Some symptoms of Crohn’s can
also be signs of depression. The crossover
symptoms can include several manifestations of both body and mind. Crohn’s disease does not directly cause
depression however symptoms of depression are interrelated with the
illness. Crohn’s can sometimes magnify
the symptoms of depression just like depression can magnify the symptoms of
Crohn’s.
With symptoms being interrelated it can prove difficult sometimes to get a correct diagnosis and then get the correct help either from a therapist or counsellor or a gastroenterologist.
When you are displaying any number
of the symptoms below it is best to go and speak to someone like a GP or if you
have an IBD team to speak to them.
· Loss of appetite
·
Unintentional
weight loss
·
Enduring
fatigue ranging from weariness to exhaustion
·
Trouble
concentration or memory problems
·
Loss
of interest in former pleasures
·
Persistent
anxiety
· Irritability or even belligerence toward others
·
Feelings
of guilt
·
Feeling
helpless, hopeless, useless and worthless
Among these symptoms there is a
domino effect that weight loss usually follows appetite loss and sleep loss
follows by loss of energy and concentration.
Moping about
Sadness over situations is very normal
in cases of chronic illnesses and pain but we all have to move forward at some
point as it is important to move on. If you
do not try to move on it can lead to isolation.
Try your best no to put too many limitations on yourself such as,
avoiding activities to the point you become housebound. Try your best to be a participant instead of
a bystander or an onlooker.
It is very important to remember you are
much more than the sum of your symptoms you are dealing with every day, you
always have choices and it starts with how you react to your disease.
I know from personal experience
that it can be hard to see the bigger picture but every flare up does
pass. When you are at your lowest point
try to plan something to look forward to or spoil yourself like plan a movie
day or buy yourself a bunch of flowers or a bath bomb. By choosing an activity
it is to help lift your mood and help you feel a bit better about
yourself. By making some changes it can
help alter your attitude over time and help make a healthy emotional outlook. If you do need extra help please seek
professional help from your GP or a counsellor either to speak to them or if
you think anti-depressants are the right thing for you.
When living with a low support
network with Crohn’s can be particularly depressing and can usually feed your
depressive thoughts especially when you are struggling. Give yourself a break and allow yourself some
time to regroup. Allow your body to
rest.
Connecting with others in a
support network can be vital to successfully manage your Crohn’s and
depression. Besides local groups there
are chat rooms, Facebook and other methods to connect to a community. Within your support network either in a
community or to a close family member or friend you should encourage yourself
to open up and reveal your concerns and feelings. You should try to share both your struggles
and also your triumphs. Some people find
that giving support helps elevate their mood and help them feel good about
themselves. One thing that helps me the
most is writing this blog as I know a lot of people across the world read it
and many people can benefit from something within my
blog.
blog.
I live with both anxiety and
depression. Most days are a struggle but
when I am struggling the most I have friends who understand and help me through
it. They may be close by like my friend
who is like a little sister to me or they could be miles away behind a laptop
or phone talking to me on Facebook. But having
them there is the most important thing as they know how to calm me down out of
one of my episodes as some of my bad days I am constantly having dark thoughts. Without my friends or my daughter I do not
know where I would be now as they are who gets me through the day thick or
thin.
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