Submitted by Dr. Robert F. Lane on
That serpent is both clever and sinister. Its first tactic is to get you to believe there is nothing to be afraid of (denial). Then it adds false bravado. "I'm smart and the doctors are smart. I'm strong and determined and courageous: with sheer willpower I'm going to beat this thing." Denial and bravado are just cover-ups for panic and retreat, glaring signs that the big fear has already got you.
Once these defenses have been installed, they create a veneer of safety and security, which in reality is more like putting a Band-Aid over a dirty wound. When the wound disappears from view i.e. when you dismiss and deny your prognosis, fear festers producing pus in your life. It starts with the cancer, then spills over and spreads into other areas of your life.
When denial covers over their big fear, many people let their guard down and all kinds of petty fears and insecurities creep in, such the loss of status, strength, beauty, athleticism, control, leadership, etc. Denial doesn’t make you immune to fear. Instead it is a Band-Aid over it; it excuses you from having to face it and deal with it.
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