For some women, deeply ingrained ideas about individual responsibility for health can add a layer of guilt at this difficult time. Some self-help books take a stance that can add to this misplaced extra burden of blame. Other expectations can also be factors in an individual's emotional experience. For example, patients are often prepared for the physical side effects of chemotherapy, but not for the emotional experience of shame, embarrassment, dependency, panic and unattractiveness that many women encounter. Patients may not be prepared for the loss of trust in their own bodily experience and find their anxiety levels rising after treatment is completed and the protective umbrella of frequent contact with medical personnel is gone.
Cancer is a crisis for the family and for the network of people around the patient.
Many women attempt to deny their own needs so that the family will not suffer and the family may maintain an attitude of forced cheerfulness avoiding discussion of anything that might be negative. Cancer can become an isolating experience. There is strong evidence that Individual and Group Psychotherapy can help. Group members often gain by learning and seeing other people in the group and may discover new ways to solve problems. The sense of isolation can be reduced.