Does anyone else really struggle with depression and anxiety?

Yes. I have, at several points.

Exercise and sunshine was my answer. It wasn't always possible because of the symptoms but I was constantly trying to get well enough to exercise again when I flared. If I couldn't go to the gym, I forced myself to go outside as often as I could.

You are right - your mood is always linked to your physical health but I tried to keep in mind that my GI tract and the illness is only one part of my body. The rest of it was wasting away. In the end I limped into surgery but I was in far better shape than I would have been otherwise and bounced back from the colectomy in a few days.

Then it was back to the gym, which has been excellent for dealing with the depression phase of learning to live with my ostomy.

It's old fashioned, and simple, but it worked for me. That and a heaping helping of refusing to accept any depressive thoughts and making myself change the record whenever they show up. As I saw somewhere, the best medicine is between your ears.

Thanks guys. Sara thank you for the book recommendation I will look into that. I’m currently waiting for an appointment on 9th where I will find out if i need to increase my Humira dosage ... my consultant just told me to go back up to taking 6mp every day (was down to every other day before) . The thing is it’s mostly under control - it’s not like I can’t do most things but I still seem to have symptoms... I’m not sure what other meds I could try really. I wish I had better success with rectal meds but unfortunately they seem to give me bad cramps.

Andy - you sound like a really strong person, thanks for the advice, I try to get out walking with my dog every day which definitely does help. I should probably try to make myself do more exercise too

Thank you for your kind words, but not really.

My wife started me on the exercise and I fought her tooth and nail for years. I did it because I knew it was the right thing, but I didn't feel like it. She started us swimming laps and there were mornings I was furious because I had to get up early to deal with my UC, then stagger to the pool. Then she started us on weights in the evening. And again, I was furious. Annoyed. Couldn't she tell I was sick?

Then one day I was having a bad UC day and I felt great. Like, really good. And the UC was just a minor annoyance in an otherwise great day. And the light came on. Diet, exercise and sunshine made a huge difference and made me feel better.

But even today, I struggle to get up at 5:15 to go the pool. But not as much as I used to. I've been on a cooldown from the heavier parts of the routine since surgery and I am both dreading and looking forward to starting back. It never gets easier - at least for me. But it's worth it.

I totally had a major depression when I was ill. My GI At the time was so great (darn I miss that man and wish he hadn’t moved to Ohio!!!). I teared up in his office over something minor (because I was pretty much crying at the drop of a hat anyway) One day and he set me down and gave me a big long explanative talk about the workings of the gut in combo of this disease — only about half of which I understood — but it helped me so much to get out of the self blame hole. I then went on antidepressants which helped quite a bit — but the best thing of course was getting physically better. There really is a mind-gut connection and there is some thinking that depression begins in the gut and not the brain. I wish I could remember all the scientific stuff my dr told me but it had to do with the T cells or something.

But I also agree that exercise is great for depression. I’d force myself to go for a walk (unless my energy was done to nothing and a walk would make me so exhausted that I couldn’t function the rest of the day) outside and it would really help.

This disease is tough in more ways than our gut and poop!

Depression sometimes. Anxiety always with UC. Since surgery neither

I’m not clinically diagnosed with depression but I do feel depressed because I don’t seem to go into remission so far.
I still can’t eat normal. I just shopped a lot because it makes me feel better somewhat.

I do deal with mild depression and anxiety. I think it’s understandable. UC is unpredictable and scary. It’s hard to find support IRL, it’s misunderstood. There is a brain - gut connection so when the gut is hurting, the brain is effected and visa versa.

Andy, my husband has anxiety and depression, and there have been times when we’ve gone for a for a run in the woods or to the gym and he’s told me on the way home that he has never felt better. These times are rare because he doesn’t like being told what to do! I want to be able to do what your wife did and take care of me at the same time #goals

Yeah, I’ve meditated, exercised daily and journaled in the past and it has made a big difference for me! Especially just a daily body scan or watching my breathing , a mindful walk... something every day. I often write intentions to do these three things every day... it doesn’t take long. The thing with meditation is that you think you have better things to do with your time when you’re doing it, and it doesn’t seem effective in the moment.

But that regular practice of watching your thoughts and bringing your mind back when it’s wandering is a great muscle to flex, because when there is a crisis or excessive worry you have the ability to notice what’s happening without being consumed with anxiety because you have been practicing.