直到我完成了结肠全切除手术并接受了造口术，我的心理健康才真正受到了挑战。压力是溃疡性结肠炎的主要因素。我承认我不是很能处理压力。尤其是在我被确诊之前。我真的不了解我的病。我不太明白诊断结果。我只是想如果我吃片药，按照医生的处方治疗，我会感觉好点。我不知道的是这种病会在很多方面影响你。我对每件事都有压力，当我有压力时，就会爆发。这么多年来，我一定要学会，你知道，想办法帮助自己认真对待每件事。 You know, my husband would always tell me, like, your health is the most important. Like, if it’s not that serious, try not to worry about it. I mean, we’re all stressed. Nothing’s going to be perfect, but just try to figure out ways to manage the stress. For me, I try to meditate. I found that that really helps to put me in a better mental space. You know, maybe playing some music in the background. I like my diffuser with my essential oils. Helps to kind of calm my spirit down. Journaling is something that has really, really helped me through my UC journey, and it also helps just as far as going back to your doctor when you have those appointments. If you journal and get everything that you want off of you. Another thing, too, as far as social life - over the years, I was not able to go out to enjoy a time with friends. I had anxiety about going out in public because I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the restroom. Every time someone was having something, I did not want to leave my house. I literally was a prisoner within my own home for years. So, the impact that UC has on mental health is something that I feel like does not get talked about at all. It wasn’t until I went through my total colectomy and received the ostomy where my mental health was really really, really challenged at that time. And if I’m going to be honest, I did not know how to deal with it. I was often very, very mad. I was not the best wife or mother during that time because I just felt so sorry for myself. Why did I have to have this surgery? Why do I have a hole in my stomach? I’m trying to change my ostomy bag, but it keeps leaking. Literally one day I remember changing it like 20 times a day and it got to the point where I couldn’t get a good seal. So I just laid in the bed and put some towels under me. I just let it leak. Being diagnosed with chronic disease is more than just taking your medication to relieve your symptoms. Seeking therapy, and I feel like if your health care team kind of discusses this because as a patient you may not be in the right mindset because I know I wasn’t in the right mindset. So if I had someone from my health care team just to mention, hey, what about seeing, you know, a therapist in regards to talking about what you’re going through or just asking those questions to ask me how I’m feeling. It’s challenging, but I’m just trying to learn it over time. And I know it may take time, but I definitely think that focusing on your mental health just as much as you focus on your symptoms and trying to treat your diagnosis, you should also focus on the quality of your mental health too.
