[[{"@type":["BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/#BlogPosting","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":["https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/","https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/"],"publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/#BlogPosting_author_Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/#BlogPosting_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Woman-Wearing-A-Breast-Cancer-Ribbon.jpg"}],"headline":"The Emotional Effects of Having a Mastectomy","dateModified":"2021-11-11T12:15:48+00:00","datePublished":"2019-11-15T07:54:18+00:00","description":"From feelings of depression and isolation to a negative self-image, many breast cancer survivors encounter emotional mastectomy effects. Find out how to cope by visiting the Regional Cancer Care Associates blog.","articleBody":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNovember 15, 2019\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nBreast cancer is prevalent in the United States, so many women will undergo a single or double mastectomy in their lifetime. If you are one of them, you already know that having a mastectomy will give you the best chance of a positive outcome. However, preparing for your procedure and getting used to your body after a mastectomy can take a toll on your emotional health and self-esteem. Here, Regional Cancer Care Associates takes a closer look at common emotional mastectomy effects and how to handle them.\nBefore a Mastectomy\nAfter making the difficult decision to undergo a mastectomy, it\u2019s completely normal for women to feel a flood of emotions. Many are concerned about whether they\u2019re making the right decision and experience anxiety over their future without one or both of their breasts. This is a significant change, and it\u2019s common for depression to set in \u2013 even before the procedure.\nIf you\u2019re preparing for a mastectomy, the best thing you can do during this time is to seek out the support of your loved ones. You may also find solace in speaking with a professional psychologist or therapist with experience helping women with breast cancer.\nAfter a Mastectomy\nYou\u2019ve successfully undergone your mastectomy and are officially a breast cancer survivor, but now you\u2019re faced with an entirely new set of challenges. Aside from the side effects that come along with healing from surgery, you\u2019re adjusting to changes in appearance, how clothing fits, and many other unexpected changes. And for many survivors, this can be the most difficult part of the diagnosis.\nLoss of positive self-image is among the most common emotional effects women confront after a mastectomy. Many survivors report that they feel less attractive and feminine, especially in the eyes of their partner. Along similar lines, they also experience negative effects on their sex life due to fears about their partner\u2019s perception of their body. In these cases, it\u2019s important to give yourself as much time as you need to heal \u2013 both mentally and physically. Having open discussions with your partner about your feelings will also help you adjust to life after a mastectomy.\nPost-surgical depression is also common. For instance, many survivors of breast cancer find that it\u2019s much more difficult to shop for clothes, undergarments, and even bathing suits. This can heighten feelings of loss and sadness, and can make you feel isolated from women who haven\u2019t been diagnosed with breast cancer. Reach out to friends and loved ones who are also cancer survivors during this time. They can offer encouragement from a perspective of shared experience. And don\u2019t forget the hobbies and activities you loved before your diagnosis. Immersing yourself in things you enjoy can help you feel more positive, confident, and strong.\nIn addition to counseling, many women benefit from joining a support group after breast cancer. You\u2019ll be able to share your experiences with women who\u2019ve gone through the same emotional and physical effects, and you\u2019ll receive valuable advice from other survivors. You may also wish to learn more about reconstructive breast surgery at this time. Surgical reconstruction restores the appearance of the breast, which can help build confidence after a mastectomy.\nAnd remember, your oncologist at Regional Cancer Care Associates is always on call to help you address any questions or concerns. For more information, contact us at one of our more than 30 locations in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey today.\nwe are here for you\nFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call (844) 301-4158. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the RCCA location nearest you.\nRELATED ARTICLES\nRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\n\u00a9 2022 Regional Cancer Care Associates. All rights reserved.","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"LocalBusiness","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Corporate Office 25 Main Street, Suite 601","postalCode":"07601","addressRegion":"NJ","addressLocality":"Hackensack","addressCountry":"USA","name":"Postal Address","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/#PostalAddress"},"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"1024","height":"468","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/themes\/rccah\/dist\/images\/RCCA_logo.jpg"},"contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Corporate Office Regional Cancer Care Associates 25 Main Street, Suite 601 Hackensack, NJ 07601 info@regionalcancercare.org Phone: (844) 346-7222","name":"Contact Corporate Office","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#CorporateOffice"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactOption":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#ContactPointOption","availableLanguage":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/English_language","areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey"],"contactType":"customer support","telephone":"+1 (201) 510-0922","email":"msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","description":"Media Inquiries: Mary Lou Salvemini Regional Cancer Care Associates Phone: (201) 510-0922 Email: msalvemini@regionalcancercare.org","name":"Contact Media Inquiries","image":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/RCCA_logo-300x137.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/contact\/#MediaInquiries"}],"areaServed":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hackensack,_New_Jersey","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Jersey"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Treatment_of_cancer","alternateName":"RCCA","description":"Leaders in Advanced Compassionate Cancer Care. Fight cancer with leading-edge treatments, experienced skill and local caring\/convenience from one of the nation's largest networks of cancer specialists.","email":"info@regionalcancercare.org","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/rgnlcancercare","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/regionalcancercareassoc","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10059183","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCFlVzU4UvZcyXBCe9ZSvAUQ"],"telephone":"+1 (844) 346-7222","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/"}],{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Emotional Effects of Having a Mastectomy","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/the-emotional-effects-of-having-a-mastectomy\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]