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How Cancer affects the Six Dimensions^[1]

To learn more about each dimension of wellness, how they can be affected by cancer, and how to begin to reclaim a balance of wellness after cancer, visit each of the Wellness Dimensions listed below:

Physical Wellness Dimension  This encompasses the body. Cancer disrupts the Physical Dimension with pain and changes in the body. Some symptoms and physical concerns, including pain and fatigue, can linger after cancer treatment is over. Finding new balance in this dimension involves regaining strength, treating lingering pain, working with limitations, energizing the body with proper nutrition, and committing to a healthy lifestyle to prevent recurrence and maximize physical wellbeing. Physical balance also involves continuing to communicate physical concerns to a doctor and learning that the body can be injured or sick without indicating a recurrence of cancer or a serious problem.

Emotional Wellness Dimension This encompasses being able to recognize and accept feelings, strengths, and limitations. Achieving a new balance in this dimension may be especially challenging after cancer, as many people face anxiety, stress, anger, and a range of other emotions. Balance in the Emotional Wellness Dimension allows a person to experience a fuller life and handle positive and negative changes with emotional poise. Emotional balance interacts strongly with the Social Wellness Dimension and enables better relationships.

 Social Wellness Dimension This encompasses relationships with other people. After a cancer diagnosis or during cancer treatment, relationships can shift and change. Friends may act differently, not knowing what to say or how to cope with having an ill friend. Family members may become overly worried, or for children undergoing treatment, siblings may feel ignored and scared. People may not understand the physical limitations of treatment that prevent a person from enjoying a full social life, such as being tired, feeling sick, having a compromised immune system, or not wanting to be in public after experiencing hair loss or other physical changes. After cancer, relationships may change again as a person is able to take on more responsibility in the family or join in activities that they had to put “on hold” during treatment. Also, a person may deal with both old and new relationships differently after cancer and may have questions such as “how do I talk about my cancer experience with my new friends?”

 Intellectual Wellness Dimension This encompasses learning, creativity, knowledge, and skill acquisition. Some cancer patients experience cognitive impairment during treatment that makes reasoning and thinking seem difficult. Anxiety and stress can also make critical thinking seem challenging. At the same time, cancer patients are learning about their disease and taking in new kinds of information. After cancer, a person can return to learning and developing skills in areas that might have been put “on hold” during cancer treatment. Parts of the Intellectual Wellness Dimension, such as expressing creativity and learning new skills, can also help restore the balance in other dimensions, including the Emotional and Physical.

 Vocational Wellness Dimension This encompasses life goals, including pursuing education or a career, working, or becoming involved in the community. During cancer treatment, many people have less time and energy to devote to their vocation, whether this is working, studying, raising a family, or pursuing other life goals. Some people have to take time off from work or school for a long period of time. After cancer, many face a decision of whether or not to return to their previous vocation. Some change vocations entirely and experience a shift in life goals during the cancer experience. Restoring balance to the Vocational Wellness Dimension means reclaiming work satisfaction and performance, expressing goals and values, achieving objectives, and gaining a sense of contributing to the community and society at large.

Spiritual Wellness Dimension This encompasses personal beliefs and feelings about the meaning of life and an individual’s place in the universe. It also involves the formation of beliefs, values, and ethics. Spiritual wellness can include, but does not have to include, the practice of a religion or faith. Cancer can shake a person’s spirituality lead to questions or doubts about the meaning of life and the value of experiences. For others, cancer imbues life with new meaning or purpose. To reclaim the Spiritual Wellness Dimension, a person must reevaluate and rediscover what life means after cancer and build these new beliefs into his or her existing system of values.     

Question: How does Cancer affect the Environmental dimension of wellness? Feel free to answer!