Sad? Stressed? How to Deal with the Emotional Toll of UC

那么这一切都是什么？“Stress isn’t great for any of us, but it can be especially damaging for someone with a chronic digestive disease,” says Megan Riehl, Psy.D., a clinical health psychologist and an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “The brain and gut are constantly communicating, and when stress is high, that can ramp up digestive distress and even negatively impact our immune system.” Stress, particularly the chronic kind, can also increase your risk of depression.

Ever hear the saying “You’re only as sick as your secrets?” Keep the lines of communication clear with your medical team—which may include your primary care physician, gastroenterologist, psychologist, and dietitian—and be sure to discuss your flares and symptoms openly. “Your doctors may have a wealth of resources,” says Jacqueline Jossen, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatric gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Don’t let embarrassment prevent you from enlisting your pros to help you navigate the daily physical and emotional hurdles.

Part of your discussions with your doctor should be making sure you’re on the best possible medication to manage your condition. “Having an improved physical state will also improve any related stress, anxiety, or depression you might be experiencing,” says Dr. Jossen. It may take a bit of trial-and-error to identify the treatment plan that works for you, but it’s definitely worth it.

Our emotional and physical health are intertwined, andeating better can elevate both. Talk with your doc before you start any new diet, of course, but one eating plan that can be helpful for people with inflammatory bowel diseases is the Mediterranean diet. Focused on fruits, veggies, and healthy fats from fish, nuts, and olive oil, it was shown to lessen inflammation in2018年研究综述from Italy. (Keep in mind, though, the Mediterranean mode of eating might not be great during a flare, as it involves lots of fiber, the study authors note.)

在UC上有一个信息的宇宙，但悄悄地调整自己的身体，思想与你的病情一样有价值。你更容易做这种自我观察，你就越有可能坚持下去。尝试保留您所吃的短，简单的日志，您所做的，以及您的感受。它可以帮助您的医生查明与您的喇叭子相关的食物和活动，并伴随着IBS或乳糖不容忍等问题。“此外，如果您正在进行症状，您的医生可以帮助确定食物问题是否与另一个条件有关，”Jossen博士说。

“常规，适度的有氧运动is helpful for任何人那but especially people dealing with chronic disease,” says Dr. Jossen, who notes that activity could potentially have an anti-inflammatory effect. But the benefits of a workout are far from just physical: Exercise is an ace stress reliever. “Run, bike, hike, walk, or do yoga, barre, whatever gets you excited or makes you feel good,” says Dr. Riehl. “But understand that if you’re flaring, you may need to take a break or scale back a session. Some days, rest may be the best choice for your body.”

您的医生或胃肠学家应该能够提供与您的情绪应对的建议。但是，如果你的压力，焦虑或抑郁似乎是恒定的或压倒性的，不要害羞地转向心理健康专业人士。你没有过于敏感;根据最近的研究，UC的人更有可能患抑郁症，焦虑和双相情感障碍。“治疗使您可以安全地谈论您的疾病，”Riehl博士说。“这也是一种学习压力管理技能，放松干预和应对技能的方式，以更好地管理生命的所有方面。”

即使你每周见到治疗师，你也希望一支朋友和家人，你可以转向持续的情感支持。“溃疡性结肠炎倾向于在家庭中运行，因此有时有一个内置的支持组，”Jossen博士。如果你内心圈中没有人真正了解你所经历的东西，请看看别处 - 一个国家或国家组织，如克罗恩和结肠炎基础，或附近大学校园的一个是坚实的转向。

如果您无法找到可以帮助您处理您的条件或连接面对面的时间的本地组，则社交媒体可以成为一个支持性的环境，Riehl博士说。许多全国各组织都有活动的推特句柄，可以是一个跟踪您附近的资源的工具并与其他患者联系。查看Crohn和Colitis的基础（@CrohnsColitisFn）和胆量的女孩（@IBDGirls）。

无论您如何与您的医生和治疗师入住，您都无法偏离每一个耀斑。“人们经常在下次生病时恐惧或焦虑，”Jossen博士说。但是，当耀斑发生时，给自己的信誉：你之前已经通过这种疾病的山谷，每次都在另一边出来。“只有这么多，我们可以规划，所以提醒自己过去曾经管理过耀斑，你有能力管理未来的未知可能会有所帮助，”Riehl博士说。

偶尔，溃疡性结肠炎可能会阻止你参加某些活动，“由于具有慢性疾病，”您可能需要悲伤可能受到患者影响的事情，“Riehl博士说。但与UC一起生活并不意味着你必须放弃爱好，旅行，或者大多是你喜欢的事。“如果你的疾病是良好的控制，你可以继续过度生活。”