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Cancer Cliches to Avoid...

Posted by Emilienne Rebel on

Everyone going through some kind of cancer trauma thinks differently and reacts in their own way... I personally didn't think of it as a 'battle' as I had no choice wether I lived or died in reality. I couldn't actively punch my Breast Cancer in the face or divorce it.  I did however have a choice as to how I treated others, how I chose to conduct myself and wether I followed the advice of the medical experts treating me... but I don't consider myself a fighter or brave. Following my treatments I was described as 'broken' and 'closed for repair' and wow did that hurt.  

So whilst I think sometimes there is never a right thing to say, there is often a wrong thing to say. 

Thank you to the BBC article with Macmillan for highlighting the : 'Cancer cliches to avoid: I'm not 'brave'

"Fighter, warrior, hero - some of the terms you might see used to describe people with cancer.

But according to a new survey, for some with the illness the words are seen as inappropriate rather than up-lifting.  The UK poll by Macmillan Cancer Support of 2,000 people who have or had cancer found "cancer-stricken" and "victim" were also among the least-liked terms.  The charity said it showed how "divisive" simple descriptions of cancer can be.

Calling a person's cancer diagnosis a "war" or a "battle" and saying they had "lost their battle" or "lost their fight" when they died, were other unpopular descriptions, according to the poll carried out by YouGov.  Articles in the media and posts on social networks were found to be the worst offenders for using such language.The survey found a preference for factual words to describe people with cancer, their diagnosis, and when someone with the illness dies."

Macmillan Cancer Support has launched a campaign to highlight the challenges posed by a cancer diagnosis and the support available.

See the rest of the article on the BBC News Health website here: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47002578

 


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