Q: Okay so i have alot of problems healthwise; I have an autoimmune problem but no disease yet and i also have chronic constipation. It just started flaring up again and lately i have been really on edge. I'm starting HS next week and in the last couple days i have been crying alot for no reason and am sad and stressed and not sure about what. My parents are school counselors but I dont want to talk to them about this. My sister left yesterday for college and on top of that my brother who ive gotten close to also is leaving tomorow. This isnt there first year away at college either and it frustrates me because with this sickness it prevents me from doing normal stuff and feeling good most of the time. It sucks!!! And is really stressful. I dont know what to do. Please Help
A: Don't worry about not telling us which autoimmune disease you have or that the doctor has suggested might have...that is not necessary for your question to get answered. As you probably know, you have a truly incredible amount of stress right now. The news that your immunity is compromised, starting HS, sister and brother leaving, losing the ability to do the activities you previously enjoyed are all MAJOR stessors. High stress, especially when it involves loved ones leaving home, will cause most anyone to feel depressed, anxious, and cry for what appears to be no reason at all. But if you think about it you will see there are reasons and crying is not inappropriate. Just read the question you wrote and I think you'll know what I mean. Remember that most of the things that are bothering right now will feel better in a while. When a person is depressed, the bad things that happen can get blown out of proportion. In a short while that should decrease as your depression gets less. Do you think that if you told your brother and sister that you miss them a lot when they are gone for school and you wish they would call you every week or two, that they would be willing to do that? If this depression has been going on for more than 1-2 months you should let your doctor know. Having the type diagnosis you have is the thing that may not feel a lot better over time. You have a lot on your plate. The one thing about your illness is that you will get a little more used to that after the shock of your diagnosis goes away. You need to develop new interests and activities that you can do with wearing yourself out. Maybe after you have found new interests there is a way to share that with your friends. Some of the fun things you could do is start making jewelry (I do that and really enjoy the chance to create my own designs plus the jewelry makes great gifts, scrapbooking, reading, for a little exercise and a calming you could try T'ai Chi, sewing or other crafts are good. The craft things are easy to share with friends by just telling them what you are doing and you wonder if they could or would come to see what you've done. Maybe you'll even find that some of them would enjoy your chosen activities and they could come over and you could work on your projects together. There are lots of books available at craft stores about beading and making jewelry. Those stores will also have a large selection of beads to choose from. You can get a DVD with T'ia Chi exercises to do. The exercises are not strenous and actually are still good exercise and there is a meditative effect that is very calming. The constipation is not fun, I know. Make sure you have a lot of fiber in your diet such as whole grain cereals, whole grain bread, beans, vegetables, and fruit. If this does not help enough in a week or so you could start a stool softener such as over the counter ducosate sodium. I would suggest you talk to your doctor first to make sure it will not cause a problem with your illness or your meds. I hope this helps you a little. I have a chronic disease and am losing my ability to do physically active things. I know how bad that feels and that is also a "loss" and initially you will mourn that loss. This is very normal.
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