How to regain body confidence after cancer?

Posted in: Cancer by Dr. Tarang Krishna Posted Date: 28 Feb, 2020

Cancer treatment can lead to various physical, emotional and psychological changes which are very difficult, sometimes impossible to share with your loved ones. Cancer survivors can feel depressed as different types of cancer and the treatments associated with them can affect their bodies as well as how they feel about it. Surgical scars and changes in weight and physical appearance can decrease confidence and induce anxiety. Body image also changes during treatment, with different effects on men and women.

The most rampant changes are fatigue, dryness of the skin, hair loss, weight loss or gain, scars from surgery, skin discolouration from irradiation, and bowel and bladder changes. Cancer can also lead to permanent changes, such as jaw removal or removal of part of a person’s face, in areas which are highly visible to others. Though reconstruction is typically part of a treatment plan in such cases, these changes can be very upsetting, especially at first.

Signs to show you need help coping after cancer treatment

Each individual is different making it longer and harder to come to terms with these body changes. These negative feelings about body confidence can sometimes affect your quality of life. For instance:

You don’t want to meet new people.
You don’t want to leave the house because you don’t want people to see you.
You avoid touching or being affectionate with your partner.
You’re embarrassed because you lost or gained weight.
You feel ashamed of having cancer.
You’re unable to accept yourself for who you are now.

If you have these feelings about your body changes, it might be tough to talk about intimate changes because you may worry about what people might think. But these are very common, real concerns. Keeping your feelings to yourself can stop you from doing the things you enjoy or getting help.

Tips to regain confidence and self-esteem

The leading oncologists say that they find that patients often find it extremely challenging to view themselves in a mirror after surgery or other such cancer treatment. They further add that it is not just the extent of the changes which makes it difficult for them to accept, but their suddenness. To overcome such times, here are some recommended ways to regain your body confidence:

Encourage yourself to give some time to adjust to changes

Certain changes are unavoidable, such as scars. Over time, you may start to adapt to the new reality and a new normal. Encouraging the patient to take time to adjust allows the patient to integrate what happened. Encouragement to be kind to themselves allows patients to mourn the change so they can better integrate it into who they are now.

Individual or group support services

Talking with other survivors who have had similar experiences in their lives can be helpful. Sharing feelings with other patients can provide an opportunity for hope and understanding. Talking one-to-one with a professional can provide patients with a safe space to be open about their feelings and learn new ways to cope and can help them better understand their own feelings. The doctors at Cancer Healer Center make sure that they let the patients know that they are not alone and that there are people ready and willing to help.

Alternative treatments for the changes

The doctors can also suggest appropriate alternative treatments for physical changes such as hair loss. In such cases, patients can be informed about reconstructive surgeries and cosmetic. Some women experience early menopause after starting chemotherapy. Understanding how chemotherapeutic drugs, surgical treatment, and radiotherapy can affect a person is important to prepare for the physical changes that may take place during treatment.

Indulge in physical activities

Encourage the survivors to remain as active as possible. This can allow them to feel more active and engage, hence making the process of acceptance easier.

Celebrate small things

The leading cancer doctors in India recommend celebrating the small things in life to improve mood and break the cycle of negative thoughts. Try noting down some positive things at the end of each day. Think about things that have happened, something you may have done or a compliment you received.

Set yourself a challenge

Many survivors have spoken about the benefits of getting back to a hobby you used to enjoy or learn something new. Make an achievable plan and set yourself a realistic timeframe. Once you’ve achieved it, congratulate yourself and allow others to congratulate you too.

Don’t compare yourself to others or yourself before cancer

People tend to fall prey to the trap of comparing oneself to others, or also to the ‘old self’. For instance, you might start thinking about all the things you can do before cancer. Such acts must be avoided since they result in us feeling low and bad about ourselves. Instead, look how far you have come to motivate yourself for a better life.

In addition to the above-listed points, it is important to remember to ‘Be Patient’. It takes time to get used to such changes and to adjust to life after the cancer treatment. If you underwent surgery it can cause scars and loss of feeling, hormone treatments can lead to menopausal symptoms, chemotherapy can cause hair loss and changes to the skin. Certain treatments can also cause weight gain. Hence, these reasons together make it difficult to revive confidence and ‘get back to normal’.

You don’t want to meet new people

You don’t want to leave the house because you don’t want people to see you

You avoid touching or being affectionate with your partner

You’re embarrassed because you lost or gained weight.