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Helplessness for family member overwhelming?

Page last modified on: August 18, 2008
Question from janey: I found it really difficult to be watching a family member with the disease. It is such an awful sense of helplessness. I know all I can do is be there for them, listen, help around the house, etc. I just wish there was more I could do.
Answers —David Spiegel, Ph.D.: Yes there is a sense of helplessness but there might be more you can do--just ask them. Let them know how much you care about them and that you feel it when they are suffering. Sharing those feelings is doing something. Talking is an intervention.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Being there for them is so therapeutic.

On Wednesday, October 18, 2000, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Feelings about Breast Cancer. David Spiegel, Ph.D. and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about the emotional effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

David Spiegel, Ph.D.David Spiegel, Ph.D. is professor and associate chairman of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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