A breast cancer diagnosis can bring a flood of thoughts and emotions that are hard to quiet—especially the endless “what ifs.” From the moment you hear the words “you have cancer,” your mind can begin racing ahead, trying to prepare for every possible outcome.
These “what if” thoughts are a common part of the cancer journey. They often come from a place of fear, uncertainty, and a deep desire to protect yourself and the people you love. But when those thoughts begin to take over, they can leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and emotionally exhausted.
The truth is, while you may not be able to stop every fearful thought from appearing, you can learn how to respond to them with more compassion, grounding, and control.
Power & Influence of Thoughts and Emotions
We act, react, and behave (overtly or covertly) in response to our thoughts and emotions. Understanding and questioning your thoughts gives you control over your actions. Thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all interconnected. The way that a person thinks and feels about a situation will impact the person’s behavior. Further, the person’s thoughts and emotions can also impact each other causing thoughts and feelings to combine leading to a big emotional behavior or response.
“What If” Thinking Pattern
Often, people experience “what if” thoughts that can lead to anxiety, depression and many other emotional responses. Challenging the “what if” thinking patterns can alleviate the person’s emotional response.
To challenge these thought patterns, it is helpful to look for “evidence” that supports or contradicts the thought. A person can also change the “what if” thinking into more positive “what if” thought patterns such as “what if the treatment gives me side effects short term, but long term leads to remission.”
Coping Skills
Utilizing coping skills such as guided mediation, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding skills can also help to alleviate negative thought patterns and decrease anxiety, depression and other negative emotions.
Here is an example of a Cognitive Model Example on how you can train your brain to navigate “what if” thoughts and the Cognitive Behavior Model Method.
Written by Tricia Allen, LCMHC and clinical director of our community partner Matone Counseling & Testing
Matone Counseling and Testing provides compassionate care to the community by empowering great clinicians to provide diverse services. Their emphasis has been to help diverse populations by making behavioral health available to all segments of the community. They accept almost every insurance plan on the market and partner with dozens of primary care doctors, treatment centers, and specialists across the city to make quality mental health care accessible to the entire community.
