5 Ways to Manage Suicide Risk With Ulcerative Colitis
You can manage your risk of suicide with UC by communicating early and often with your healthcare team. “These conversations are essential, not a sign of weakness,” says Ali.
1. Ask About Mental Health Treatments Early
And you don’t have to wait for your provider to ask. “If you are struggling emotionally, bringing it up is important and valid, even if your provider doesn’t ask first,” says Ali. “Talking openly can help reduce stigma and improve care.”
“Therapists experienced in chronic illness or GI psychology provide valuable support for coping with disease-related psychological challenges,” says Ali.
2. Request Coordinated Care
“Integrated, team-based care is essential for effectively managing UC,” says Ali. “This means not just seeing a gastroenterologist but involving all relevant providers and addressing both emotional and physical symptoms together.”
This might mean asking to connect your therapist (a gastrointestinal psychologist, if you have one) or psychiatrist with your gastroenterologist, or other relevant providers, such as your primary care doctor or specialists who handle any extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) of IBD you experience, such as the rheumatologist who treats your arthritis, or a hematologist who provides care for anemia.
When you have a coordinated care team, they can treat you holistically — understanding the way biology, social, lifestyle, and treatment factors interact, says Guinan.
3. Work Toward Longer Remissions
“Maintaining remission, given the stress of flares and some treatments, is also a mental health strategy,” says Ali.
Research shows there’s a strong connection between active UC inflammation and mental health challenges. Other research backs this up: One study of about 2,500 people people with IBD found that those in remission had lower rates of depression (as well as anxiety and sleep issues) than those with active disease.
4. Make Time for Exercise, Sleep, and Relaxation
Besides UC and psychological treatment, you can set yourself up for success by adopting healthy lifestyle practices. For example, regular exercise like walking or yoga can improve your mood and give you an energy boost.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on days off.
- Spend time outside every day.
- Create a soothing pre-bed routine.
- Eat only light snacks (not heavy meals) right before bed.
- Make your sleep space dark, cool, and cozy.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the afternoon and evening.
Relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and journaling can also relieve anxiety and stress.
5. Connect With Peer Support Groups
You don’t have to navigate your UC journey alone. Peer support and connecting with others with IBD through groups or forums can lessen isolation and help you feel understood, says Ali.
You can find an in-person or online community through these groups:
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