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I'm suddenly terrified of leaving my house

Hi everyone,

I have had moderate Crohn's Disease for over 13 years now and while I've had plenty of ups and downs, I was doing fairly well over the last 3 years after changing my diet and going on Remicade. My anxiety has always dipped and peaked along with my flareups, but for the most part, it's been manageable.

However, over the last month and a half my anxiety related to Crohn's has skyrocketed and at all times, I feel like I could start immediately crying, and I'm completely terrified when I'm anywhere besides my own home.

I think it started with a few triggering moments in which I had a very sudden and urgent bowel movement but was on the highway and/or somewhere in public without a bathroom, and in those minutes before I could get to the bathroom, I was shaking, terrified, and in an absolutely panic about having an accident.

My doctor has done plenty of tests and everything looks normal –my health is probably the same as before (pretty good except for the standard urgent BM's that are just a part of Crohn's even when you're healthy.) So she thinks the problem is mostly psychological and I do too, but that's not making it any easier to deal with.

I'm anxious at all times in public and having the hardest time right now walking or going anywhere. I live in a city which makes it even harder, as many public places are weird about you using their bathroom. And I've had a couple harrowing moments on the subway. Yesterday, I was in a train car and it inexplicably stopped for about ten minutes. I wasn't scared that I was in danger, but the feeling of being trapped in a car with no exit and no bathroom in sight is what completely terrified me - I had to put my head in my lap and do breathing exercises and just pray that I didn't have an accident in that crowded space. I'm not overexagerating when I say I felt like I was in hell for those ten minutes.

Has anyone gone through this, particularly the transportation fears? I'm mostly just looking to talk to people who truly get this and understand it. My family has been absolutely supportive and loving, but it's hard when they don't truly understand what it's like. I'm normally a very self-sufficient, active, and focused person, but at all times right now I feel weepy, overly sensitive, anxious, and terrified. I'm going to start counseling, but the earliest I could get in was in a month from now, so as of right now I'm just looking for advice and people to talk to so that I feel less isolated and like I'm not alone.

Thanks and I wish you all the greatest health in the world. Xoxo.
 
:drink:Hi. You have a lot of support on this forum. Could you call the counselor's office and ask if there are any cancellations if they could see you sooner?
 

Lynda Lynda

Member
Joanier:
I have been where you are now.
When I was still working I was horrified of having an accident at work and embarrassed about constantly running to the bathroom at work.
Dont be afraid of medications for anxiety and therapy.
My anxiety medications keep me from having the bad panic attacks, but I have also learned coping skills. And my experiences in the past have taught me how to be aware of my depression and anxiety symptoms so I know what to do and what not to do.
Any Crohns organizations or support groups in your city ?
This is a great forum.
Take care and keep in touch.
Lynda
 
I have a ton of anxiety! Sitting in the car for long periods of time makes me feel extremely anxious. I don’t really go out for long periods of time anymore due to the unpredictability of Crohn’s. Just recently I went to watch DeadPool and I missed close to an hour of it because my body was just not managing well. I also get anxious when I’m with other people too because I can’t teell you how many times I’ve been asked via text, hey you been gone for awhile. U okay? ——one of my huge fears of dating now too.

Crohn’s also has brought on quite a few additional complications as welll so I just prefer to stick to short and well planned outings. I always have a list and I just stick to it so I can quickly get back home. It makes me feel more successful this way.


Also if you do decide to seek help for your anxiety—-give everything a fair shot. Give it the time it needs to get in your system and give it a month before deciding it’s not right for you. And also—-don’t give up because one doesn’t work for you. Keep trying to find what works the best for you.

Hi everyone,

I have had moderate Crohn's Disease for over 13 years now and while I've had plenty of ups and downs, I was doing fairly well over the last 3 years after changing my diet and going on Remicade. My anxiety has always dipped and peaked along with my flareups, but for the most part, it's been manageable.

However, over the last month and a half my anxiety related to Crohn's has skyrocketed and at all times, I feel like I could start immediately crying, and I'm completely terrified when I'm anywhere besides my own home.

I think it started with a few triggering moments in which I had a very sudden and urgent bowel movement but was on the highway and/or somewhere in public without a bathroom, and in those minutes before I could get to the bathroom, I was shaking, terrified, and in an absolutely panic about having an accident.

My doctor has done plenty of tests and everything looks normal –my health is probably the same as before (pretty good except for the standard urgent BM's that are just a part of Crohn's even when you're healthy.) So she thinks the problem is mostly psychological and I do too, but that's not making it any easier to deal with.

I'm anxious at all times in public and having the hardest time right now walking or going anywhere. I live in a city which makes it even harder, as many public places are weird about you using their bathroom. And I've had a couple harrowing moments on the subway. Yesterday, I was in a train car and it inexplicably stopped for about ten minutes. I wasn't scared that I was in danger, but the feeling of being trapped in a car with no exit and no bathroom in sight is what completely terrified me - I had to put my head in my lap and do breathing exercises and just pray that I didn't have an accident in that crowded space. I'm not overexagerating when I say I felt like I was in hell for those ten minutes.

Has anyone gone through this, particularly the transportation fears? I'm mostly just looking to talk to people who truly get this and understand it. My family has been absolutely supportive and loving, but it's hard when they don't truly understand what it's like. I'm normally a very self-sufficient, active, and focused person, but at all times right now I feel weepy, overly sensitive, anxious, and terrified. I'm going to start counseling, but the earliest I could get in was in a month from now, so as of right now I'm just looking for advice and people to talk to so that I feel less isolated and like I'm not alone.

Thanks and I wish you all the greatest health in the world. Xoxo.
 
If the anxiety is severely hindering your life, it can become worse the more you avoid the activities that feel too frightening.
Then you need to treat the anxiety as a seperate issue, even tough it is directly related to your Crohn’s.
Seeing a psychiatrist would be the first step. I find that anafranil is a good medication as it is also effective for treating pain, calms down the intestines and helps anxiety/depression.
 
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