How to Maintain Your Social Life When You Have IBD

About two years ago, as Samantha Plevney was dealing with a major Crohn’s disease flare-up, she decided to tell her gastroenterologist how it was affecting her emotional health. “I told him that I’m alive but I’m not living,” she recalls. “Not being able to see my friends because of the uncertainty of my health situation was making me feel worse. I think people with IBD, and their doctors, tend to focus on physical symptoms, and for good reason. But the mental-health effect that comes from social support is huge.” Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses two conditions—Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—that are characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fatigue and sudden weight loss. There are several treatment options, including anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressing medications, as well as surgery if other treatments aren’t working. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] With these meds, many people go into remission, which means they won’t have symptoms that scuttle their social lives. But IBD is notorious for flare-ups, when symptoms come back in full force. Flare-ups may last days or weeks and can be mild or severe. Although people with IBD usually learn to identify possible triggers, flare-ups can also be unpredictable. That uncertainty is one of the reasons IBD is linked to higher levels of anxiety and dep...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news