Breast cancer and Bipolar with Anxiety

I feel you about the double whammy. What a word play. Two body parts: boob and head. Two poles: manic and depressed.

Hello gretchy and all,

I'm very sorry you are dealing with cancer, along with everything else, but I'm very glad you've posted and shared your experiences. Please don't apologize for ranting - it's hard enough dealing with emotional problems, even without adding cancer, and if ranting, screaming, or crying help at all, you've definitely earned the right to do it!

I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and depression that varies from minor to major (and lots of shame and guilt), and was diagnosed with Stage 1 Tubular Carcinoma a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes I think I'm dealing better with this diagnosis, because it's not stigmatized in the way mental illness is, and I'm being kinder to myself about this than I am about my other issues, because I can't blame myself for this (nor for the mental illnesses, but I still feel ashamed and guilty about those), or “fix" it with a positive attitude or trying harder to be “better" the way even helpful, kind people sometimes seem to imply that you can do with mental illness. (And - if you cry over breast cancer - no one asks if you're taking your meds, because cancer is considered by some people a more valid, “real" reason to be sad than depression...not to compare them, because they're both awful in different ways and no one deserves either, or all the other diagnoses you're dealing with.)

It's so good to have found this thread because - I don't know if any of you feel this way - but I often feel more at home with others who have similar issues, and - even if we all deal with this in different ways, maybe it will be easier to share here those thoughts/reactions that others might not understand.

I hope you're all doing okay and are able to find small pleasures and comforts to help you cope and heal, and hopefully other people in the same boat find this thread and know they're not alone.

Well said, gretchy, and best wishes to you all!

(By the way, I hope this doesn’t sound trivializing, but - when I was a kid - there was a game show called “Press Your Luck”, and Whammies were nasty little creatures who laughed and took away good stuff from you if you landed on their squares of the board, so - when you guys mention “Double Whammies” - I picture us with pairs of these jerks on our chests.)

I am Bipolar-Depressed and have a General Anxiety Disorder. I never thought of others who have similar disorders and have to go through BC treatment. I hate that others have to do this but I don’t feel quite so different.

Just saw this thread and am hoping it gets me thru the next few weeks. I have Stage 3b and am scheduled for a mastectomy this week, so I am freaking out with anxiety. But what really has me going insane is an oncologist who insists on bringing up a bipolar diagnosis from 30 years ago and telling me I need a shrink. (And putting stuff like this in her notes.) I fired my last oncologist for the same reason. Bipolar doesn't define me any more than my cancer dx does. Why is it so easy for a medical professional to stigmatize someone instead of empathize with them because the BC sword of Damacles is hanging over their head? Do they not understand that one does not need to be bipolar to freak out over all that we are going through? Has anyone else had this problem? I find it insulting, kind of unethical, discriminatory, and not at all helpful. But maybe that's because I need to "take my meds"? Lol Anyway, please wish me luck. I've never had major surgery. Or general anesthesia.