After receiving my UC diagnosis, I began to constantly worry about how I was going to live with the chronic condition. UC is so unpredictable, and I didn’t know when I was going to need a bathroom, what food was okay for me to eat, and how any given food was going to affect my day. Stress and anxiety are not the cause of UC, but they can exacerbate it. So of course, whenever I started to worry, I would develop abdominal pain, nausea, and fatigue — the hallmark symptoms of UC. I lived with these worries for the first two years after my diagnosis before I decided enough was enough. I needed to get help for my mental health so that my physical health wouldn’t continue to worsen. I made an appointment with my primary care doctor to talk about options for anxiety treatment. I started taking anti-anxiety medication and seeing a therapist regularly. Here are five strategies I use to manage anxiety associated with UC, so that the worry doesn’t manage me.
Just Keep Breathing
Anxiety is tough for any healthy person to endure — let alone those of us living with ulcerative colitis. Our gut is already affected by the autoimmune process in our bodies. It’s a good idea to manage your anxiety in healthy ways so that stress doesn’t add to any inflammation that is already occurring. Take deep breaths, listen to your body, and find your best ways to cope with the anxiety.
