October is known to be Breast Cancer awareness month which is also why it is known as Pink October or Pinktober. It is an annual effort to promote awareness about the impact of breast cancer, as well as its etiology, prevention, detection, and treatments. AstraZeneca established October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1985 to promote mammography as the most efficient method of breast cancer prevention. The campaign was well noticed, and the European Breast Cancer Coalition established October 15 as European Breast Cancer Day in 2008. The pink ribbon has become a symbol of the breast cancer awareness campaign.
Auracious Global joined the Cause- “Breast Cancer Awareness” on October 26th, 2022. It extended support to all Breast Cancer Warriors, especially women who needed someone to hold on to them and support their cancer journey.
Early detection of breast cancer can increase the treatment and survival chances by 99%, which is why women must take care of their health and be more aware of breast cancer and its early signs. Some risk factors for breast cancer are aging, obesity, excessive alcohol use, a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, a history of exposure to radiation, reproductive history, and tobacco use. Therefore, it is essential to spread awareness about the same in all women and encourage them to be mindful and careful about related symptoms.
Whenever a woman is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, she goes through a series of emotions, or her existing emotions become more intense. They may begin to feel their life is out of control and disruptive. The feelings of helplessness, disbelief and anxiety start to take charge of their joyful lives- “WHY ME?” At this point, a little ray of hope that “your chances of living & fighting with it are better now than before, and everything will be better soon” is all that’s needed.
In recent years, Breast Cancer has proven to be the world’s most prevalent Cancer after lung cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2021 report, 2.3 million women were globally diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2020. Downheartedly, because of feminine stigmatization in many parts of the world, we are still behind social barriers to accepting women with breast cancer and sharing their experiences.
Going through Breast Cancer treatments can be difficult for you and your loved ones; it’s essential to let people around you know that you might need their support in several ways, emotionally and physically, throughout their journey.
Here are five ways you can support Pink Awareness in Women. and make a difference:
- Be their Emotional Support While it’s hard to understand the feelings and fears and “be in their shoes” of your loved one diagnosed with Breast cancer; you can still talk to them about their emotions at the time. Help them get through their phase of downness and loneliness and share a positive outlook on their life. Listening to them is the best contribution you can make to make their journey more manageable.
- Healing support in addition to medical care: Breast Cancer and its treatment not only take up your physical health but your overall mental well-being. Sometimes the caregivers or the medical professional might not be able to figure out the need for post-treatment psychological assistance but being a family member/close friend, you can feel their pain. Do not assume they might be doing well even after their treatment has ended; continue talking to them and teach them ways to unveil self-love and self-worth.
- Social Support: Help them accept the changes, physically and emotionally. It takes a lot of courage and motivation to move on with your day-to-day life after breast cancer. Make room for some extra patience and support in workplaces for women so that they are comfortable speaking openly about their experiences and changes. Get hold of the social stigma that women shouldn’t talk about their bodily functions and perceive isolation when diagnosed with breast cancer.
- Awareness at all levels: Keeping in mind our goal is to educate all, especially women, about the importance of diagnosing it at early stages and avoiding exposure to cancer causing substances, awareness starts from your home. Study and make yourself mindful of Breast Cancer and its impacts and encourage women around you to get themselves examined. This also requires several campaigns like Pinktober initiatives and Public Health Education system to promote early detection and breast cancer treatment courses. Appreciate any organization that works for the emotional well-being of women who have Breast Cancer and prioritizes self-care and their well-being.
- Support in all ways: Try to provide additional support for your loved ones by suggesting professional counselors, caregivers, and financial needs during their treatment and support their treatment decisions. It is more than just finding the best you can in terms of treatment. Help them find support groups that would allow them to share their emotions and cancer journeys and listen to others suffering through the same Cancer.
We all know that fighting cancer is difficult, but there are certain things we can do to help during the process and make it easier on our loved ones. We hope you find our suggestions for assisting breast cancer warriors useful. If you want more guidance like this on other topics of Personal and Professional Development, Subscribe to the Auracious Global Bi-Weekly Newsletter on through our website www.auraciousglobal.com
