HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - The traditional diet of Greece and cancer.

marymary · 07-10-2006, 09:12 AM

I just received my copy of "Cure" magazine, Summer issue Volume 5, Number 2 2006.

On page 14 there is an article entitled "The Blame Game, Moving past myriad rationales for cancer guilt"

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"Labels lead to guilt, which can be a huge burden for newly diagnosed patients because it lurks around almost every turn. We feel guilt about causing our cancer, about having our families go through it, about not being able to do what we did before, if only for a short time. Then there are the financial burdens, and the list goes on. Particular guilt comes with behaviors linked to cancer: smoking, sun overexposure, a common sexually transmitted disease and obesity.

It's not unusual to try and find an answer to why cancer occurs, says Kymberley Bennett, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. "With any stressor, and cancer is a big stressor, we try to figure out why it happened to us," she says. "Ultimately, we want to try to identify something that we can, in turn, control."

And stressing about the cause of cancer can lead to additional stress, says Dr. Bennett, who recently led a study of 115 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer that showed that those who blamed themselves for their cancer showed higher levels of distress than those who didn't. The findings also suggested that self-blame negatively affected a patient's ability to psychologically adjust throughout the year following diagnosis."

I think the danger here is that of blaming the victim. The unpalatable truth is, no one knows what causes cancer. Period.

R.B. may be correct in his(?) assertions that Omega 3's and 6's play some sort of a role in cancer development/treatment. The fact is, however, that despite all of our very best efforts many of us here on this forum will die untimely deaths and that is not our fault. I can't help but bristle whenever I catch a nasty whif of blame.

Yes, R.B., I am taking Fish Oil supplements. I will probably die from breast cancer anyway.

I admire your dedication to research, however, perhaps on your wife's behalf? Unless I am mistaken, and you a a female. Clearly you are a warrior, and every country needs its warriors, whatever your sex may be.

Mary

07-10-2006, 09:12 AM	#57
marymary Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 46	The Blame Game I just received my copy of "Cure" magazine, Summer issue Volume 5, Number 2 2006. On page 14 there is an article entitled "The Blame Game, Moving past myriad rationales for cancer guilt" Here is an excerpt from the article: "Labels lead to guilt, which can be a huge burden for newly diagnosed patients because it lurks around almost every turn. We feel guilt about causing our cancer, about having our families go through it, about not being able to do what we did before, if only for a short time. Then there are the financial burdens, and the list goes on. Particular guilt comes with behaviors linked to cancer: smoking, sun overexposure, a common sexually transmitted disease and obesity. It's not unusual to try and find an answer to why cancer occurs, says Kymberley Bennett, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. "With any stressor, and cancer is a big stressor, we try to figure out why it happened to us," she says. "Ultimately, we want to try to identify something that we can, in turn, control." And stressing about the cause of cancer can lead to additional stress, says Dr. Bennett, who recently led a study of 115 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer that showed that those who blamed themselves for their cancer showed higher levels of distress than those who didn't. The findings also suggested that self-blame negatively affected a patient's ability to psychologically adjust throughout the year following diagnosis." I think the danger here is that of blaming the victim. The unpalatable truth is, no one knows what causes cancer. Period. R.B. may be correct in his(?) assertions that Omega 3's and 6's play some sort of a role in cancer development/treatment. The fact is, however, that despite all of our very best efforts many of us here on this forum will die untimely deaths *and that is not our fault*. I can't help but bristle whenever I catch a nasty whif of blame. Yes, R.B., I am taking Fish Oil supplements. I will probably die from breast cancer anyway. I admire your dedication to research, however, perhaps on your wife's behalf? Unless I am mistaken, and you a a female. Clearly you are a warrior, and every country needs its warriors, whatever your sex may be. Mary