A lot of different emotions can come up when your body no longer looks or acts like you expect it to, even if those changes or symptoms are temporary. “People might have embarrassment or shame, feel self-conscious, or feel less confident or have a lower self-worth. And that can drive things like depression and anxiety,” says Taryn Lores, PhD, a health and clinical psychologist at the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Feeling down or embarrassed about the way you look might drive you to withdraw socially. And it can make dating and sex feel like a minefield, even if you’re in a long-term partnership.
Many people with Crohn’s also say that the changes to their body make them feel weak or flawed, like their body is failing them. That can be especially frustrating if you feel like you’re working hard to do everything “right,” treatment-wise.
When added together, these sorts of issues can take a hefty toll on your well-being and impact your overall quality of life.
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