Emotion and Cancer: Rethinking How We Feel

[u/FreckledTreeDweller]

In some modern models of emotion, we first notice feelings in our bodies, then interpret them in light of our social context, values, and the situation.

I’ve come to see emotion as a kind of thinking—especially in the moments when we are not in control, when rational understanding falls short, when everything is embedded in relationships with people and with God, and when the stakes are high.

When I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, that process changed dramatically. My body was suddenly full of strange and unpredictable sensations. Emotions surfaced in ways I had never felt before, and I often struggled to know what they meant. My relationships changed. My values and beliefs deepened—and sometimes changed. And the situation was, of course, unlike anything I had ever faced.

I found this disorienting. It was hard to understand what I felt, or how to let those feelings guide my path.

Have others felt something similar? How have you navigated it?