neck, back, abdominal, and joint pain. Often, depression is misdiagnosed when the patient complains of physical symptoms. There is a mindset that depression will present with emotional symptoms; if the patient has primarily physical ones, there must be a physical cause. This is not the case; Western medicine sometimes fails to see the mind-body connection at work. This is what makes depression such a misunderstood illness. It is not all “in our heads.” Nor is it all in our bodies. Depression is a complex interaction of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves.

Depression does more than cause minor aches and pains; it has been linked to heart disease, stroke, circulatory problems, and osteoporosis. It has been accepted that depression and stress can worsen existing conditions. If you have heart disease, depression increases your risk of having a heart attack or blood clot. In people who have recovered from a heart attack, depression increases the risk of death. Among those without depression, the mortality rate after six months is about 3 percent. Among those with depression, it is 17 percent. Study after study attests to the danger of depression; more readmissions to the hospital, greater recovery time, and greater risks of further negative cardiac events.

Besides exacerbating an existing condition, depression can cause physical illnesses. A study done by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that a history of major depression was a bigger risk for heart disease than any genetic predisposition. The study looked at 1200 male twins, all of whom served in the Vietnam War. They were questioned as to their health in 1992 and questioned again in 2005. The researchers found that those with depression were twice as likely to develop heart disease as those without it. Another study, conducted at Columbia University, followed 63,000 women from 1992 to 2004. At the beginning of the study, none of the women had signs of heart disease, but 8 percent had symptoms of major depression. These women were more than twice likely to die from a sudden cardiac event, usually caused by an irregular heartbeat.

A recent study co-authored by Stephen Kritchevsky of the Stricht Center on Aging at Wake Forest University found an ominous link between depression and the specific type of body fat that leads to heart disease and diabetes. It has been found that fat in the midsection is an indicator of both of these illnesses; those with depression were found to be twice as likely to gain fat that surrounds the internal organs and deposits in the belly, called visceral fat. This specific study was conducted on people in their seventies. Dr. David Baron of Temple University School of Medicine says, “Depression is a physical illness. Maybe we should be even more aggressive in treating depression in this age group, whether through medication or talk therapy.” This is yet one more reason why depression should always be taken seriously; besides the devastating effects on our psyches, depression takes a tremendous toll on our bodies.

Addressing physical symptoms of depression is also important for treatment; Dr. Stagl writes:

The importance of removing physical symptoms of depression can not be overemphasized—the return of normal energy, motivation, and interest and the loss of the sense of fatigue and listlessness, as well as the elimination of painful physical symptoms, are required before a patient has a complete remission from a major depressive disorder. Neglecting the treatment of fatigue, low energy, and painful physical symptoms in depressed patients can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes, characterized by a failure of depressed patients to return to normal social and occupational functioning.

A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that the physical symptoms of depression often last longer than the emotional symptoms. The study followed 573 patients with clinical depression who were beginning courses of antidepressants, such as Paxil, Zoloft, or Prozac. After three months, the patients who reported severe pain were four times as likely to have a poor response to their medication as those who didn’t report pain. Those who reported moderate pain were twice as likely to respond poorly. Physical pain can mask underlying depression and decrease the efficacy of treatment. 

Depression and the Mind

Rollo May, an existential psychologist, said, “Depression is the inability to construct a future.” This, really, is the crux of what depression is. We come mired in it and feel like we can never get out. I see countless clients with depression; one thing that ties these diverse people together is the imagery they use to describe their experience with depression. It is often described as a long, dark tunnel or a black hole. You fall into this black hole and cannot see the ladder to return to the light. Former soccer star Neil Lennon has said, “It’s a bit like walking down a long, dark corridor, never knowing when the light will go on.” the future seems like an overwhelming and frightening specter in front of you.

Actress Brooke Shield did much to help destigmatize postpartum depression as she detailed her own struggles in Down Came the Rain. 10 percent of postpartum women experience depression. Not simple “baby blues,” but deep depression. In this powerful book, Brooke describes the emotional pain that engulfed her after her daughter was born. She had always loved babies, and always wanted one of her own, and yet, when her daughter was born, she descended into a deep pit of depression. Here, she describes feeding her child:

“I sat there almost catatonically, staring out into space. Nursing Rowan made me feel drugged and temporarily comforted me. But the moment she was finished and taken from me, I started to sob once more. I sat up with my huge legs stretched out in front of me and, slowly rocking back and forth with my face up toward the ceiling, my arms limp at my sides; I sobbed. I couldn’t stop. What was I going to do? Was I ever going to stop feeling like this? Misery enveloped me.”

We can handle a bad mood; we can handle being stressed; we can handle feeling sad. What is so difficult is the feeling that it will never change; this is what makes depression so insidious.

The effects of depression on our physical and spiritual health cannot be underestimated. It affects our concentration, our ability to make decisions, our relationships, and our joy in one pleasurable activities. We feel guilt, anxiety, sadness, anger, and emotional pain. At its extreme, depression can lead to suicide. According to the Mayo Clinic, about two to nine percent of depression patients will commit suicide. Those who have been hospitalized for depression or a suicide attempt were at the highest risk—8.6 percent. The risk for those with depression who had never been hospitalized was about 2 present. Suicide is rare; the vast majority of people with depression do live and, if treated, live well.

“So great a power is there of the soul upon the body, that whichever way the soul imagines and dreams, thither doth it lead the body.” ~ Agrippa

Despite all the research into stress and disease, we tend to see our bodies as separate entities from our minds. But take a moment to think about this: when you have experienced a difficult time, say the death of a loved one, where does it hurt? Your heart actually hurtds, or your stomach is in knots, or you get migraines. Emotional pain shows up in your body. When you are nervous, do your hands sweat or shake? Do you breathe harder or feel queasy? There is a very real connection between what our minds are experiencing and what our bodies are telling us.

To understand the impact of emotions on our health, it is useful to know a little about how they interact. Many cultures around the world believe in an energy field, which surrounds everyone and everything. The energy in our bodies flows through and is regulated by chakras. Chakra comes from the Sanskrit word meaning wheel, and we can think of chakras like vacuums. They spin, taking in energy, and redirect it to the body. We have seven major chakras throughout our body, each of which is essential to our good health and well-being.

Ideally, these chakras are balanced, meaning they have just the right amount of energy flowing through them. In reality, though, our chakras become unbalanced. When this happens, it can cause us to have illness or injuries in the areas associated with the chakra.

Energy dysfunction often arises when a woman is confused about how to use both her loving (fourth chakra) and her creative (second chakra) energies optimally. The major conflict within women is that most of us still believe that in order to be loved, to receive love, and to guarantee that someone will need us, we must care for loved ones’ external physical needs.

I’ve worked with people who have cancers of every type imaginable, and I do see common patterns. For example, cancers of the reproductive organs, especially Breast Cancer, is often accompanied by feelings of having taken on too many responsibilities; total overwhelm. What woman today doesn’t feel like she is supposed to be superwoman, finessing her job, the kids, the house, her aging parents. She has little time left over for her own needs.

This care for external needs comes at the expense of internal needs. We opay attention to the body but not the soul, and this can make us ill.

Medicine may be able to cure our physical illnesses, but healing only comes when we look at the underlying causes. What we have inside of us, inside of our minds, in our energy field, affects our bodies, and if we don’t deal with that, we can never achieve healing. True, we may eliminate physical symptoms for a time. But what we are doing is covering up wounds that go deeper than the body. It is only a matter of time before new symptoms, new illnesses, and new injuries arise.

Burying emotions, feelings, or your past has a way of catching up with you. Everythign may appear to be going fine on the surface, but your body may be reminding you that you need to process and release the negative energy before your body can be truly healthy. The healing process, even for a disease as virulent as cancer, opens up when we look inside ourselves and discover what is at the root of our illness. Then we can begin the journey to making our mind, body, and spirit well. Indeed, uncovering the truths we have buried in our bodies can help traditional medical treatments work better.

“One must not forget that recovery is brought about not by the physician but by the sick man himself. He heals himself, by his own power, exactly as he walks by means of his own power, or eats, or thinks, breathes or sleeps.” ~ George Groddeck, The Book of the It

Excessive stress can be detrimental to anyone, but especially to those with cancer.

One of the cardinal observations in stress research is that stress dysregulates the immune system. This area of research, called psychoneuroimmunology, has now established that stress causes suppression of cell-mediated immunity, which is a primary defense against metastasis.

In order to find emotional healing, we need to combat the stress that can threaten to overwhelm us. The ultimate goal is to discover the root of the problem. In order to get our minds and bodies to that point, we first need to calm ourselves and move into a position in which this deeper healing is possible.

• Meditate:
  • Find a comfortable position.
  • Close your eyes and imagine something calm and soothing.
  • If you get easily distracted, it may work better to leave your eyes open and focus on an object.
  • It does not matter what you look at or picture; it only matters that you are trying to clear your mind of distractions.
  • Breathe in and out, slowly and calmly, through your nose.
  • Start by doing relaxed breathing for a minute or two. gradually work your way up.
  • You will find that this allows your energy to flow more optimally.
• Visualization:
  • Many athletes and business people use this technique to prepare for important events.
  • When you have cancer, your visualization can entail an image of your cancer being processed in a healthy way and released from your body.
  • Essentially, it’s imagining the body and mind defeating the disease.
  • For instance, you can picture new healthy cells flowering in your body.
  • Whatever image works for you can be helpful in giving you an image of success.
• Journal Writing:
  • Numerous studies have been done showing the enormous health benefits of journal writing.
  • Time and again, it is shown that those undergoing trauma of some sort actually feel physically better when they write about their stress.
  • Not only that, they have more hope and a better outlook.
  • When you feel the bleakest, write about it. This allows your feelings to be processed and released.
• Support Groups:
  • It has been found that people suffering from cancer who join support groups live longer and have a more positive outlook concerning both their disease and their recovery. 
  • A great way to find support is online. 
  • When you are up at two in the morning worrying about test results or when you have started a new medication that is causing insomnia, you can get online and talk about it with others.
  • There is no time or geographical restrictions imposed, and you can find the help and support you need whenever and wherever you can. 
  • You can often develop very strong bonds with those in these chat rooms and forums.
  • When your family and friends don’t understand, you can be assured that these people do.
  • You can even blog about your own experiences and extend a healing hand to millions of people who feel alone.
  • This combines the benefits of support groups with the therapy of journal writing. 
  • ***Please see the list of support groups in the categories below.
• Focused Imagery: 
  • We have talked about the importance of balanced energy flow in maintaining and recovering health. 
  • When pain or despair threatens, you can try to restore your chakras to order and harmony.
  • Close your eyes and imagine a ball of warm, healing light glowing in your body.
  • Reall concentrate on feeling it as well as seeing it.
  • Move the healing ball over your body, especially where you are feeling pain or discomfort.
  • To end, imagine the ball moving away from your body, taking away all the negative feelings, both physical and mental.
• Affirmations:
  • Positive affirmations can be used in conjunction with any of these techniques. They have statements, always positive, regarding the truth of your situation. 
  • You can create your own or turn to religion to help you.
  • For instance, the Book of Proverbs says, “As a man thinketh, so he is.” 
  • This will remind you that the power to heal is in your mind.
  • You can also repeat, “I am strong. I am whole.” 
  • Whatever feels comfortable to you and will give you a needed boost of energy will make a great affirmation.
  • Make it short, and make it positive.
  • Repeat this and other affirmations to yourself many times a day.

These techniques and others can help your mind move into a healthier place, which is necessary before your body can follow. It may take practice before you are comfortable with techniques like imagery and deep breathing, which I teach at my healing workshops and energy medicine retreats. You may feel silly saying affirmations. That is our societal conditioning kicking in! Get past this, and you will feel benefits that extend to your mind and your body. The key is to find something that works for you, something that restores you to a sense of peace.

More and more, people worldwide are turning to the kinds of progressive, alternative medicine techniques taught at a spiritual healing centers. While traditional Western medicine treats only the outermost physical symptoms, spiritual medicine addresses total wellness at the deepest levels. No matter what obstacles the body faces, incredible relief is possible by drawing upon ancient wisdom and the timeless power of energy.

Where Western Medicine Goes Wrong

Playing “catch-up.” All too often, conventional medicine treats physical problems long after the initial imbalance which caused them. At a spiritual healing center, root conditions can be nurtured and balanced long before major manifestations of illness arise.

Over-medicating. Factory-made pharmaceuticals are often a blunt tool that can actually stifle true healing by simply masking the very surface of imbalance. Unfortunately, many prescriptions are as motivated by corporate profit as by a desire to help.

The rush to surgery. Which method intuitively sounds more reasonable—violently cutting open the body or gently restoring balance to its systems? Our instincts are usually correct; taking a nurturing approach to healing can have far more benefits than a harsh and potentially life-threatening operation.

Alternative Healing Methods You Can Study at a Spiritual Healing Center

Luckily, we have more options than just pills and scalpels. In every time and culture in the world, from the Aztecs to Native Americans to the ancient Chinese, medicine men have practiced a natural, non-harming method of healing, energy medicine. This balancing and application of the unseen energy, which courses through all living things, is a time-tested technique that has been studied and validated from traditional practice to the halls of today’s most respected universities.

Falling under the umbrella of “alternative medicine,” there are countless energy healing techniques that have provided powerful relief from every physical malady you can think of.

• Meditation:
  • You’ve heard of and maybe even practiced meditation, but did you know it is one of the most powerful healing modalities known to man?
  • By accessing expanded states of consciousness, we are able to soothe internal imbalance and tap into vast wells of unseen power to bring our bodies into wellness.
  • Chakra Balancing:
    • The chakras are like invisible portals in every human body; think of them as vortexes that guide the flow of energy throughout all parts of our lives. 
    • By learning to clear and balance these gateways, we are able to bring a state of alignment and momentum to our life experience.
  • Acupuncture/ Reflexology:
    • These well-known alternative techniques you’ll find practiced at a spiritual healing center clear channels along the energy meridian in the body by stimulating very specific pressure points.
  • Herbal/ Flower Remedies:
    • What could be more natural than creating medicine from the planet we live on?
    • These types of remedies need no factory or corporate agenda to restore wellness.
  • Healing by Touch:
    • A skilled energy medicine practitioner can move and release stagnation with the aid of physical touch.
    • One such technique, known as Reiki, uses the placement of hands over and on the body as a powerful tool for energetic alignment and the promotion of overall well-being.

“A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ.” ~ John Steinbeck

There has been no direct link discovered between stress and the development of cancer, but in my healing work with thousands of individuals, I have seen that link. Here’s how it happens: when children develop the habit of holding in their emotions, a traumatic event as an adult, like a car accident or divorce, can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back of your health.

Anything that makes us feel that we don’t have control over our life can throw us totally sideways. A personal tragedy may result in an access level of stress, which can create immune deficiency.

Combined with underlying personality traits and a habit of suppressing emotion, cells can start proliferating in an unhealthy way. 

Western Medicine requires a visible proof, so they haven’t seen a link since it is difficult to measure stress quantitatively. It is also impossible to separate stress from behaviors caused by stress, such as drinking, smoking, eating poorly, and more. These factors can cause cancer too.

Cancer is not just a physical disease. It is a disease of the mind and soul as much as it is of the body. In our society, especially in the field of medicine, we tend not to believe something unless there is test after test and study after study attesting to its “truth.” Many believe that what happens in the body is strictly physical; there must be a reason why we get sick or why we hurt, and it can be explained by science.

But recently, the mind and its influence over the body have become a topic of intense interest in the medical community. We are finally beginning to realize what ancient cultures have known all along, that there is a strong mind-body connection and that what we feel has a direct relationship with how we feel.

Stress has always been a part of life. It was a survival tool for our ancestors. When faced with situations like famine, war, or animal attacks, their bodies produced adrenaline and cortisol, which gave them the added “boost” they needed to deal with the threat. Today, our bodies do the same thing, but the stress response can get out of control. A certain amount is needed to deal with difficult situations, but many of us feel stressed constantly. Many people experience intense stress even when there is no direct threat or triggering event.

Chronic stress has been shown to be a major factor in several diseases, particularly those related to the immense system and heart. A new thread in medical research is whether stress can cause cancer. Can an affliction of the mind produce such a big impact on the body?

According to the National Cancer Institute, “Stress also can lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating, smoking, or abusing drugs or alcohol, that may affect cancer risk.” But can stress be a cause in and of itself? Several studies seem to indicate a link.

• A study of 36,000 Swedish women aged 30-50 who were followed over a 14-year period found that women in demanding jobs were 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who had less demanding jobs or who were not as stressed out about their work situations. Dr. Emma Pennery of Breast Cancer Care said to the results: Previous studies have failed to provide any convincing link between breast cancer and stress. One of the difficulties is that it is hard to measure stress; it’s an objective thing. But if people are stressed, that can lead to unhealthy behavior. If women feel stressed, they may not eat as well, they may drink more, and they may do less exercise. All these can increase the risks of breast cancer.
• A study conducted by Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia found that stress affected the body’s ability to fight HPV (human papillomavirus), which can lead to cervical cancer. Researcher Carolyn F. Fang said: An effective immune response against HPV can lead to viral clearance and resolution of HPV infection, but some women are less able to mount an effective immune response to HPV.
• A Swedish study followed 1000 women for 24 years. Those who reported experiencing “significant” stress in the five years before the study were found to be twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who did not.

Studies have also been conducted into whether stress impacts the prognosis of people suffering from cancer. A study led by Barbara Anderson of the University of Ohio found that breast cancer patients who felt a high level of stress had few “natural killer cells.” Dr. Anderson said of her findings: Natural killer cells have an extremely important function with regard to cancer because they are capable of detecting and killing cancer cells. These results, although preliminary, suggest that psychological stress may play a role in how the immune system responds to cancer.

It’s clear from previous research that psychological interventions can improve the quality of life for cancer patients. The question is whether such interventions can have biological or health consequences. Psychological interventions might not only have important roles in reducing stress and improving quality of life but also in extending survival. We need to examine this possibility more closely.

Studies done by Professor Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu of the Tel Aviv University Department of Psychology have shown that the release of stress hormones like adrenaline “underlies much of the devastating effects of surgery on immune competence.” In other words, it is not the surgery itself or the disease’s effect on tissue that compromises the immune system; it is stress. A weakened immune system often causes tumors to metastasize after surgeries. Professor Ben-Eliyahu suggests that blocking the release of these hormones and reducing stress immediately prior to, during, and after surgery will improve people’s prognoses and their chances for long-term survival.

These studies tell us that stress has a very real effect on our bodies.

Examine your lifestyle for sources of stress. Are there some stresses that you can eliminate? The best ways to clear stress from your energy field are:

• Get more sun
• Get more sleep
• Avoid people, places, and things that really bother you
• Utilize relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, prayer, and exercise
• Laugh every day

Destress in any way that works for you.

ACS (American Cancer Society) National Cancer Information Center:

• A reliable source of trained cancer information specialists who answer questions about cancer, connect you with local resources and give information on local events.

Gilda’s Club:

• The Gilda’s Club’s philosophy of providing an emotional and social support community as an essential complement to medical treatment when cancer is in the family enables the organization to serve as a beacon for the provision of healthcare services in the 21st century.

Patient Advocate Foundation:

• The Patient Advocate Foundation offers help for patients who have been diagnosed with a chronic, life-threatening, or debilitating disease and are having trouble with the healthcare system, which can include specific issues regarding insurance, job retention, and/or debt.
• Patients who need the services provided by the Patient Advocate Foundation should call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 to be quickly connected to professional case managers and attorneys specializing in mediation, negotiation, education, and advocacy.
• These specially trained case managers work directly with patients and families to help overcome barriers to care. 
• All services are confidential and free to the patient.

Connect Thur Cancer

• Founded by Cathy Gabrielsen. Since 2007, Connect Thru Cancer has provided free cancer support services and resources to individuals and families in cancer treatment.