Kristen Bell & COVID-19 Mental Health
- Actress Kristen Bell gets candid with followers when she disclosed that she’s been struggling, writing, “I’ve been struggling the last 2 weeks, for who-knows-why-slash-ALL-the-reasons…To anyone who’s been feeling the same, you can do it. Just do the next right thing.”
- Taking care of your mental health during the pandemic, especially if you’re going through cancer treatment, can make a big difference in how you feel day-to-day.
- Experts tell SurvivorNet that keeping a positive mindset has been shown to have benefits for those who are battling cancer.
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Bell has been open in the past about her struggles with anxiety and depression. Her willingness to talk about mental health and her decision to take anti-depressants is incredibly inspiring and releases others from any shame they may feel around discussing mental health. It amazing how Bell is showing the world that these struggles aren’t something to be ashamed of.
Mental Health for People with Cancer
For people fighting cancer amid the pandemic, they are faced with an additional amount of struggles, on top of all the day-to-day pandemic woes. Dr. Mona Robbins, a Psychologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said in a previous interview that a cancer diagnosis can change your identity, and she encourages people to think about how they can take control of their new reality, and take care of their mental health.
Related: Mental Health and Cancer The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
“In my work with patients,” said Dr. Robbins, “I want to make sure that they recognize who they are as they're going through treatment…Something else that's helpful is the idea of distraction, where perhaps a person listens to music or does something that takes their mind away," she said.
Dr. Robbins also acknowledges the power of the mind-body connection, and how people battling cancer can use it to their advantage. "Just the way you think can affect your energy, your mood, your desire, and your motivation,” she said. “There's this connection with the mind and the body that if we adjust the way that we think, we can really help our bodies to heal," Dr. Robbins says.
Staying Positive Through Cancer
During tough moments, whether it’s living through a pandemic or battling cancer, it can be difficult to look for the silver linings. But focusing on the good, staying grateful, and finding the positive, in any situation, can make a big difference. An expert told SurvivorNet how it may even improve a person’s prognosis when battling cancer.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, said in an earlier interview, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
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