Many medical professionals, psychologists, philosophers, and religious people recognize the power of faith. Your spiritual beliefs make a difference in how you view your breast cancer experience and you may believe that even this experience is part of a larger plan. Whatever your beliefs are, building on your spiritual self can be a source of great strength and support. Belief in a higher being can give you hope in the deepest, most difficult times in your life. Often faith grows stronger in times of need. Scientists have discovered that a feeling of hopefulness promotes healing and that faith often releases endorphins in the body. These endorphins are similar to those that circulate in runners and give them a “high” after running. These circulating endorphins have healing and pain-relief power. Building upon your spiritual self can include praying, meditating, relaxation practices, and being one with a higher being. The specifics of how you view faith and what your faith is are not the important pieces of spirituality. Spirituality is seeing inner beauty in yourself, others, and the world around you. It is seeing without seeing. It is a felt sense of purpose in life.

The holistic approach to breast cancer recognizes that the human experience is made up of body, mind, and spirit, and they all work together so that a person may find peace within herself, her relationship to others, and her place in the world. Though the mind-body connection has been clearly proven to create health or illness, the spiritual aspect of health continues to be the hardest to explain. It is not tangible, but it can be as personally powerful as any medical breakthrough or treatment in breast cancer. While being a spiritual person or using holistic approaches may not physically affect your cancer, it can certainly help you feel better, cope better, and get more out of life.