Recovering from breast cancer

'Thinking positive thoughts when we are ill removes us from the role of victim and empowers us, changing the energy within and assisting the natural healing process,' says a spokesperson from the Bristol Cancer Help Centre. One way to create positive thoughts is through relaxation, meditation and visualisation. 'If you have ever enjoyed listening to a story and pictured the scenes vividly then you have had some experience of visualisation.' Using directed creative thought and images is a way of choosing to be more responsible for the way we think about ourselves. Some people like to imagine their body fighting the cancer cells - while others imagine themselves being simply well and strong.

According to Breast Cancer Care, women who have access to coping strategies early on in their diagnosis experience an improved quality of life and have fewer symptoms and side effects from treatment. For example, as a result of chemotherapy or tamoxifen treatment (a medication that slows or stops the growth of cancer cells), some women experience menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations and mood swings. This is due to a fall in the level of the female sex hormone, oestrogen. Some women find that imagining themselves in a cool place, such as by the sea, helps ease these flushes - a perfect example of visualisation and the power of mind over body.

However, Drennan says that while relaxing therapies such as meditation can help calm the mind, reduce anxiety and boost your self-image, there is no conclusive evidence to show that they can affect the physical progression of the disease. However, she lauds the special facilities many hospitals have, including aromatherapy massage for patients, as part of their cancer treatment. 'We can't promise that aromatherapy will help you recover, but if it helps you relax, improves your state of mind, and helps you cope with the treatment regime, it can only be a good thing,' she says.

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