How to cope with depression after breast cancer

Breast cancer patients often suffer from depression at some point during or after treatment. It's important to be familiar with the signs of depression so you can seek help or encourage a loved one to get the help they need. Dr. Mary Jane Massie, Attending Psychiatrist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, offers some advice on how to recognize and treat depression.

Diagnosing depression:

• About 25% of cancer patients will experience depression at some point during their illness.
• Anxiety is often a large component of depression. It’s commonly an initial symptom expressed by a patient to her doctor.
• A breast cancer patient may also be experiencing sadness, low moods, insomnia and trouble concentrating - the classic symptoms of depression.
• Sometimes depression hits after the treatment of breast cancer because there is no time for the woman to really sit back and digest what she has gone through.
• Many women experience physical reactions to breast cancer treatment, such as fatigue, which can often present itself as sadness.
• Often women think that they should feel elated once they have completed  treatment.  But, as Dr. Massie reminds us, there should not be any "shoulds" regarding our feelings - we feel what we feel.

Telltale signs of depression:

• Not feeling like the person you used to be.
• The inability to approach activities, your job or child care with the same enthusiasm.
• If you can’t bounce back from feeling blue like you used to.

Options for treating depression:

• Most breast cancer centers have treatment groups that can help you deal with your depression. Here you will be able to talk to other women experiencing depression.
• Some women prefer talking one-on-one.
• There are medications to help deal with depression. Some will treat both anxiety and depression.

How the family can get involved:

• Your family can speak to your doctor or others in the medical field to see how to support the patient, and to see how they are coping.
• There are also treatment groups for families where they can discuss their issues with other families.

For more information on treating depression and breast cancer go to www.komen.org or call the Komen for the Cure helpline at 1-800-IM AWARE.