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Fun and distraction instead of counseling?

Page last modified on: October 8, 2008
Question from lilysmama: I guess this is less of a question than a statement. I just feel like adding counseling to our already busy lives with kids, doctor appointments and full-time work would be exhausting. Sometimes I think just adding more fun and distraction is the answer.
Answers —Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: I think you're absolutely right! Sometimes that can be the answer. But sometimes you feel too exhausted to add fun and distraction, and sometimes it seems like there's not enough fun to distract you. And sometimes adding counseling can unburden an otherwise overwhelming experience and make everything seem easier, so everyone is able to have more fun.
Lidia Schapira, M.D.: I agree with you that adding fun and laughter is a great tonic. However, I worry about those who have shared with us their feelings of exhaustion and depression, and think that they may just snap out of their depression through laughter. Some find it easier to cope with the extra challenge of an illness and others, unfortunately, are burdened by anxieties, fear and depression. For them, and for those who are suffering, there needs to be more than just fun and laughter, and counseling or therapy may be the necessary ingredient that leads them to recovery.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2006, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Coping with Your Changing Feelings and Relationships. Lidia Schapira, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions about facing your fears head-on, handling moodiness and depression, diffusing tension with your partner and feeling close without sexual activity, as well as issues of self-image and femininity.

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

Lidia Schapira, M.DLidia Schapira, M.D. is a medical oncologist at the Gillette Center for Breast Oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.

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