Depression,Anxiety and Other Issues With Chronic Illnesses

 Morning all

Just thought I would pop over and let you know it is NORMAL to have depression and anxiety as well as Panic with Crohns and other Chronic illnesses 

Sometimes we may not see it as that but more times than not it can and is depression sneaking up on us '

Not pity parties IMHO

WE have the right to be angry and depressed as far as I am concerned but that just my opinion

 To go anywhere we have to basically have a "map to all bathrooms" and make sure we have all our meds and all the other things we may need like change of clothes ect

Plus day to day we do not know how we may feel with this DD

'IT is a job to be able to go out and have fun at times and this can lead to some serious depression and Agoraphobia issues..........

IF you feel you need to talk this thru you can do it here or pop over to the a/p forum and check out some threads on there

Never give up the fight ............

WE are too strong a group of ppl all together and we will win..........

Just my half penny worth today

I brought this up as I have just come out of the darkest hole I have ever been in and I never thought I would be able to climb out

I just wanted to give up and in ya know

 'BUT I will continue like all of you and FIGHT

Input appreciated.........LYN 

Glad to hear you managed to get out of your bad episode of depression.
I understand how difficult it is. Good job!

I have had many episodes of depression since the age of 9, UC for only 7 months, but even though UC pain is really difficult to handle, plus the side-effects, the psychological effects etc, I still find depression in itself much worse than UC. Now the problem is that UC doesn't help depression, it messes up so much with your brain (getting sort of paranoid every time you feel something wrong with your body).

This leads me to wonder: how many people here have had chronic depression BEFORE UC kicked in?
I am very interested in the links between depression and UC. I read about a research that was conducted with patients with both chronic depression and UC. The results hinted at as many as 50% of UC sufferers had had major depression 10 years prior to the start of UC. That research proved however inconclusive and controversial. I could dig the link.

I came out of a very bad episode of depression that lasted for 6 months, about 8 months before UC started for the first time. Really wonder if there is a link there. I'd like to hear your input!

Oh yes, they sure are connected, and one sort of feeds the other. Not every time though.
That's why it's so difficult (at least for me) to identify what triggers flare-ups. Is it my emotional state or any other "conventional" trigger?

If you start thinking that your disease is caused by your distorted thoughts...it only accentuates depression...and you reach a vicious circle.

I took Xanax, too when I was younger (about the only medicine I took to handle depression), worked rather well!
Dampens anxiety.

How can a person with a chronic disease NOT be depressed? When your life is regulated by the nearest bathroom it is very difficult to be happy and carefree. Perhaps I'd be depressed even if I didn't have Crohn's, but I've never had the chance to find out. Almost 50 years of this has made me darned depressed. Really, it's hard to look on the bright side.

I am sorry to hear about what you had to go through Lyn...

I'm new here but it looks like you can get great support from other people here, and that's what probably makes a difference!
All the best to you, as well as to the others here!

Getting back onto the depression topic, do you think that depression, for you all here, has become a chronic condition, too?
If you experience a long remission with CD or UC, do you think you could fall back into depression for other reasons?
This is the difference I see between chronic depression and "feeling depressed", which is a form of depression triggered solely by a chronic disease. In such a case, being on a remission lifts up depression at the same time.

From what I've read, it seems that prior depression can lead to a weakening of the immune system and thus make the conditions more favourable for CD/UC to first manifest itself.

(((((Lyn))))) I'm sorry you had such a rough time!! Almost 7 years ago I lost my mom to a heart attack and at the same time
I was going through a divorce, plus thats when I had found out I had CD. Talk about a rough time. It was horrible!!
I truely believe depression does go along with chronic illness's. Its a chronic illness in itself!!!
I'm on Wellburtrin for my depression. When my Crohn's flares I'm a mess all around.

I've been on antidepressant for about 5 years..... after the attempted suicide of my youngest daughter. For those who are regular members, you probably know a bit about our history , as far as the abuse, incest etc. I'd been "strong" emotionally through all of that, although my CD was raging. But almost losing my baby girl was the stick that broke the camels back.... I've done well on the antidepressant, and medication also for PTSD and panic attacks..... but lately I seem to be having a bit of slip back into the depression. I'm crying all the time for all sorts of silly reason. I think , the biggest thing, is that now that I have that beautiful grandaughter , who will be 7 months old July 5th.... I find myself so restricted. there are so many things I want to be able to do and can't ... I think to myself...what would she need a tired old grandma like that for...she is better off without me. Her other grandma is 54(I'm 51), but she is sooooo healthy...can have the baby overnight and has the energy to do all kinds of things with her. I can baby sit a few hours at a time only. I'm jealous as h.... and so afraid that she will get more attached to the other grandma more than me. I know that sounds petty....but it has been just my two girls and I , no family , no one, for over 12 years and I'm having a hard time sharing. I'm thinking it may be time to increase my depression medication ? My CD is giving me a hard time again .... I'm having so many morbid thoughts... every time my girls plan something...I imagine the worst will happen...these horrible pictures just pop into my head... I have to consciously distract myself or I'd be crying all the time.
I know that for the last 12 years, all my energy has gone to making my girls better....counselling 3 times a week etc.... they've come through with flying colors.... but maybe, I've never had the chance to grieve all the losses in my life.
I don't know .... just venting, complaining , like that is going to do me any good.
c-naptik has a good point.... which came first , the chicken or the egg.... the depression or the CD, or other autoimmune disease?.
I'm proud of you Lyn,Love and prayers to you, and to all who suffer from depression, anxiety , on top of this DD.

And just what mental health would that be ? I think I misplaced that long ago. When the urge to pull the covers over my head and give up at 2:00 am is too great , I resort to a pill. Yeah, so sue me. No I cant take them like the doc wants me too. I like my feet on the ground and my head out of the clouds, but sometimes , things are just too great to overcome and I need a little help. What, you thought I was funny all the time ? Sorry, its a struggle to put one foot in front of the other at times. Humor is how I cope, or avoid coping, but when that fails me,,,I do what I must. The thing is , I have some good days and I dont want to miss them ,so I have to go through the bad days to get to them. I have lost some very good friends. They were here one minute and gone the next. I recall after one hellish night , someone making a comment about how bad it was. Someone else pointed to the body bags and said, " every day above ground is a good day." I think those guys would trade places with me and so I live my life with that in mind. We all have our reasons for feeling sad about life, but we all must do what we need to do to find the good things. If you need a little help, so what. Dont feel bad about it. Do what you have to to get through it so you can find some happy things. Otherwise, your wasting life.

Ummmmm . . . actually . . . chronic illness causes depression. It robs our bodies of certain brain chemicals that give us a sense of well being and those same chemicals also cause the circuits in our brain to work properly. So no apologies needed when we find ourselves with an anti-depressant rx in our med buffet. Sometimes the depression is the first clue that things are going downhill. For lots of folks, the anti-depressant meds actually help with overall health (energy and pain). ((((((((( Lyn )))))))))) I sure didn't realize you were going thru this sis. Lots of hugs, prayers and . . . Blessings!

Marie Claire

There are some other things you can do with your grandaughter hun and never worry
YOU will be loved just as much as the other GMA in their lives........
Actually prolly more as you have such a heart and so much love and caring for others on here I can only imagine what you have for the babe

I DO NOT get to see my 7 and 10 yr old GK's Kyle and Kassidy at all
It rips my heart apart all the time but I know one day they will come to Nana........

Stay strong sweetie

LUVS
LYN

I do the CBT online and I also am talking with my doc as a therapst
HE knows me better than anyone really ..........
And I can talk to him about anything

I think alot of what you have said makes sense
I was never a depressed kid growing up but had always been anxious and stressed out to the max
'OCD is a biggie for me as well ......
CBT is helping there too
CBT is supposed to help Change the way you think of things and self ...as well as other issues as you know

Some meds we have to take ( I take ) may certainly have an effect on my seratonin levels but I do not get depressed very often I have fallen into a severe depression 2 times in over 2 yrs ..........
The last episode was my siblings saying I had killed dad by taking him off machines,,,,only said it a lot differently'Dad never wanted machines and there was a DNR on his kardex
'I have no shame nor guilt over my decison'Dad is al fixed and with Mom thats all I ever wanted was for their souls to be at rest.......

It is proven that chemical imbalances in the brain can cause depression.........
The Antidepressants are supposed to fill the void of the chemicals one is lacking from my understanding.....

I may be corrected

I do think it is only natural that you can be depressed if one day you are fine and the next you are suddenly living with a chronic illness
It changes your life in so many ways .........

BUT as was said we can always find the "GOOD" in some of those days too

Just my opinion.........LYN

** have you checked out the a/p forum and the depression forum??**

SIS
I too was so reluctant but I knew it was taking them or I was losing me and cait was losing her Mom
that was not fair to her ya know
I DO feel loads better ...........

I now wake up not dreading the day just looking forward to what I CAN DO.........not what I CANT DO

Love ya sis

Sis

Howlyncat -

Greetings. You hang in there, sweetie. I am here with and for you. Take what you need to get yourself through the day. During the dark days, I would take one day at a time... no more. Feet out of bed and onto the floor, step one completed. Walk outside for fresh air and change of environment, step two completed...and so on. This was my routine.

Can I do anything for you?

{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}