When first diagnosed with breast cancer many women (and men) feel overwhelmed by all the emotions that such a diagnosis naturally unveils. What is the best treatment plan for me? Am I going to die? How will I tell my kids? These questions are just a few of the many questions that run through patients heads when they are diagnosed...and they often don't think of them until after they have left the doctors office. While your doctor will likely come up with a treatment, many women are left feeling helpless and wondering where to turn for the emotional and day-to-day support they need. This article will focus on one such solution popping up in many communities around the country.

Most commonly referred to as a wellness center, many communities have resources for breast cancer patients and survivors (as it is the most common cancer afflicting women) who feel they need more support than their doctor is able to provide. Although sometimes associated with hospitals themselves, these centers are becoming more common as non-for-profit entities that employ a variety of staff from nurses and psychologists to meditation instructors and hypnotists.

As can be seen in one such wellness centers mission statement, the general goal of these centers is to, "educate, empower and encourage all women living with breast cancer". To do this, they offer a wide variety of services. On the clinical side they usually have support groups, personal one-on-one consultations with counselors who are experts in the field of emotional pain related to cancer diagnosis and many offer family counseling so that parents with cancer are able to explain to their kids in an effective way what it means to have cancer. Along with these services they tend to off a variety of different services on a day-to-day basis so that patients can interact with each other while maintaining low stress levels, which has been proven to aid in the overall well being of a cancer patient.

There are a wide variety of services such as: drum circles, art therapy, yoga, massage, reflexology, seminars put on by doctors and local health professionals from the community, mixers, etc. For many women these groups and activities are what help them get through this troublesome time when sometimes even their closest family and friends are not comfortable talking to them because of their condition. As one survivor puts it, "I think everybody gets tired of treatment. Sometimes the treatment is worse than the disease. But, what really helped me through it was the close friends I made through the wellness center in my area.

The women there were all experiencing the same thing as I was and were not afraid of the emotions I was going through. In fact they were the most supportive of anyone I interacted with. Without them, this journey in my life would have been much harder." More and more it is becoming accepted that there is a mind body relationship that needs to be monitored in treatment of any serious illness. While women's doctors may help them through the physical treatment of breast cancer, places such as these wellness centers are there to provide the missing link...an emotional rescue.