Do you get depressed?

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I am middle aged, and recent crohn's related complications have resulted in what I believe to be depression. Have any of you experienced this? Just getting sad? feeling down?

If so, how do you deal with it?
 
I am middle aged, and recent crohn's related complications have resulted in what I believe to be depression. Have any of you experienced this? Just getting sad? feeling down?

If so, how do you deal with it?

I haven't been diagnosed yet, but I know from my own battle with depression, that serotonin is mostly made in your gut (90%), so if your gut is bad, it can cause depression. Mine was really bad before I went gluten-free to resolve Celiac disease which caused MAJOR GI symptoms.

https://www.caltech.edu/news/microbes-help-produce-serotonin-gut-46495
 
I'm mid 30s with a biological daughter who is a teenager, a bio son whom has severe Autism (but is super smart) a stepdaughter who has oppositional Defiance Disorder, a stepson who cries over everything/has speech issues, another stepdaughter whom is 7 but rarely acts even 4 (possibly an ASD there too) and my guts are defective. Am I depressed? Hell yes! I am not ashamed to go pick up my meds. I call them my happy pills :) Life is pretty darn crazy in itself, add Crohn's or other bowel issues and you have every right to get blue. Hugs to you!
 
I get stressed more than depressed. In addition to Crohn's I also have occasional bouts of atrial fibrillation ("afib") - a heart arrhythmia. Whenever that flares up the cardiologist puts me on an anticoagulant, for months at a time, to keep clots from forming in my heart and producing a stroke. But at the same time I have Crohn's that has in the past produced intestinal bleeding with resultant severe anemia. Anticoagulants are not a good thing when you already have a propensity for bleeding.

So the two ailments are fighting each other. One condition requires that I take a drug that runs the risk of making the other condition much, much worse. So whenever I'm on the anticoagulant I get stressed. I feel like I'm walking on a knife edge and can fall off in either direction at any moment.
 
Hmmm....don't have chrohs disease (Was posting stuff about leaky butt solutions). But I have suffered with depression a lot on and off over the years....usually got it over from thinking about other problems or illnesses I had.

In terms of vitamins and medicines SSRIS have had some success, but high doses of vitamin D has been just as effective! You need to take a lot though, try the 5,000 iu tablets several times a day....most tablets are just like 1,000 iu and don't do anything...your body absorbs about 30,000 iu from tanning for about 30 minutes.

I take about 25,000 ius daily, and it seems to work just as good or better than SSRIs. Also you can go outside in the sun more, but that requires us to go outside which is not very fun! But in all seriousness, going outdoors and exercising is probably the most effective way to combat depression....just requires us to exert energy which sucks!

If not taking vitamin D everyday or not taking much...I notice I get depressed within like 3 days. Its so obvious how effective it is....Also its great for other parts of your body, for example my gums never bleed when taking vitamin D....even if I don't floss or brush for weeks on end! No more cavities either...

Also try fish oil too. Oh, and I used to juice like 10 carrots, a beet, apple, some other **** daily....that gave me so much energy and put me in such a good mood even like only 2 days after starting juicing!

Also I have a lot of other issues that cause my depression...while I don't have Crohn's disease I have other ones that cause me to get upset like my life is over or scare me shitless. DISTRACTION is key here. If you just sit around thinking about your illness you will get more anxiety and depression over it! Everytime you start thinking that way you need to distract your mind....Needs to be more than going for a walk too....your mind needs to be focused on something else, I like to write or play videogames or watch a movie....hanging out with friends is probably good too, but I don't have many of those!

PS- Don't distract yourself to the point of not even thinking about your illness, but not thinking about it most of the time is probably good. Just keep your mind active on something else you enjoy that is engaging.

Support communites have helped me from time to time...but going to them too much caused me to constantly think about my problems. That includes coming here....you should come here for support, just not all the time because that will cause you to obsess over your problems more. Might be different for you though....
 
I've never talked to a professional before as I'm afraid what they'd have to say or if they'd prescribe additional medication.

I do get depressed. During flare ups I start out quite positive, despite the pain, and just power through it in the full knowledge that this discomfort will recede. However, if I miss work, if I miss social activities with my friends, if I miss family time and if I'm just stuck at home like a useless lump then I feel worthless. My girlfriend will come home in the evenings after work and she'd be so supporting, but I am a husk at this point and there's little other I want to do except for all of it to be over.
I get depressed, I think we all do. If you have a chronic condition that tears you down like this and you have to rebuild yourself constantly then of course negative thoughts will accompany that.
I don't know what advice to give. I'm at work again and I feel I've walked this road so many times, I hope yours also picks up.
 
I think the reason I suffered from depression was because of the undiagnosed B12 deficiency that resulted from Crohns. But I think lots of other deficiencies are connected with depression; perhaps it doesn't take much to upset the chemistry of the brain.

I never saw a doctor about it. I'm relieved in a way as surely they would have stuck me on anti-depressants and done nothing to investigate the actual problem.

Depression isn't rational, so if having a chronic disease is getting you down that isn't really depression as such, which is not to say it isn't a problem. Depression is feeling thoroughly wretched about everything even when life is going okay.
 

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