I believe disease very definitely will be a cause of depression. I know that when I am in a flare day after day I get very depressed and don't want to even talk to anyone. After awhile the pain is just constant, and I feel like I have nothing to look forward too except to take more pain medicine and rest. Listening to Christian music does help to keep me focused and hopeful. My family does try to encourage me, but sometimes I don't even feel like I want to be alive. If it weren't for my faith in Jesus, I would have given up many years ago. Sorry to sound so bleak, but I am just being as honest as I know how. You take care and hang in there.
Hugs,
Dolores

I was told when you are in a flare all the nerve endings in your stomach are irritated. This carries throughout the body and all nerve endings are on "high alert". This state of affairs can only continue so long before it starts to wear on you. Depression is to be expected. The body gets exhausted being tense, waiting for that fun run to happen.

At one point in my life I did have a pretty good therapist who told me a lot about chronic illness and depression. He said it was to be expected and most people who have lived with a chronic illness for any length of time go through it. Unfortunately many times it is not recognized as it comes out in anger or frustration instead of what we commonly think of, crying and sadness.

You can come out of it with help. I had to learn to see it coming on and learn tips and tricks for dealing with it. It is not easy and I am not always good at it, but it does help to know it will pass.

Thanks to all of you for this discussion. Sometimes when I get down I forget to make the effort to pull myself up and get on with what I want to do. Your posts have reminded me.

I believe the ibd causes depression for how it changes ones life. It affects work, social issues, financial etc. I found also , fatigue weakness, headaches could be linked to not absorbing nutrients in the gut and needing supplements to help

I read somewhere that, when you have active IBD, your bowel produces something called cytokines, which cause depression, among other things. I wonder if this is some sort of evolutionary thing, depression making you be less active and lose your appetite.

I get depressed if I am feeling sickly for too long, and for a variety of factors relating to my illness. Basically I am 26 years old, I got diagnosed right before I turned 18, I spent a good amount of time being very sick before and after this diagnosis.
I feel as though it robbed me of certain parts of my life, and ruined some of my job prospects. Its been a challenge for me to get healthcare and pay for medications let alone dr visits.
I wish there was more I could do for myself, but I have been doing the best I can with the limited things that I have.

I definitely believe that my chronic disease and my depression are linked. Crohn's has infected more than my physical body. It is a daily fight to stay positive. In every single area of my life Crohn's is present. So too, is the depression.

I had a doctor tell me that there is more seratonin (sp) produced in your intestine than in your brain. This is the chemical substance that makes you feel good. So when your intestine is ill, your body doesn't produce the amount of seratonin that the brain needs and it causes you to be depressed. I believe this because I have been dealing with a sick gut for many years and at times I am really depressed. Hope this helps. binet

i just started feeling depressed but i havent told anyone... i think they will laugh... im scared and alone i hate feeling like this

my depression took the form of panic attacks. I couldn't leave the house or talk on the phone. I went to my doc and shared it with her. she told me that all of my surgeries and pain was causing post traumatic stress syndrome and it was natural. She didn't laugh and put me on anti depression medication and it really helps. Don, be afraid to share. binet