Actually stress was part of the reason I had gastritis . But yes I did get very depressed . I spent alot of time in bed at the very beginning and that made me even more depressed . I find that if I get out of the house for a short walk or just get out of the house I' m not as depressed . I have been on buproprion for depression too .

its easy to get depressed at the beginning as you really dont know what is going on with your body i got really down as i thought mine was heart problems & i was going to kark at any time but was given a good counsellor who put me straight & started to get my life back as pro211 says a good walk is as good as any drug

There is a real lack of understanding & awareness of gastritis & how much it can impact on your whole life. I must admit I'd never even heard of it (before having it) & it took many months of stumbling blindly around the internet looking for info to have the good fortune of finding this forum which is a goldmine of information about diet, treatments etc & the reality of day to day living with the condition.

I'd had treatment for H Pylori last year & was basically told antibiotics for a week, ppi for 4 weeks then you'll be 'better'. No warning whatsoever that this could go on for longer...much longer.

Generally when I wake in the morning I feel fine & I remember mistakenly thinking "yippee, I'm better" daily for many weeks, but now I realise gastritis is not like that.

You are doing brilliantly & being very sensible with your eating. You are learning good info on here much much sooner than I did.
Not eating food you're not sure about is NOT a sign of fear. It is a sign of an intelligent person making the right decision.

Gastritis is an absolute roller coaster of emotions, but slowly, slowly you find your path & your own routine of what works & what doesn't. There are always surprises along the way & sometimes it is 1 step forward, 2 steps (or 10 steps) backwards, but you WILL make progress in baby steps. Your healing cannot be rushed.

It does take willpower & discipline, especially on the diet side, but when I have a pain free day or even a day of just mild discomfort, it is so worth being strict on the diet, it will pay dividends & you will quickly a establish a few ultra-safe foods... & then that range of foods will slowly, slowly increase..

It is hard to get other people to understand the condition. It does affect you mentally, emotionally as well as physically. My lifestyle has had to change radically. I used to love cooking & eating out... chinese, indian, italian... no chance of those for me just now. I've gone beyond the thinking it's not fair. I'm sort of numb & immune to it. Resigned to it for now....

Now I have a lot of fear even just going to a basic restaurant & generally just eat plain chicken & veg. I dread it if friends or family invite us round for a meal, because I get anxious about what I can & can't have. I have to explain what's going on, but I'm sure they just think I'm being odd!!!

Try & focus on gratitude if you can. Gratitude for not having a worse condition or being stuck in hospital... gratitude for anything. Distract yourself as much as you can. Do anything possible to stay positive. Choose the best feeling thoughts you can. :-)

I know it sucks... but remember you're not on you're own. We are all here to support each other. Even if friends & family don't understand... there are plenty of us that do. :-)

Hi yes I get very depressed. Towards the end of last year I thought my gastritis was getting better,but in the past few months its been getting worse. I get a lot more pain and have had to adapt my diet more and more. Things I could eat at first now I can,t. I also suffer with my chest with asthma and rib pain so its been really hard. I was going in hospital a lot too,including with chest pain. I had to spend a night in the hospital recently with chest pain. The gastritis settled down for a week then flared up bad again. Now Im on double meds and Ive really got to watch what I eat. It can change so be careful that it doesn,t get worse. You don,t live a normal life with this you live a gastritis life until it gets better.

Hi, blucille.

Gastritis can be a very stressful condition, and it doesn't help when people around you are not understanding. I know from personal experience that people can get frustrated with someone who has gastritis when it goes on for long periods of time and the person is very cautious about foods. They just don't understand, and maybe don't want to understand.

This is *their* problem, and *not* yours.

Your job is to find those things you can eat to stay healthy, working with your doctor. Gastritis is a condition that can go on for months and months while your stomach heals, and/or you get over what caused the gastritis in the first place. It can cause stress and anxiety (and I've had my struggles there too!), and it's probably best to see how you can manage these as well. In my case, I got counseling and started tai chi - both of which have been amazingly helpful.

Over time I slowly explored what I could eat from the "safe" list my doctor gave me, and got creative trying some new things. Over time (months), I could try a few more things, and I hope to be able to take my next big step forward soon. At restaurants I have learned to either ask that they make something I can easily eat ,like plain chicken and bread or rice.

Take care of your body and your mind, and please do realize that patience can pay off with this condition. Best of luck to you!

In a simple answer- yes. There is a strong connection between the nerves in the GI track and our minds called the Mind-Gut Connection. Pretty much, when your body physically gets stressed out (i.e. gastritis), it puts your nervous system into hyper-drive because it is preparing for fight or flight mode. This constant state of being can lead to a stressed out mental system, as much as a stressed out nervous system.

Since you are asking, the strongest thing that I can suggest to you (having been there myself), if that you speak with a doctor and consider speaking with a therapist, etc. if you are able. Having symptoms of depression or anxiety does not mean that there is anything "wrong" with you mentally. You have been through a lot- give yourself credit. Your mental health is just as important in this situation as the physical. However, in this case, the sooner you find out if and how deep your feelings go- the sooner you can begin to recover, have a better chance at healing and are less likely to have more severe phobias or eating disorders develop. Take control, be your own best advocate and always remember, you are never alone.

Oh yes. and the anxiety etc will add to the pain load. Gastritis is a soul destroying illness and it impacts on every part of our lives. I also have IBS and that does my head in beyond measure. I wish I had a magic wand to relieve us all of our pains.
I think outsiders have difficulty understanding our limitations. I'm blessed with a fabulous family and friends who remain patient and understanding of my health.
Tread lightly on your own soul and I agree. Not eating danger foods is smart. If you fear certain foods that might just be your body's way of saying NO.
Take care,
cas

hello I am new to this forum. I noticed that a lot of these threats are very old as it is now 2018. I am suffering with gastritis, and it started in November 2017. If there are any of you out there have been suffering for a few years but have now found a cure please chime in. I would love to hear some positive stories as I’m getting very discouraged about all of this. Thank you so much !! Julia50778

Hi julianabee. What was the cause of your gastritis? What are you treating it with? I am struggling also and improvement is extremely slow. I guess the fact that so many are no longer posting means they got better and so will you. I would just encourage you to keep after your doctor until you get answer.

Hi I am new to this sort of thing and have been reading all the reviews and it is exactly wjatbu have been going through I got diagnosed with chronic gastritis in January an have been through he'll with it ever since. The doctor has put me on pantaprozole 40mg twice a day and peptac and ranitidine but nothing seems to be working and I can feel myself going into severe depression with it as I have lost so much weight and am sick most days with it. I have completely changed my diet to all healthy foods and done a lot of research of what foods are suitable to eat with gastritis. I am currently going through accupunture as I seen online it has a 97% success rate for curing gastritis and I am currently on my 4th session and still no improvement but reckons it will take 12 -20 sessions to fully heal my stomoch and will keep you updated on how it goes. I was wondering if anyone has tried anything that helps with the sickness would be very much appreciated. If anyone wants to know anything please feel free to ask.