TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

DEPRESSION

After you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you may find yourself stuck in a spiral of low mood, feeling helpless and hopeless of the future. Most people experience similar emotions. However, if your low mood persists, you could have depression.^{​​​​​​​1} Depression is a common condition in response to trauma.^{​​​​​​​1}

Depression can have a broad range of symptoms that varies from person to person. The list below is not exhaustive, however, if you have the following signs or any other concerns, you should talk to your treatment team or GP who can refer you to a counsellor or psychiatrist.^{​​​​​​​1}

Seeking professional advice may help you relieve these symptoms and feel better.^{​​​​​​​1} Support and treatment may include talking therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy, antidepressants, or connecting with your support system, such as other people with breast cancer or to your care team.¹

STRESS AND ANXIETY

Learning about your diagnosis, treatment options and potential changes that your body is going to experience may put you under immense stress. Any uncertainty that you foresee as a result of your diagnosis could intensify your nervous and panicky emotions.^{​​​​​​​2}​​

You may also feel anxious after you have received treatment or are in remission.^{​​​​​​​3} Worrying about recurrence is· common, and knowing the signs of recurrence could help you feel more at ease, with greater control of your condition.³ You should be aware of changes such as swelling in your chest, change in shape or size of breasts, change in skin texture, or redness or rash. If you have any concerns, you should talk to your doctor.³​​​​​​

WAYS TO BOOST YOUR MENTAL WELLBEING

Some techniques to reduce stress and anxiety include distraction, meditation and relaxation, or one-to-one counselling.² Regular exercise and staying physically active may also help you clear your mind and lower stress levels.^{​​​​​​​2} Starting with low-impact exercises such as yoga, swimming or brisk walking can help you stay active.⁴ However, distracting yourself with alcohol or smoking is unlikely to help, and can lead to other health problems.²

No matter what, you should remember that everyone’s mental health is different. While some people will find reaching out to family or friends for emotional and mental support effective for maintaining mental health, you may not.^{​​​​​​​5} It is okay to seek help from a mental health professional or support group to help you feel better.⁵