Family Adjustment

Breast cancer changes your life and the lives of those close to you. It is natural for you and your family and friends to have many different and sometimes confusing emotions. You and your loved ones may feel frightened, angry, or depressed. Many people in the same situation have found that they cope with their emotions better if they can talk openly about their illness and their feelings.

Your family is a unit, and each member is affected when any one member is. People are hesitant to express negative feelings. Yet major shifts in family responsibilities - that may be necessary because of your cancer - can cause resentment by those shouldering (or incapable of shouldering) extra burdens. Losing some of your accustomed responsibility or authority may cause you to feel resentful as well as anxious over this loss.