Psychology of Cancer Stage-1: Shock

Psychology of Cancer Shock. Can we talk openly about the psychology of cancer? There are 14 different documented stages people go through and I can honestly say I resonate with many of them.

Each week, I’d like to cover a stage. My hope is that we can foster a discussion around something that matters to so many of us, but perhaps not many “get it.” I am here for you.

At times it can be so difficult to put into words what we are going through. Putting words to a feeling is not easy for everyone and sometimes we logically need a way to word things in order to understand it and also to communicate it to our loved ones.

The first of these stages is SHOCK. I’d like to share this quote from the Flower Society that I found so interesting: “About 6 to 18 months before cancer becomes diagnosed, the person consciously or sometimes subconsciously has experienced a severe shock or a number of shocks in an area of major importance for his/her life.”

Now isn’t that a phenomenon? I can say this is true for so many cancer patients I have talked with. Many of them have a story about something drastic in their life that happened 6 months to a year and a half prior to diagnosis.

I certainly have my own thoughts around it as I myself experienced a huge life change right before my diagnosis. Does this ring true for you too? Think of 6 months to a year and half before diagnosis. If something comes to mind, let’s connect in the comments.

Shock is defined by Webster Dictionary as “a sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience”… it can present itself as a loss for words. It can present itself physically, where we can lose color in our skin and feel dizzy. Shock can “stun” a person into paralysis.

But I don’t want to scare you. Shock doesn’t last forever as we move through the stages, we get more of a grip on what is going on. Remember, chronic fear is a sin! You can feel shocked, but I encourage you to push away any fear and focus on God.

Stay tuned for the next stage. We will cover all 14. Until then, I am always here to connect and my prayers go out to you every single day.