Taking Care of Your Mental Health Is a Key Piece of the IBD Puzzle – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

When you have Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis, its not just your physical health thats affected. The frequent pain, unpredictability and worrying that comes with inflammatory bowel disease can disrupt your emotional wellbeing, too.

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And that stress, in turn, can make your IBD symptoms even worse.

Its pretty well understood that, while stress does not cause IBD, it definitely contributes to flares, and it can contribute to the first expression of IBD, says Stephen Lupe, PsyD, a clinical health psychologist who specializes in digestive diseases.

Thats why taking care of your emotional wellbeing is a critical part of managing your IBD.

A lot of patients get stuck in this cycle of putting their life on hold while they try to cope with the disease, and that tends to increase depression, increase anxiety and increase stress, he explains.

But we want them to know that they can have a life and the disease at the same time. There are things that we can do to help their bodies cope with these conditions.

Studies have found that people who have IBD are more likely to develop anxiety and depression than people who dont have it.

Sometimes, people who are frequently in pain start to become predictive with the pain way before it ever happens, and theyll stop doing things in anticipation of the pain, Dr. Lupe notes. Maybe theyll stop eating, or theyll stop going out, and their lives get narrower and narrower, which a lot of times can influence the development of anxiety or depression.

Sleep problems are also common in people who have IBD, especially during a flare, he adds.

Its important to be aware of these risks. If youve lost interest in doing things you used to love, or are struggling with the day-to-day challenges of living with a chronic gut disorder, speak up and let your doctor know whats going on. He or she is there to help.

A lot of gastroenterologists know psychologists that they can refer patients to, Dr. Lupe says.

If youre already frequenting your doctors office, making yet another medical appointment might not be at the top of your things I want to do list.

But seeking help to cope with the mental and emotional aspects of the disease can be an important step in improving your quality of life and managing symptoms. Research suggests that the gut and the brain are connected through the gut-brain axis, and that stress may make symptoms worse.

My job is to talk to patients about all of the things that come along with being diagnosed with a gut condition, whether thats stress, anxiety or depression, or the lifestyle modifications that need to happen, Dr. Lupe says.

We also look at things like body image issues, the stress and fear that can sometimes come along with having to use the bathroom frequently, and even things like talking to our partners about sexual performance after being diagnosed.

A psychologist may recommend one of these forms of therapy:

Many people find additional support in the form of online or IRL support groups. This can be very normalizing and validating to meet other people who have the same kinds of things going on in their life, Dr. Lupe says.

But ongoing struggles with mood, stress, body image, sleep, anxiety or coping with the day-to-day challenges of living with IBD should be addressed by a mental health professional.

I think theres a lot of stigma, and a lot of patients have fear of talking about some of this other stuff thats going on, Dr. Lupe says. People dont always realize that there are things that we can do to help our bodies and minds cope so that we can have a life and keep moving forward. So make sure that you advocate for yourself and find a way to talk to someone.

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health Is a Key Piece of the IBD Puzzle - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic