What You Shouldn't Say To Someone With Crohn's Disease

What You Shouldn't Say To Someone With Crohn's Disease

If you know someone that has either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis then here are the top ten things on what not to say if you do have Crohn's or colitis then let me know how many of these you have had said to you.

Otherwise, let's just get straight into things number one you don't look sick to me I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that and the reason.

Why Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis is known as an invisible illness is because you can't see it number two you should try this diet it will cure your Crohn's.

I'm not going to go much into this because I've gone through this in other videos but if only celery juice would actually cure my Crohn's disease I would be the first to jump on it number three I have IBS as well now IBS and IBD are completely different things.

And I'm sorry to everyone who has said that to me and I've given you a lecture about it.

But if you want to know exactly what separates our two then check out this video number four lucky you can eat what you want and not put on weight that I honestly can't believe that.

Things Not to say to Someone With Crohn's Disease

Things Not to say to Someone With Crohn's Disease

Some people can actually say these things and that has been said to me I have struggled with my weight since I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

I have put on weight due to medications I have lost so much weight because of the symptoms it's a never-ending battle with my weight and that is probably one of the worst things you could say to someone.

That has Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis number five it's all in your head now that is probably another worst thing you could say to someone that has Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Because when I was undiagnosed I did feel like it was all in my head and that I was making up all of these symptoms which I speak about in my Crohn's disease story you can check out this video if you want to watch more on it.

But essentially if you are experiencing these symptoms and you're being told by your doctors that it's nothing serious then you do start to doubt yourself number six you must be a picky eater no we're not picky eaters we just know what foods we can and can't eat because we would rather not experience some symptoms like bloating diarrhea and abdominal pain out of the luxury of eating food.

That we know we can't tolerate number seven it could be worse yes things could be worse but for someone that hasn't had any health issues and then have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Crohn's Disease Care Package

Which is chronic and lifelong then that is the worst thing that could possibly happen to them so refrain from saying it could be worse number eight have you tried changing your diet now a lot of people have said this to me but for me personally when it comes to diets and Crohn's disease.

Crohn's Disease Care Package

I personally have found some changes in my symptoms by changing my diet one of the ways I did this is seeing a dietician seeking the proper help and identifying the foods that are known as my trigger foods and so what I do is essentially just stay away from those.

Now when it comes to diet and finding your symptoms have decreased and you're becoming more and more healthy be aware.

That you have not been cured because the cure implies that the disease has gone forever you are essentially in remission and what that means is your disease has gone to sleep it's still there and could still come back at any time.

• Number nine you're too young to be sick now as far as I'm aware diseases and illnesses don't discriminate so they don't look at you and be like no you're too young to be sick you can get sick at any age.

- So why are you saying I'm too young to be sick?

Number ten and this has happened to me numerous times is excuse me sir that toilet is for disabled people yes I know I don't physically look disabled.

But Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are known as hidden disabilities so those are my top ten things that I have had people say to me but let me know if you had anything differently said to you in the comments below and while you're doing that make sure you check out these videos for more useful tips tricks and information for Crohn's and Colitis.

Can food cause Crohn’s Disease: Well that is what I will be discussing in this video going over what causes Crohn's and Colitis and in general best foods for IBD.

My Crohn’s Disease Story: In this video, you'll know all my story with Crohn's.

6 Ways to Help Someone With Crohn's Disease

Their condition then doesn't worry because by the end of this video you'll have my top tips on how you can best support that person as well as how you can download this free ebook.

6 Ways to Help Someone With Crohn's Disease

So now to find out how you can get hands-on that ebook I mentioned it's all about dating with Crohn's and Colitis I've created so stick around to the end of the video and I'll tell you exactly how you can get it.

I've even included a bonus section in which I discuss how IBD can impact intimacy and what you can do to overcome those barriers but for now, let's just get straight into things.

1. Number one of the best ways to show support is by making sure you fill them in on everything that they have missed so this can be anything from professionally or socially. If they couldn't make a social event and may have missed out on the juicy piece of gossip just give them a call and fill them in on what is going on if you're in school college or university and notice that your friend hasn't been in class. The same thing applies to give them a call and let them know what they've missed it may not seem like much. But this can be really helpful for them and they can be very grateful to know that someone is looking out for them.
2. Number two linking to the previous post if they've had to cancel plans to meet up at the last minute then try and not get frustrated or annoyed it can be hard living with a chronic condition and it can be so unpredictable and that it can make planning for future events very difficult because you can be fine up until the day and personally I've had to cancel plans on the day and I have felt really guilty and feel like I've let my friends down. So the last thing we need is for other people to make us feel even more guilty.
3. Number three is to try and be flexible living with Crohn's and Colitis means we need to access the toilets almost every second of the day as well as we have to watch what we eat due to food intolerances and trigger foods so when organizing events or days out try and be considerate of your friends needs better yet involve them in the planning as this will help them feel more included in things and feel less isolated.
4. Number four is to try and learn about their condition and the best way to do this is to ask some questions about their condition it can be such a great way of showing that you want to understand more. But also do your own research on it can be very helpful so try and get an understanding of what it might be like for them and imagine what difficulties you would possibly face in your own life if you had this condition as well.
5. Number five be their shoulder to cry on sometimes all that is needed is knowing that there is someone out there for us to offer a shoulder to cry on when things get a bit too much for us this can be such a great way of supporting your loved one on as it can be really difficult to open up about Crohn's and Colitis due to the embarrassment stigma attached to it. So if someone chooses you to talk to about it just know that that is a huge thing.
6. Number six help them in raising awareness some people like myself who have Crohn's disease choose the volunteer for Crohn's and Colitis UK to help raise awareness of IBD this involves organizing and carrying out awareness events and if you want to know what goes on in some of these events or what I do as a volunteer.

How to Tell Someone About Your Crohn’s Disease: In this video, I will tell you how to talk about your Crohn's or a chronic illness which will help you in how to talk about your feelings.

Why I volunteer for Crohn’s & Colitis UK: Crohn's and Colitis UK volunteers don't have to have inflammatory bowel disease just a passion for raising awareness of Crohn's and colitis.