UC, anxiety and depression.

Love to know how you cope.

I have suffered with bouts of depression over the years usually as a result of my medical problems and also post natal.
Must admit that I am finding it difficult to actually come to terms with this illness even though really I am not too bad at the moment. I want to be even better. However at the moment I feel it is taking over my life. It is always on my mind and I get obsessed about it. I should be okay with 2-4 bms a day as it is so much better than the 15 plus I used to have but to me it is not how I should be.
How can I change my way of thinking. What do other do to take their mind of the constant symptoms.
I take antidepressants but they cause my wbc to be low and I am gradually coming off these to enable me to have aza if needs be. I am probably having withdrawals symptoms.

Need some self help tips!

Depression has always been a part of my life since my mum died when I was 25, on getting another autoimmune life long condition 19years ago and more recently with my husband dying, having skin cancer and getting this disease as well. Think I always worry about my health or should I say the things I have, not the things that I could get. I can say to myself WTH if I go four times a day but saying it is easier than accepting it. Its almost like I have ocd at the moment.

I mean by constant symptoms I think when you are at your worse. Also how do I just accept that this will be how it is.

Post Edited (Mad Martha) : 8/2/2014 9:54:12 AM (GMT-6)

I, personally, think that it's supported by having a doctor/IBD nurse who are "absent" and overly cautious in your care without enough explanation.
Not the cause of your depression, but as a fuel for your focus on it.

You've been through hell in your life and have coped with much. But, I don't think this is as good as it gets.

q

Hi,
Going on a wellbeing/CBT course next week. That's the start and will see what that leads to.
The stress of the last 3 and a half years probably has not helped one bit. Big adjustment for me and my two young boys. Trying to maintain some normality in our lives. It has been hard but it as got easier as far as the boys are concerned.
Going to look up ITP.
Quincy I agree to a certain extent about my GI and Nurse. I do need to be more assertive there. There are other things that I can't complain about. Its unfortunate that because of my low wbc that aza and biologicals are out of the question but they could be more aggressive with the mesalazine. They are useless at the psychological side of things and help towards living with this. Got an appointment next Thursday with the nurse. Will see what happens then.

Thanks colitis, I think I suffer more from anxiety than depression at the moment. This course involves relaxation techniques so hopefully it will be of some benefit. It also teaches you how to change your thoughts. Maybe I will look into yoga again. I did go to classes about 12 years ago.

It can be tough sometimes, personally I think depression and more specifically some of the physiological impacts like a weakened immune system and / or IBS related diarrhea might make a person more vulnerable to having flares of this illness and or having more in the first place.

Which anti-depressant are you taking? According to some lab tests and a few published medical case studies the antidepressant drug Wellbutrin (bupropion) may be a TNF inhibitor and can actually help with the inflammation as well as treating depression. The addition of this drug made a big difference for my GI symptoms and it was a huge part of my recovery. Many anti-depressants can also slow diarrhea and urgency which can help your body heal faster too by calming the muscle spasms.

The biggest secret though is that this illness does not necessarily have to be incurable. I believe that challenging this believe that had been beaten into my head by doctors and others for so many years was the first step toward leading me back on the path to good health.

I too have been caught by depression due to UC since I'm in a flare that isn't responding to anything going on almost a year now (often 20++/day, usually can't leave the house, frequent 'major' accidents, etc). My GI doc & nurse were actually the ones who brought up depression to me because they see it so frequently. They insisted, almost demanded, that I use Imodium (usually contraindicated for UC) a couple of times a week so that I can get out of the house for a brief time because they consider depression a real and dangerous effect of this disease. I also have found that prednisone can make mood changes bad after I've been on it for a month or so, although that tends to be more anger than depression. Finding some relief is important because those days when I feel human (Imodium days) remind me that there is more to life than porcelain, pity and poop.

My points are 2: (1) depression is a real issue that comes with the UC territory and people, including some on this board, with different constitutions, experiences or symptoms may not understand that, and (2) talk with the people who are treating you for this disease specifically about depression and see if in your case there is something that can alleviate the symptoms for at least short times. If they dismiss or more likely don't understand your question at first, press them until you get an answer (good or bad).

Good luck - we're in it together.

I often regret being alive, and am filled with anger at my childhood dermatologist who prescribed a variety of long term systemic antibiotics and then Accutane for very mild acne which was the cause of my ulcerative colitis. He did not warn me of any long term side effects and played on our trust of the medical system.

"Love to know how you cope."

1. I workout (swim/hike)

2. I practice awareness thinking

3. I try to stay away from anything with more than 4 ingredients.

Only cause I'm human, I'll break the rules once in a while.

Thinking in awareness is the most forgiving and mentally healing. One reason for this is you don't have to change ANYTHING about yourself or your health. You learn to accept whatever you are, and in whatever state you may be in - be it pain, or sadness, or confusion. No need to change ANYTHING!