THE CANCER PERSONALITY: ITS IMPORTANCE IN HEALING

by Douglas Brodie, M.D., H.M.D.

April 28, 1925 - November 4, 2005

December 2005

Evidence of a relationship between cancer and personality type has existed for centuries.  Going back in history to the second century AD, Galen, a Greek physician famous for his astute observations of patients and for his accurate descriptions of diseases, noted that women with breast cancer frequently had a tendency to be melancholic.

In dealing with many thousands of cancer patients over the past 28 years, it has been my observation that there are certain personality traits that are rather consistently present in the cancer-susceptible individual.  These characteristics are as follows: 

1.  Being highly conscientious, dutiful, responsible, caring, hard-working, and usually of above average intelligence.

 

2.  Exhibiting a strong tendency toward carrying other people’s burdens and toward taking on extra obligations, often worrying for others.

 

3.  Having a deep-seated need to make others happy, tending to be “people pleasers.”  Having a great need for approval.

 

4.  Often having a history of lack of closeness with one or both parents, resulting in lack of closeness with spouse or others who would normally be close.

 

5.  Harboring long-suppressed toxic emotions, such as anger, resentment, and/or hostility.  Typically, the cancer-susceptible individual internalizes such emotions and has great difficulty expressing them.

 

6.  Reacting adversely to stress, often becoming unable to cope adequately with such stress, usually experiencing an especially damaging event about two years before the onset of detectable cancer.  The patient is unable to cope with this traumatic event or series of events, which comes as a “last straw” on top of years of suppressed reactions to stress.

 

7.  Showing an inability to resolve deep-seated emotional problems and conflicts, usually arising in childhood, often even being unaware of their presence.

Typical of the cancer-susceptible personality, as noted above, is the long-standing tendency to suppress “toxic emotions,” particularly anger.  Usually starting in childhood, this individual has held in his/her hostility and other unacceptable emotions.  More often than not, this feature of the affected personality has its origins in feelings of rejection by one or both parents.  Whether these feelings of rejection are justified or not, it is the perception of rejection that matters, and this results in a lack of closeness with the “rejecting” parent or parents, followed later in life by a similar lack of closeness with spouses and others with whom close relationships would normally develop.  Those at higher risk for cancer tend to develop feelings of loneliness as a result of their having been deprived of affection and acceptance earlier in life, even if this is merely their own perception.  These people have a tremendous need for approval and acceptance, developing a very high sensitivity to the needs of others while suppressing their own emotional needs.

These good folks become the “caretakers” of the world, showing great compassion and caring for others, and going out of their way to look after the needs of others.  They are very reluctant to accept help from others, fearing that it may jeopardize their role as caretakers or that they might appear to have too much self-concern.  Throughout their childhood they have typically been taught “not to be selfish”, and they take this to heart as a major lifetime objective.  All of this benevolence is highly commendable, of course, in our Judeo-Christian culture, but must be somehow modified in the case of the cancer patient.  A distinction needs to be made here between the “care-giving” and the “care-taking” personality.  There is nothing wrong with the care-giving, of course; but the problem arises when the susceptible individual derives his/her worth, value, and identity from his/her role as “caretaker.”  If this shift cannot be made, the patient is stuck in this role and the susceptibility to cancer greatly increases.

As noted above, a consistent feature of those who are susceptible to cancer appears to be that they “suffer in silence,” and bear their burdens without complaint.  Burdens of their own as well as the burdens of others weigh heavily, often subconsciously as well as consciously, upon these people because they – through a lifetime of suppression – internalize their problems, cares, and conflicts. The carefree extrovert, on the other hand, seems to be far less vulnerable to cancer than the caring introvert described above.

How one reacts to stress appears to be a major factor in the development of cancer.  Most cancer patients have experienced a highly stressful event, usually about two years prior to the onset of detectable disease.  This traumatic event is often beyond the patient’s control, such as the loss of a loved one, loss of a business, job, home, or some other major disaster.  The typical cancer victim has lost the ability to cope with these extreme events, because his or her coping mechanism lies in his or her ability to control the environment.  When this control is lost, the patient has no other way to cope.

Major stress, as we have seen, causes suppression of the immune system, and does so more overwhelmingly in the cancer-susceptible individual than in others.  Thus, personal tragedies and excessive levels of stress appear to combine with the underlying personality described above to bring on the immune deficiency that allows cancer to thrive.

In my experience, one of the most difficult and most important hurdles to overcome in cancer patients is how to make major changes in their life-styles.  Not only is it necessary to make changes in the physical aspects of their lives such as eating habits, but major changes need to be made in the way they react to stress.  The way they react to stress is due largely to the way they think about life.  There can be no lasting changes of behavior without first having a change in thinking and in belief systems.  It is often extremely difficult for these patients to make substantial changes in these ingrained patterns of thought.  Many find it too difficult or too disagreeable to make such alterations in their settled way of thinking and reacting.  Many likewise find it too unpleasant to make changes in the physical aspects of their life style, even in the face of life-threatening illness.

In my office patients are counseled to address their problems and to make the appropriate adjustments to the best of their ability.  A psychologist with extensive experience in dealing with these unique problems is readily available to our patients.

These patients are encouraged to take charge of their own health and to be active participants in their card.  They are urged to learn as much as possible about the disease and all of the treatment options, including the various conventional modalities.

A positive attitude is essential to a successful outcome for all cancer patients.  It is absolutely essential that the patient reject the prevailing concept that death from cancer in inevitable as well as the belief that conventional medicine offers the only hope for survival.

Conventional medicine has only recently begun to recognize the connection between the mind and the immune system.  There is even a name for it.  It is called psychoneuroimmunology.  It is an extremely important aspect of a healthy immune system, healing and freedom from disease.

We have found over the years that there are certain consistent features of cancer survivors that distinguish them from the less successful ones.  The following characteristics have been found to be most consistently present in the successful cancer survivor:

1.  Able and willing to reverse a stressful or self-destructive life-style, to reduce heavy obligations, burdens and anxieties, and learning how to “say no” to those who would lay burdens upon them.

 

2.  Acceptance of the critical importance of spiritual growth and acquiescence to a Higher Power.

 

3.  Eager to take charge of their own health care, to study in depth the various alternatives.

 

4.  Able to accept responsibility for the behavioral factors that led to the disease, and to submit to self-assessment.

 

5.  Willing to abandon destructive and “toxic” emotions, such as fear, anger, resentment, guilt, hostility, and self-pity, replacing these with positive emotions such as hope, love, gentleness, forgiveness, confidence, and faith.

 

6.  Gladly disposed toward making dietary changes, taking appropriate supplements and making other major changes in physical life-style.

 

7.  Able to reject and overcome the idea that the diagnosis of cancer automatically means death.

The surviving cancer patient has a healthy skepticism of the conventional approach to cancer, and questions all of the premises of that approach.  He or she is eager to study in depth all treatment modalities without prejudice, then to follow the chosen course or courses with dedication, discipline, and common sense.

The cancer survivor is most often one who has accepted and welcomed spiritual growth, one who has developed a close relationship with God and has surrendered to His authority.

The successful cancer patient has confidence and faith in his or her course of action.  The long-term cancer survivor is usually the one who is willing to expose and address his or her deep-seated emotional problems and to resolve long-standing conflicts.

It has been my experience that the foregoing attributes have been those most frequently associated with victory over cancer.  In recent years I have come to the conclusion that these attributes or qualities are virtually indispensable to recovery from cancer.  It has further been my experience that if the problems and conflicts discussed at the beginning of this article are not addressed and corrected, then the cancer patient cannot get well.

More often than not, neither conventional nor alternative methods alone penetrate deeply enough into the patients inward nature, so much of which is kept beneath the surface and so much of which underlies that patient’s disease.  Counseling, prayer, meditation, reaching the deeper dwelling place of feelings – all must be brought to bear to resolve the patient’s inner conflicts.  These underlying issues must be addressed simultaneously with physical treatment, whether it be conventional, alternative or a combination of therapies.  Otherwise, none of these physical modalities will be effective.  We must recognize loving energy as an essential part of healing.  Finally, while the science of medicine remains important, we must not forget the art of medicine, the caring and compassionate part, the part that addresses the wholeness of the individual.

Unfortunately, the knowledge discussed here regarding stress, attitude, and emotional and spiritual factors, does not lend itself to FDA-mandated, NCI-sponsored, double-blind, placebo-controlled scientific studies.  Hence, this lack of understanding on the part of the cancer establishment, whether deliberate or through oversight (I hardly think it to be through stupidity), has contributed hugely to the establishment’s shortage of positive results.  Only when Cancer Inc. is willing to take into consideration all aspects of this multi-faceted disease will it begin to make real progress in its eradication.

More often than not, neither conventional nor alternative methods alone penetrate deeply enough into the patient’s inner nature, so much of which is kept beneath the surface and so much of which underlies that patient’s disease.  Counseling, prayer, meditation, reaching the deeper dwelling place of feelings – all must be brought to bear to resolve the patient’s inner conflicts.  These underlying issues must be addressed simultaneously with physical treatment, whether it be conventional, alternative or combined therapies. Otherwise none of these physical modalities will be effective.  We must recognize loving energy as an essential part of healing.  Finally, while the scientific aspect of medicine remains important, we must not forget the art of medicine, the caring and compassionate part, the fundamental and essential aspect of the practice of medicine that addresses the wholeness of the individual, including all behavioral and emotional aspects discussed herein.

An incredibly versatile and experienced physician, Dr. Douglas Brodie was persecuted multiple times in the medically-medieval State of California for his advanced preventative and non-toxic therapies as well as for his stand on medical freedom.  In particular, Dr. Brodie treated cancer patients with alternative and nutritional methodologies, enhancing the immune system and using a unique insulin potentiation chemotherapy that protected normal cells from the severe side-effects of chemotherapy.  Although the California Medical Board tried three times to revoke his license, Dr. Brodie beat them each and every time; but tiring of their ignorance, he moved to Nevada to set up his medical practice there.  The author of Cancer and Common Sense and Combining Science and Nature to Control Cancer, Dr. Brodie unfortunately passed away suddenly, at his Reno, Nevada clinic on November 4, 2005.  His clinic is continuing on his legacy by doctors specifically trained by him in his integrative therapies.