Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Doctor Reveals The 'Common Theme' She Sees In Cancer Patients In Eye-Opening Viral TikTok

Screenshots from Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy's TikTok video
@connealymd/TikTok

Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy pinpointed common factors that she claims have led patients to be more susceptible to cancer, including intense trauma and stress.



Let's be honest: We all get stressed sometimes, and as much as we might try to avoid them, we all go through some exceptionally stressful times. From job changes to big moves to tremendous amounts of grief, stress just annoyingly is a part of the human condition, it seems.

But Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy wants to caution all of us that our experiences with stress and how we process that stress is much more important to our physiology than we might realize.

Dr. Connealy follows the studies of Bessel van der Kolk, who is best known for his book, The Body Keeps the Score, to a tee. The basic premise of the book is that our bodies literally keep a "score" of our harsher experiences, and how we did or did not work through those stressful experiences.

We might have noticed that we got a bad cough one time when putting in extra hours at work, or right before we were going to visit family across the country, or annoyingly mid-move to a new country. Each of these examples is a stressful experience for us, and sometimes that stress is expressed through illness.

Unfortunately, our bodies keep a score of those illnesses, as well. Over time, our bodies take our growing "scores" and might rework our physiology to accommodate what our bodies believe to be our natural stress state. This can lead to higher cortisol levels, weight gain, more anxious and depressive episodes, and more.

But most importantly, Dr. Connealy points out, it can lead to cancer.

In a thorough and heartfelt precautionary TikTok video, Dr. Connealy explains:

“A common theme that I see in patients regularly is that they have usually suffered some very, very stressful event."
"It could be extreme work conditions. It may be a child, it might be a parent, it might be a divorce, but they usually have gone under some extreme stress, which we know affects the whole hypothalamic-pituitary axis and the cortisol production. And extreme cortisol production is contributing to the way cancer grows and proliferates."

Essentially, whether we have cancer or not, our stressful experiences are making us sicker, and if we aren't careful to practice positive self-regulatory exercises and minimize our external stressors, we're more likely to experience more significant illnesses than just a common cold.

You can watch the video here:

@connealymd

New research suggests that high cortisol and stress hormones play a key role in the development of cancer, metastasis, and increase the risk of recurrence. An excess of these hormones may be directly carcinogenic by suppressing immune function, promoting inflammation, and inhibiting normal cell function. Treating and mitigating stress should be a top priority when treating cancer. Stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, increase in response to perceived stressors. They play a role in the "fight or flight" response and help mobilize energy reserves, increase heart rate and blood pressure, and sharpen focus to cope with immediate threats. Stress hormones are absolutely necessary because they enable the body to respond effectively to stressful situations and ensure our survival. Tips: Spend time in natural light shortly after waking up & get adequate sunlight Ensure adequate intake of necessary nutrients, especially protein, fat soluble vitamins, B vitamins, vitamin C minerals, etc. Balance hormones Get enough sleep for your body Limit toxin exposure Practice gratitude & mindfulness Hug and spend time with loved ones Take frequent walks in nature Find ways to express your creativity

In the caption of her video, Connealy explained:

"New research suggests that high cortisol and stress hormones play a key role in the development of cancer, metastasis, and increase the risk of recurrence. An excess of these hormones may be directly carcinogenic by suppressing immune function, promoting inflammation, and inhibiting normal cell function."

"Treating and mitigating stress should be a top priority when treating cancer. Stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, increase in response to perceived stressors. They play a role in the 'fight or flight' response and help mobilize energy reserves, increase heart rate and blood pressure, and sharpen focus to cope with immediate threats."

"Stress hormones are absolutely necessary because they enable the body to respond effectively to stressful situations and ensure our survival."

"Tips: Spend time in natural light shortly after waking up and get adequate sunlight. Ensure adequate intake of necessary nutrients, especially protein, fat-soluble vitamins, B vitamins, vitamin C minerals, etc."

"Balance hormones. Get enough sleep for your body. Limit toxin exposure. Practice gratitude and mindfulness. Hug and spend time with loved ones. Take frequent walks in nature. Find ways to express your creativity."

Some were suddenly concerned for all of their fellow TikTokers.

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

Others agreed with Dr. Connealy's logic about stress and cancer.

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

@connealymd/TikTok

Fortunately, Dr. Connealy had some good news for us in another video.

Though it was geared specifically toward current cancer patients and patients in remission, Dr. Connealy shared a critical point that we could all apply to our own health journeys.

Dr. Connealy states:

"There is no finish line to health. You should always optimize your health."

Whether we're already in pretty tiptop condition or feel like we couldn't do one pushup right now if we tried, we still have time to improve our physical health, and even when we get started, there are always we could improve or refine our health journeys.

Some fun ways might be to try walking down a new path during our daily walk, trying out a new recipe, or trying out a new meditation. Each of these are new and different approaches to improving our health, but as long as we are working at it, we are heading in the right direction.

The same can be said for our mental health, our emotional regulation, and our stress levels.

@connealymd

Health is a continuous journey, not a destination reached by a single effort. Completing chemotherapy or radiation treatment doesn't signal the conclusion of the path; rather, it signifies a transition to the next phase. After treatment, the journey of preserving and enhancing one's health persists. Here’s to a stronger, healthier life.

This whole conversation is an eye-opening reminder of how important it is to avoid stressful situations when possible, practice our bodily and emotional self-regulation, and to involve ourselves in relaxing and rejuvenating activities.

Now if you'll please excuse us...we're going to go stress over how much stress is too much stress.

More from Trending

Piers Morgan; Ye
Piers Morgan Uncensored/YouTube

Piers Morgan Rips Ye For Storming Out Of Interview Over Misstated Number Of X Followers

On Monday, British media personality Piers Morgan posted a 17-minute video of a remote interview he did with rapper, producer, and fashion designer Ye and Sneako on his Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel.

It was clear from the title—"'COWARD!' Kanye West/Ye WALKS OUT On Piers Morgan Interview'—that things didn't go well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of JD Vance and Donald Trump
C-SPAN

Vance Ripped After Making Cringey Joke About Deporting 2026 World Cup Attendees

Vice President JD Vance was soundly criticized after he made a deportation joke while remarking how the 2026 World Cup will see visitors "from close to 100 countries" enter the U.S.

The moment occurred during an announcement naming Andrew Giuliani—son of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani—as the head of a new task force for the 2026 World Cup, which is set to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Stephen Miller
Fox News

Trump Adviser's Chess Analogy After Trump's Meeting With Canadian Prime Minister Is Epic Self-Own

President Donald Trump's adviser Stephen Miller was mocked online after he used a chess reference to heap praise onto Trump after his Oval office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Canadian voters returned the Liberal Party to power for a fourth consecutive term after Trump repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty amid an ongoing trade war. Carney made defending Canada’s sovereignty a cornerstone of his campaign, pushing back forcefully against Trump’s threats to annex the country as “the 51st state.”

Keep ReadingShow less
older couple walking on path
micheile henderson on Unsplash

People In Long-Term Relationships Explain What Love Feels Like To Them Now

While some people wax nostalgic about the "good old days" when everyone stayed married, the reality is that there were almost no options for divorced women. There were very few for widows either.

Longevity in relationships was more about necessity and no other choices than devotion. Now that divorce is easily accessible, longterm relationships are more likely to be a choice.

Reddit user wildpickledradish asked:

Keep ReadingShow less
Holly LaFavers with 70K Dum-Dums order
WKYT/YouTube

Mom Stunned After Young Son Uses Her Phone To Order Massive Amount Of Dum-Dums

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? And what will it take to really make our lives "pop"?

Kentucky mom Holly LaFavers found herself no closer to answering either of those questions when her eight-year-old son, Liam, accidentally placed a monumental order on Amazon and left the two of them in a very sticky situation.

Keep ReadingShow less