Suffering from Crohn’s Depression

By BrittenC

3 min read

Content note:
The content includes information related to mental and emotional distress.

Crohn's disease depression

Despite normally being happy and optimistic, every now and then the weight of having a chronic illness gets the best of me and I find myself in the grips of depression.

Sometimes, living with Crohn’s and coping with the debilitating symptoms and side effects day after day becomes too much to bear. When this happens, and I find myself overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and despair, I sometimes fear that I’m sinking into a darkness that will be impossible to escape.

I fear that it will consume me, and I will lose my ability, or desire, to fight back. I try my best to stay strong, to be a fighter, to stay positive, but when I’m disappointed and defeated time and again and all I see are setbacks and failures, it gets really hard to keep hoping for good news.

Being in a dark place with depression is scary

I don’t like feeling like this; it’s not me. But, at the same time, I’m powerless against it. I try to stay afloat, but Crohn’s is an anchor dragging me down. This state of depression, which I’ve come to think of as “Crohn’s Depression,” feels never-ending.

It controls every single aspect of your life and makes living with an already difficult disease nearly impossible. While “Crohn’s Depression” is not an actual diagnosis, my depression is brought on by the stress and anguish of living with this disease, so that’s how I think of it.

Struggling to survive through this depression is challenging; any motivation to get out of bed is gone, any small amount of energy is sapped, and any positivity is smothered by pessimism.

It feels like my Crohn’s is in control

When this happens to me and I slip into the darkness, I always find myself wishing things had turned out differently. I wish I didn’t end up with a permanent ileostomy. I wish I didn’t feel worthless and like a failure because I’m not where I want to be in life.

I wish I could eat the foods I love, instead of having to follow such a strict diet and carefully watch everything I eat. I wish I didn’t hate my body. I wish I still felt beautiful and had more self-confidence. I wish I hadn’t lost years of my life being too sick to get out of bed.

I wish my surgery count wasn’t nearing 30 after only 5 years. I wish I had more control over my weight. I wish I wasn’t always exhausted and fatigued.

I wish I wasn’t in constant pain. I wish my smile came naturally like it used to. I wish I didn’t have to get infusions every 4 weeks and pop a handful of meds 3 times a day like candy. I wish I didn’t have Crohn’s!!! I wish, I wish, I wish...

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone

It’s easy to let depression settle around you and start feeling like your new normal without really noticing, especially when every day is a struggle.

When you’re dealing with pain and suffering day after day, unable to live life the way you want because of a chronic illness, it’s understandable that it would take a toll on your mental health and emotional well-being. After all, it’s a heavy burden to bear.

You can only be strong for so long before you begin to crumble. If this happens, and the negative emotions flood in and refuse to leave, know that you don’t have to fight on your own. There are tools and resources that can be used to help you get back to a better place.

Reach out for support and help

If you are struggling with feelings of depression, I encourage you to reach out for help and support, either to friends and family, a support group, or a healthcare professional. They say hindsight is 20/20, and I believe that to be true.

Now that I’ve fought my way out of the darkness, on more than one occasion, looking back I’m so proud of myself for not giving up, even though there were times when I really, really wanted to. If you are going through an emotional low, don’t give up, as much as you may want to. You are a Crohn’s Warrior and you will get through this!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The InflammatoryBowelDisease.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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thedancingcrohnie Moderator & Contributor
Crohn's Depression is so real and I am so glad you have written about this. I too have struggled with it, and I couldn't agree more about reaching out for help and support. I wish I would have reached out sooner, rather than suffer alone as long as I did. Like you mentioned, there are so many tools and resources out there. You are never alone. We are all in this together. Always dancing, Elizabeth (team member)
1. constipatedman7 Member
 Dancing crohnie, I felt the same way,deathly afraid and embarrassed to admit I've had ibs-c since age 14 in 1977.Back then weekly enemas and prune juice,were the only treatments used. I nearly punctured my rectal wall trying to give myself an enema at age 14,so I've had get my mom to give me the enemas once week ever since. .I never told anyone or admitted to others on the internet,until I came here.
2. thedancingcrohnie Moderator & Contributor
 I'm glad you have found a place where you can be transparent <inline-mention user-id="2252952" username="constipatedman7"/> . I hope you are doing better these days. Best, Elizabeth (team member)
Julie Marie Palumbo Moderator & Contributor
Thank you for opening up about this, Britten. I, too, suffered terribly from depression due to my Crohn's Disease and hit an all-time low right after my partial colectomy in 2014. You are so right in that we are not alone, and knowing that there is a community of support helps a lot. I think the worst part of depression is that you feel like it will never end and that it will feel like this for the rest of your life, however there IS light at the end of the tunnel and seeking help when you need it is the best thing you can do. --Julie (Team Member)
Matt Nagin Moderator
Yes, I get depression as well. I think it is partly biochemical in my case. At certain periods I'm way more prone to it than others. Crohn's can definitely exacerbate any depression I might feel. Be Well, --Matt (Team Member)