Emotional Well-Being

After you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you may feel many emotions, including shock, fear, anxiety, guilt, sadness, depression, anger, and more. Each person may have some or all of these feelings, and each will handle them in a different way.  This section gives various ways of coping with your diagnosis.

Looking After Your Emotional Well-Being

A breast cancer diagnosis will bring about many emotions and at different times throughout your treatment or recovery. At first you may be shocked and overwhelmed, but then scared or angry later on. It is natural to have good and bad emotions throughout this experience.

There are also many different ways people cope with these emotions. Some women choose to seek out credible information and feel better when they learn as much as they can about their diagnosis. Others find it helps to start a private journal, an online blog or join a support group.

It is ok not to feel positive and strong all the time. Even if you have a strong support group and work hard at coping with your fears and emotions, you will still have times of sadness and anxiety.  If you are experiencing overwhelming sadness and it is interfering with your day-to-day activities, you may want to speak with your doctor. He or she might be able to refer you to a social worker, counsellor or another mental health professional.

For more information on cancer-related emotions and how to deal with them, visit the National Cancer Institute. 

The Canadian Cancer Society has a database that can be used to find local support services in your area. You can access it below:

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