Cancer diagnosis: The rug has been pulled from under you

Life is full of ups and downs, with even some curve balls thrown into the mix, but getting a cancer diagnosis is up there for full-on impact. It can feel like the rug being pulled from under your feet and can send you straight into flight or freeze. 

You may feel numb or stunned, unable to take the words in, disbelieving and terrified of the next steps. Your mind may start to panic and feel chaotic unable to focus or listen as the blood pumps around your brain. You may even feel rage and anger at this news, as you’re feeling out of control and unsafe. 

Whilst these are all natural reactions to the situation you find yourself in, they nonetheless will also have a negative impact on your health, as your body is experiencing a massive stress response.

When in this state your body is more worried about escaping the “tiger” than healing, so it prioritises flight over health and thus shuts down your immune system, just when you need it the most!

In discussing a client’s health timeline recently, I saw each pertinent moment she shared like a row of stitches throughout her life. But, the original diagnosis is one of the most important aspects to look at, as it is the first stitch which starts with a knot.

I’ve heard it said that the shock of the initial cancer diagnosis can be responsible for secondary cancers and whether this is true or not, the impact of those unexpected words will no doubt have a powerful effect on the client’s energy. 

In this particular session, my client shared that upon hearing her primary diagnosis in 2016, it felt like she was filling with water and then she fainted to the ground with weak legs... a definite freeze response. 

Her body’s immune system won't function optimally until this freeze response is deactivated, and until then I see that every shock or stress that follows it will pull on this initial knot, compounding the damage to the body. 

These moments can be tests, treatments, clinic reviews, blood draws or chemotherapy for example; each coming with its own level of anxiety, worry and fear, creating the catch of a stitch each time. 

You’ve also got all those personal feelings around being diagnosed, maybe the conflict or disempowerment you may feel with your family or doctors or the grief at what you are losing; your independence, self-worth, health and even your financial status. 

Understandably there will be moments of fear around reoccurrence or living with uncertainty with bouts of depression common as well, where you feel like you’re drowning whilst watching everyone else breathe normally. 

These are powerful heavy moments that will also have a negative impact on your energetic well-being. 

EFT, tapping and meditation

I find EFT, tapping and meditation such powerful ways to help release the emotions that are tethered into the energy field, at these challenging moments in time. 

Evidence has shown that EFT is quick and effective at calming down the Amygdala and soothing the nervous system, with lasting impact as well. The beauty being that energy doesn’t understand time, so you are able to recognise and release those old stories and fears that are stuck within your energetic system and are holding you back from optimal well-being.

My client shared after a powerful tapping session that it felt like I’d “wrapped it all up” and released all those initial feelings of shock. She was delighted she felt so much lighter afterwards and after eight years felt she was no longer carrying this heavy weight around, recognising how much healthier this was for her. 

The thread of shock had finally been released.

EFT and energy medicine are gentle but powerful protocols that can support and help you take back that control and create a new empowering healing mindset to lead you into the next steps. Learn more about how energetic work can support you.