This morning I came across a news article that talks about how "people with chronic intestinal conditions also have psychological disturbances".
I have included the link to the article - but the gist of it is that intestinal bacteria can have a changing effect in the chemistry of our brains giving rise to increased anxiety and, sometimes, depression. It also gives the benefits of probiotics and increasing the 'good' bacteria in the gut.
I agree with this - but only to a point. Probiotics I believe can be very helpful. Increasing the 'good' bacteria in the gut has always been one of the first therapies that I was given when I first dealt with chronic intestinal illness. Also, anyone with chronic inflammation and chronic pain has major chemistry changes throughout the body and I do see how chemistry changes in the brain are pretty much an inevitability.
What I would like to point out is that researchers are saying that they "never understood why" people with chronic intestinal illness have a tendency to have mood changes, increased anxiety, and sometimes depression. I would also like to point out that this does not include every single person with chronic intestinal illness.
People included in this category have uncontrolled flare-ups and uncontrolled forms of the diseases mentioned.
This means, likely, that they cannot ingest any food or drink without feeling excruciating pain, cramping, diarrhea (or sometimes severe constipation instead), bloating, nausea, blood, and general discomfort. This can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. Add to this the 'brain fog' that many patients describe - memory loss, unable to focus due to pain, etc....
Then take all of that and add the fact that the person cannot fully predict WHEN these flare-ups will happen, when they will stop, and we have been given a diagnosis that is a FOREVER illness.
Although I am sure there is absolutely some validity to this article, and I do recommend probiotics to those suffering from chronic intestinal illness, I just want people to understand that:
1. This does not mean that EVERYONE with chronic intestinal illness has severe "psychological disturbances".
2. I am pretty sure that all of the symptoms above could put ANYONE in a funk of a mood.
To me it just seems to be another weak connection from chronic illness to depression. This is DANGEROUS. Depression and mood cannot cause these diseases... And to say that these diseases can cause depression is also just as worrisome.
It's like when a doctor says:
"Hey - by the way - you have an illness that is going to cause you excruciating pain whenever you eat or drink, you are going to be in pain for the rest of your life, nausea, blood, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and general abdominal pain may be part of your every day life, and you may go in and out of unpredictable flare-ups...."
And then you start crying and they write down:
'Began to cry. Might be depressed."
And then try to prescribe anti-depressants.
Are you kidding me?!?!?
Anyways... There is my rant for the day.
Again, yes, there is likely a brain chemistry connection from having a chronic illness and also suffering from some anxiety and depression, but a similar connection can be made by common sense, and I absolutely do not believe that labeling all people with chronic intestinal illnesses as "also" having "psychological disturbances" is a smart or even accurate statement.
Probiotics ARE a good idea and it's smart to take care of trying to balance out body chemistry in its entirety - the body being out of balance can cause major difficulties.
Proper diet and probiotics are both good therapies - although this is particular to every single person. No one is exactly the same and no diet is the 'be all and end all' diet for people with forms of IBD.
:)
P.s. I have Crohn's Disease, my entire large intestine was removed from Ulcerative Colitis, I also have arthritis, early onset Macular Degeneration, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, plus a few other chronic illnesses... What I DO NOT suffer from, is Depression or Anxiety. I have my moments, I have down days, I get sad, but I do not suffer from these psychological diseases.
On the flip side, I am sure there are several people with Depression and Anxiety who may not suffer from other forms of chronic illness.