Transforming From Cocoon to Butterfly: The Potential Role of the Body in the Process of Posttraumatic Growth

Abstract

The diagnosis of cancer has the potential to elicit positive change (post traumatic growth [PTG]) through the experience of trauma and adversity. However, psychology and clinical practices and most recently positive psychology have been criticized for their indifference toward the influence of the body on positive psychological functioning. The aim of this study was to broaden the understanding of PTG, including its process and outcomes, using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Ten female breast cancer survivors, from an already existing study, participated in an individual, openended interview. These were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes that reflected the women's experience of growing from adversity. The role of the body was found to be a vital component to the process and outcomes of PTG and was deconstructed into three smaller themes: fear of new body, negative effects of chemotherapy on the body (fatigue, loss of desire), and reconnection with body (cocoon to butterfly, listening to body, body as a barometer/monitoring). In addition, the analysis revealed how these 10 women perceived the body as an integral component to their selfidentity and how this affected their achievement of PTG. Future research should begin to acknowledge and conduct further study into the neglected role of the body as a contributor or determinant of the PTG process.

The Development of Social Relationships, Social Support, and Posttraumatic Growth in a Dragon Boating Team for Breast Cancer Survivors

“…Research with group physical activities has found that developing a positive support system, creating opportunities for disclosure, acting as sounding boards to help each other work through challenges, and role modeling ways to positively rebuild following breast cancer facilitate posttraumatic growth (Hefferon, Grealy, & Mutrie, 2008;Sabiston et al, 2007). The physical nature of exercise may also promote posttraumatic growth, as the body is both a focus of the trauma and fear of cancer, as well as a conduit of growth and renewal as one reconnects with the body during recovery (Hefferon, Grealy, & Mutrie, 2010). Indeed, tackling physical challenges together with other survivors may aid posttraumatic growth (Sabiston et al, 2007).…”

Encouraging Physical Activity and Self-Enhancement in Women with Breast Cancer Through a Smart Bra

“…Even though this is an effect due to treatment, in general women are tended to feel a personal responsibility for their weight gain (Tiggemann & Rothblum, 1997) as a result of control failure. This might be reinforcement as women in treatment may struggle with feeling less in control over their bodies (Hefferon, Grealy, & Mutrie, 2010) due to other changes in their body, such as mastectomy, lumpectomy, hair loss. Additionally, research suggests that for a significant portion of women, in the early months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, these body changes negatively affect bodyimage (Fobair et al, 2006).…”

El cambio vital positivo tras un cáncer: Ingredientes, claves para facilitarlo y efectos sobre el bienestar

“…Serían así los estadios intermedios (II y III) los que generarían una incertidumbre y amenaza suficiente como para plantearse cambios vitales positivos y una perspectiva vital de poder realizarlos. En cuanto al tipo de tratamiento oncológico y el CPT la mayoría de estudios no encuentran relación significativa (e.g., Tallman, 2013), aunque tres muestran una relación directa entre recibir quimioterapia y desarrollar CPT (Hefferon, Grealy, & Mutrie, 2009;Jansen et al, 2011;Lee, Robin Cohen, Edgar, Laizner, & Gagnon, 2006;Lelorain et al, 2010). Finalmente, otras variables como el tiempo transcurrido desde el diagnóstico (Brunet, McDonough, Hadd, Crocker, & Sabiston, 2010), o el tratamiento oncológico (Turner-Sack, Menna, Setchell, Maan, & Cataudella, 2012) tampoco se han relacionado de forma fehaciente al CPT, aunque parece que el alejamiento temporal de la parte aguda de la enfermedad sí puede facilitar el CPT, sin determinarse claramente cuál sería el tiempo óptimo.…”