This is an important time of year for people with multiple health issues including IBD and mood disorders. I wanted to share my story and the positive outcome.
I'm 64, was diagnosed with Crohn's at 19, had depression since the age of 6, but was not diagnosed till an overdose at 50 during menopause (those darn hormones).
I have had substance abuse issues all my adult life, one of my coping mechanism. Finally got an ileostomy done in 1992, and weird as life is, I got involved with a good man 2 years later and we are still together. I am sober, off meds except for the depression which is stable now for the last 5 years.
Our family has a multi generation history of addiction, mood disorders and bowel cancer on both sides. Dysfunctional is not even close to the reality.
It's not till I allowed myself to grieve and grieve and grieve for all the losses and finally accepted reality, that I finally stopped my self-destructive behavior.
It's still hard sometimes, like this week. Some anger and rage feelings are still there and surface. WHY ME???
Yet, I realise now with a more mature perspective that I survived, I am lucky, and found the best part of my life much later than I could have imagined. There are so many people worse off than me and I feel much compassion for them.
If you are troubled and reading this, please consider the tomorrows, there is hope.
Best wishes for the next week.
Marie
I'm 64, was diagnosed with Crohn's at 19, had depression since the age of 6, but was not diagnosed till an overdose at 50 during menopause (those darn hormones).
I have had substance abuse issues all my adult life, one of my coping mechanism. Finally got an ileostomy done in 1992, and weird as life is, I got involved with a good man 2 years later and we are still together. I am sober, off meds except for the depression which is stable now for the last 5 years.
Our family has a multi generation history of addiction, mood disorders and bowel cancer on both sides. Dysfunctional is not even close to the reality.
It's not till I allowed myself to grieve and grieve and grieve for all the losses and finally accepted reality, that I finally stopped my self-destructive behavior.
It's still hard sometimes, like this week. Some anger and rage feelings are still there and surface. WHY ME???
Yet, I realise now with a more mature perspective that I survived, I am lucky, and found the best part of my life much later than I could have imagined. There are so many people worse off than me and I feel much compassion for them.
If you are troubled and reading this, please consider the tomorrows, there is hope.
Best wishes for the next week.
Marie
