depression and UC

I'm glad to hear you have a therapist becuase this disease is not something we can handle alone. It's scary. There never seems to be an endgame. We are playing by ear, waiting for the shoe to drop. It's like anything can go wrong at anytime and it will. But from my experience it does get easier. Therapy helped me alot. I know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for those years i spent in therapy. You have every right to be scared and frustrated. Also angry and sad. Its hard to deal with a disease that we know so little about. We don't know what the next day will bring. I am not familiar with your story but there are options. What meds are you on? what surgery options have you looked at? Is remicade an option for you? I'm sorry if the questions are annoying but I have learned to look for hope in all situations. Feel free to vent anytime. It's why we are here.

thanks guys!! i was just telling my best friend that i think they are going to come up with (my last name) disease because i feel like my problems are so unique to me. that is, until i came here. so thank you, from the bottom of my heart--this really is better than therapy!

I understand, and don't feel bad about venting. That's what we're here for! We're all in the same boat and we know what you're going through, and it really does help to know you're not alone.

I too suffer from depression, I have for as long as I can remember. I don't know which came first, the colitis or the depression, but at this point it doesn't really matter. I was on 10mg of Lexapro and it seemed to be working great, but my insurance doesn't cover it so they switched me to 20mg of Citalopram and I'm back to square one. I just don't feel like doing anything or talking to anyone and I'm sick of all the pills and the procedures and the bowel movements and everything. Sometimes it's just all too much, you know? Yeah I know you know. That's what's so great about HW. There's always at least one person who understands. And that's all that matters sometimes.

The Depression forum is great too if you ever want to check out some threads there and post, I'm on there and the anxiety forum as well and they are all full of great people.

I think the depression from which we suffer is also physiological. Since we lose most of our nutrients as they don't get absorbed in the colon, we probably lose ions like potssium, lithium etc that may lead to these problems. It's tough, but hang on in there. We're with you too.

Teacher.

thank you.

birdiem

You have ever right to feel what you feel. And we have all had spouts with depression over this disease. I honestly think this is the best place to discuss feelings about living with this disease. It has been my experience that only people with IBD can really understand the frustration, the fears, the anger....and the fact that it is forever.

As for you living long, you will.

I got diagnosed right after my sixteenth birthday. I was in the hospital for over a month, missed and entire quarter of school. I lost 30 lbs in two weeks and by the time I got to the hospital I needed six blood transfusions. There were no colonoscopies back then (it took three or four barium enemas before they figured it out), and the drug therapies were limited. I had pancolits...the whole colon was involved.

But guess what. I made it. I am now 61 and doing better than ever....

I know as time goes on, the drug therapies will improve.
Hang in there and know you can have a bright and healthy future.

Hang in there! I think most of us with this disease have felt this way. I definitely plunged into some pretty devastating depression this year as well.
This site really helped me, even before I started posting on it. So keep coming back here. On your lowest days it's nice to know other people understand.

Also, have you had your iron levels checked lately? I was feeling incredibly down and constantly weepy and after my iron levels were checked it turned out mine were ridiculously low. The normal level was between 120-140 and my level was 4. After I started taking pretty intense prescription iron I felt better emotionally. I think this disease makes us so tired sometimes that it just feeds into the depression.

hey cb - just thought I'd mention this thread is from about a hundered years ago - but hopefully the bird person is doing ok -