NatalieMT
Well-known member
I wasn't quite sure whether to post this in here or in health/wellness but I figured it was more likely that'd I'd get an all round response here.
In March 2009 I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease after having symptoms for around 1 year prior, I don't know if I have quite come to terms with having a lifelong illness and lately I've been finding myself ever more depressed due to my poor quality of life.
I'm on a strong painkiller, Fentanyl and Temazepam to help me sleep, among other medications but I still suffer terribly. Most days I will go to the bathroom 20+ times and bleed with it. At the moment I've taken to putting up with it but it's ruining me since I scared to leave the house incase of accidents and certainly can't find work. I'm so tired aswell, my energy levels are just depleted. I've had a lot of mental problems throughout my life, I am anorexic and struggle with purging, it's not as bad as it was but I still have issues there and I also self harm. I really found myself breaking away from that, but since the diagnosis it's all slowly crept back in - I can't eat normally with the Crohn's anyway and I'm just so frustrated I tend to take it out on myself. I was referred for more counselling in January 2009 but am yet to actually get any appointments. I'm really trying to help myself but it's a constant struggle and I feel pushed down when I don't get anything back from these services. I don't really have an awful lot of close friends to talk to either, as most of them have moved away to university over the past couple of years. The best I can do is stay busy at home to take my mind off things.
Really I'm just looking for advice on what I should do? Is there anything that would help break this cycle? How has anyone else coped living with physical illness long term?
In March 2009 I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease after having symptoms for around 1 year prior, I don't know if I have quite come to terms with having a lifelong illness and lately I've been finding myself ever more depressed due to my poor quality of life.
I'm on a strong painkiller, Fentanyl and Temazepam to help me sleep, among other medications but I still suffer terribly. Most days I will go to the bathroom 20+ times and bleed with it. At the moment I've taken to putting up with it but it's ruining me since I scared to leave the house incase of accidents and certainly can't find work. I'm so tired aswell, my energy levels are just depleted. I've had a lot of mental problems throughout my life, I am anorexic and struggle with purging, it's not as bad as it was but I still have issues there and I also self harm. I really found myself breaking away from that, but since the diagnosis it's all slowly crept back in - I can't eat normally with the Crohn's anyway and I'm just so frustrated I tend to take it out on myself. I was referred for more counselling in January 2009 but am yet to actually get any appointments. I'm really trying to help myself but it's a constant struggle and I feel pushed down when I don't get anything back from these services. I don't really have an awful lot of close friends to talk to either, as most of them have moved away to university over the past couple of years. The best I can do is stay busy at home to take my mind off things.
Really I'm just looking for advice on what I should do? Is there anything that would help break this cycle? How has anyone else coped living with physical illness long term?