I understand flare ups can screw up mental health but what is it like during remission? What is your mental health like during remission?
Asking because I am newly diagnosed and in my first flare
The cause of UC is unknown but a storm of environmental factors is known to trigger it.
I had a chronic stress of a bad breakup for almost two and half years along with sleep issues. I did not at all get sick while I was dealing with this. I had some stomach tenderness throughout this time so I would eat more fibre and yogurt. If I would go to sleep on full stomach, I wouldn't get sleep or would get disturbed sleep during this time.
I came to India for vacation. I started to feel happy in life and I was fine for around two months. My stomach was also at its best eating fresh food from India.
I came back to US, I got hit with a bad upper respiratory infection along with a high fever. I took antibiotics and boom, a week later I had bloody stools.
I feel the chronic stress of many years coupled with antibiotics did create a perfect storm of events to trigger my UC. However, I do feel saddened by the fact that when I got UC I was happy in life along with no stomach issues.
Body keeps the score!
Just knowing that I would be dead without modern medicine sometimes humbles me. I think we take our lives too seriously and should just live more and worry less.
However the idea that I am alive only because of medicines is equally frightening at some points and the disease affects the quality of life. It's a vicious circle.