breast diseases, psychosomatic implications

re: psychosomatic medicine (highlight mine)

"Dixie Mills, MD, an expert in breast care and surgery at Women to Women, has noted that women with a history of emotional and psychological trauma often have breast pain. These women often have difficulty creating nurturing relationships and have issues with never wanting to feel dependent on others in their lives. Dr. Mills notes that women with particularly severe mastalgia frequently come to the clinic alone, without a support person. I agree with her observations."

- Christiane Northrup, M.D. (2006). Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing. (3rd ed). Bantam. c/o sacredtrails2007@yahoo.com

"Our culture has skewed the nurturing metaphor in order that women will give themselves away to others, wihtout nurturing themselves. Women give and give and give until the well runs dry. If men and women generally went around without shirts, people would see that the major wound for women is the mastectomy scar. In contrast, the major scar for men would be the coronary artery bypass scar down the center of their chests-because many men need to learn how to open their hearts." - Northrup, C. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"Women with breast cancer frequently have a tendency toward self-sacrifice, inhibited sexuality, an inability to see themselves as supported by others, an inability to discharge anger or hostility, a tendency to hide anger and hostility behind a facade of pleasantness, and an unresolved hostile conflict with their mothers. There is evidence that women with breast cancer who perceive themselves as having high-quality emotional support from a husband or other source have an enhanced immune response. . . . Remember, it is not the emotion itself that cause the problem--it is the inability to express the emotion fully, release it, and respond to the situation in a healthy, adaptive fashion. . . . Severe loss is inescapable and part of the process of life for most of us. What helps is grieving fuly, accepting the situation, surrendering to something bigger than we are. - Northrup, C. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"Transforming the breast exam: From then on, whenever she touches her breasts, I ask her to do so not necessarily to find suspicious lumps but to send energies of caring and respect to this area of her body." - Northrup, C. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"The major emotion behind breast lumps and breast cancer is hurt, sorrow, and unfinished business generally related to nurturance." - Myss, Caroline.