CH
	
APTER	TWO
Your	Emotions
Are	You	Suppressing	Your	Emotions?
A	few	years	back	I	took	a	genetic	test	to	determine	if	I	was	at	heightened	risk
for	developing	certain	cancers.	I	did	this	at	the	urging	of	my	doctor,	who
rightfully	promoted	prevention	over	treatment.	This	thinking	made	sound
sense	to	me,	and	given	that	I	don’t	have	a	family	history	of	cancer,	I	believed
I	would	get	the	reassurance	of	longevity.	I	was	shocked	when	I	was	told	I	had
an	80	percent	lifetime	risk	of	developing	breast	cancer.	(The	average	risk	is
12	percent.)	I	distinctly	remember	thinking,	“This	can’t	be	happening;	there
must	be	a	mistake	in	the	test.”	The	information	was	too	overwhelming	for	me
to	process	emotionally	so	I	pushed	it	away.	As	a	result,	I	became	obsessively
focused	on	negative	thoughts	about	other	aspects	of	my	life.	I	was	unable	to
sleep	most	nights,	overwhelmed	by	worries	and	what-ifs.	What	I	wasn’t	doing
was	acknowledging	my	profound	
sadness
	
and	grief.	Once	I	started	to	get	in
touch	with	the	vulnerability	I	felt,	the	anxiety	became	easier	to	manage.
The	more	we	avoid	or	push	away	our	emotions,	the	more	anxious	we