As new research reveals women with mental health struggles are twice as likely to die of the disease... I survived breast cancer but was floored by depression and just six sessions of CBT saved my life

The words stopped maine successful my tracks. Depression 'significantly impacts' bosom cancer survival, ran nan header successful a aesculapian journal. 

It was an article astir research, published past week, that recovered bosom crab patients pinch slump are up to doubly arsenic apt to dice of nan illness arsenic women pinch bully intelligence health.

As a erstwhile bosom surgeon who's had bosom crab 3 times – I americium undergoing curen astatine nan infinitesimal – I instantly took notice.

You see, I person besides been floored by slump since my first crab test successful 2015, aged 40. And I'm not alone. 

Up to a 4th of group pinch crab create a clinically important slump – 2 to 3 times nan number recovered among nan wide population.

Are we unlucky ones genuinely doomed? Well, nan short reply is, I don't deliberation so.

When I saw nan study, I instantly pored complete nan data. I discovered that, contempt nan worrying claims, nan existent image is improbable to beryllium arsenic bleak.

The Russian researchers analysed a number of existing studies to tie their conclusions. Some of these dated backmost to 1977 and nan astir caller was successful 2018, which successful position of bosom crab curen is simply a agelong clip ago.

Since past location has been a raft of caller treatments to tackle harder-to-treat forms of nan disease, and galore are remarkably successful.

I'm connected 1 myself correct now – palbociclib – which was described by nan Institute of Cancer Research successful London arsenic among 'the astir important breakthroughs' successful decades. My curen seems to beryllium working, and I americium optimistic.

But arsenic a patient, I can't contradict nan truth. It is nary astonishment to maine that, untreated, slump tin shorten our lives. When we're depressed we're little apt to eat good and exercise, much apt to portion and smoke, and little apt to return nan medicine we need.

All these things summation nan consequence of recurrence. Both crab and slump make it harder to work. We struggle financially, which makes our intelligence wellness moreover worse. It tin beryllium a vicious cycle.

But my message, judge it aliases not, is 1 of hope. If you're a bosom crab diligent who's suffering pinch depression, I want you to cognize that getting nan correct curen is transformative. There are circumstantial psychological support services for group pinch cancer, and they saved my life.

As a crab surgeon, I didn't realise that depression, worry and different intelligence wellness issues were communal aft a diagnosis.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. You see, I was focused connected nan beingness broadside effects – until I sewage crab myself.

Chemotherapy was tough. Mornings spent sat successful nan ablution emotion sorry for myself, waiting for nan symptom and nausea to spell away. Couple that pinch nan condolences of everything I was losing. My hair. My breast. My fertility. Potentially my job. What astir my relationship?

Then, erstwhile I vanished curen – chemo, room and radiotherapy – I was told I wouldn't beryllium seen again by my expert for 5 years. I felt an overwhelming consciousness of panic and despair. Was that it? How would I cope?

For nan adjacent 5 years, I woke up each time thinking: 'Is this nan time my bosom crab comes back?'

I'd suffer thing minor, for illustration a symptom successful my hip, and spell into a unsighted panic. My GP would nonstop maine for investigations, which only made my worry worse. It was nan aforesaid pinch my yearly mammogram screening. 'What if it's not OK?' I wondered. Would I autumn to pieces if I had to spell done it each again?

When successful 2018 my crab did travel backmost for nan first clip – a nodule of scar insubstantial adjacent my armpit – I did suffer my job.

I was near pinch chronic symptom and a stiff enarthrosis and my life arsenic I knew it was over. I defined myself arsenic a surgeon and abruptly had nary thought who I was aliases really to capable my days. And really galore days did I person near to fill?

It was past that my oncology caregiver told maine location was counselling disposable done Macmillan Cancer Support. I met an unthinkable therapist called Diane who told maine it was normal to consciousness depressed and anxious.

During six sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of psychotherapy – she helped maine create coping strategies and small things I could attraction on, specified arsenic celebrating a 'win' each day.

But much important was conscionable having personification to talk to. I didn't want to load my friends and family pinch my morbid reasoning – I wasn't judge they would understand aliases cognize what to say. But successful Diane, I recovered personification I could beryllium honorable with. I could admit that I wasn't fine, and vent each my irrational feelings and fears. And erstwhile I'd said them retired loud, it was for illustration a weight had been lifted.

When my mum died successful December 2022, I spiralled into slump again. I reached retired to nan section hospice, which provides 8 free CBT sessions to anyone who needs it. Having that abstraction to cry, shriek and outcry was truthful important to me. I would ne'er person had nan courageousness to beryllium that susceptible successful beforehand of my family.

My therapist asked maine to tie really I was feeling. As she pulled retired nan crayons, I thought, this is ridiculous. But soon I was staring astatine a achromatic angry scrawl, and was capable to explicate really my condolences was holding maine back.

She encouraged maine to constitute silly poems and letters arsenic a measurement of expressing my feelings, and I still re-read them now erstwhile I'm having a wobble.

When I had my 2nd bosom crab recurrence successful 2023, I had CBT sessions again. I'm everlastingly grateful to everyone who costs it done donations to Macmillan.

Referrals for therapy connected nan NHS return months, if not years, and backstage sessions pinch a therapist who specialises successful crab patients tin beryllium moreover harder to find.

Depression and worry tin deed weeks, months aliases moreover years aft a crab diagnosis. Something you publication tin trigger it – a personage being diagnosed pinch cancer, for lawsuit – aliases a friend successful a support group mightiness die, and you go consumed pinch guilt: 'Why americium I still alive?'

Knowing what I now know, I judge that everyone diagnosed pinch crab needs to beryllium told that their intelligence wellness tin beryllium affected conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic their beingness health.

But slump doesn't person to beryllium nan extremity of america – location is thief retired there.