Yesterday I met with Reel Recovery, a national non-profit organization providing free fly-fishing retreats for men coping with cancer. It got me thinking about how my survival tactics have changed along my cancer journey. Research shows men tend to manage stress on their own through fight and flight tactics, while women use tend and befriend tactics that promote better health and healing. The latest findings of the Life After Breast Cancer Epidemiology study suggest it’s not just the size of social support networks that decrease mortality, but network quality combined with the levels of social-emotional support from family. At some point I realized I couldn’t do this alone, and got more comfortable with telling my story, and seeking out social-emotional help from others. Be mindful today of those seeking your social-emotional support.
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