Far from body image being how other people perceive you physically, it’s only centered around how you feel about yourself, and for the vast majority of people throughout the country, whether battling a chronic illness or not, body image can be a sensitive subject.
When waking up each morning and steeling yourself to undergo cancer treatment, you’ll feel both physically and mentally drained and you’ll naturally be thinking that your own body image has fallen to the bottom of your list of priorities.
However, self-worth and body image are intrinsically linked, and in order to help you successfully fight cancer, strength is essential, so with this in mind, here’s how to address both of these while you’re winning your fight against your cancer.
Potential Visible Changes to Your Body
Everyone is entirely unique, from their individual DNA and personality types, to how their body handles cancer treatment, but the following visible changes are the most common:
- Gaining or losing weight due to hormonal therapy, steroids, or other drugs
- The loss of a part of your body such as during breast cancer
- Visible scarring from operations
- Dry skin, acne, redness, and other rashes
- Hair loss
- Changes to your bodily functions such as speech or your digestive system
Your cancer treatment center and experienced professionals at moffitt.org will be ready to answer any questions you have regarding the typical changes to your body before and after cancer treatment.
Tackling Negative Feelings
Self-esteem and body image are intrinsic parts of every single human being on the planet and whether they overtly think about such elements or not, talking both to your loved ones and your medical doctors is absolutely essential.
Anxiety is a common feeling among cancer patients and can be combated by mindfulness and meditative techniques and other complimentary therapies such as reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, and acupuncture.
Take Your Time
Any change to the physical appearance of your body can take time to digest and come to terms with, but in the case of hair loss which is, in the vast majority of cases, entirely temporary, you have two different options.
Some cancer patients going through chemotherapy choose to be who they truly are in terms of their appearance and don’t try to hide the fact they’re undergoing treatment (it’s categorically nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about) and feel more confident not having to spend time covering it up.
Others, find strength, comfort, and indeed, mental resilience, in wearing a wig, a headscarf or another covering when they’re out in public as they want to go about their daily chores feeling and looking as they did before, as much as is possible.
Regardless of your choice, try to avoid spending long periods looking in a mirror if this makes you feel morose, and instead, use the time to think of ways to make you look as much like “you” as you can, and remind yourself that when all this is over, you can treat yourself to a new closet full of clothes.
Addressing Body Image & Self-Esteem Through Cancer Battles
Far from body image being how other people perceive you physically, it’s only centered around how you feel about yourself, and for the vast majority of people throughout the country, whether battling a chronic illness or not, body image can be a sensitive subject.
When waking up each morning and steeling yourself to undergo cancer treatment, you’ll feel both physically and mentally drained and you’ll naturally be thinking that your own body image has fallen to the bottom of your list of priorities.
However, self-worth and body image are intrinsically linked, and in order to help you successfully fight cancer, strength is essential, so with this in mind, here’s how to address both of these while you’re winning your fight against your cancer.
Potential Visible Changes to Your Body
Everyone is entirely unique, from their individual DNA and personality types, to how their body handles cancer treatment, but the following visible changes are the most common:
- Gaining or losing weight due to hormonal therapy, steroids, or other drugs
- The loss of a part of your body such as during breast cancer
- Visible scarring from operations
- Dry skin, acne, redness, and other rashes
- Hair loss
- Changes to your bodily functions such as speech or your digestive system
Your cancer treatment center and experienced professionals at moffitt.org will be ready to answer any questions you have regarding the typical changes to your body before and after cancer treatment.
Tackling Negative Feelings
Self-esteem and body image are intrinsic parts of every single human being on the planet and whether they overtly think about such elements or not, talking both to your loved ones and your medical doctors is absolutely essential.
Anxiety is a common feeling among cancer patients and can be combated by mindfulness and meditative techniques and other complementary therapies such as reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, and acupuncture.
Take Your Time
Any change to the physical appearance of your body can take time to digest and come to terms with, but in the case of hair loss which is, in the vast majority of cases, entirely temporary, you have two different options.
Some cancer patients going through chemotherapy choose to be who they truly are in terms of their appearance and don’t try to hide the fact they’re undergoing treatment (it’s categorically nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about) and feel more confident not having to spend time covering it up.
For others, they find strength, comfort, and indeed, mental resilience, in wearing a wig, a headscarf, or another covering when they’re out in public as they want to go about their daily chores feeling and looking as they did before, as much as is possible.
Regardless of your choice, try to avoid spending long periods looking in a mirror if this makes you feel morose, and instead, use the time to think of ways to make you look as much like “you” as you can, and remind yourself that when all this is over, you can treat yourself to a new closet full of clothes.
