How UC Affects Personal Life

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Hundreds of patients who took the Voices of UC survey say UC affects them more than their friends and family know.

Limits what patients can do: 3 out of 4 say UC limits their daily activities. Affecting 45% of patients, the most common limit is not being able to eat foods they like.

More than 1 in 3 patients report that:

  • The threat of flare-ups can make it hard to plan weekend trips or vacations

  • Pain may get in the way of doing physical things like sports or taking a walk

  • UC symptoms can limit people’s ability to date or be in a relationship and keep plans with family and friends

Affects mood: 3 out of 4 people living with UC say it impacts their overall emotional well-being. 42% of patients felt sad, blue or depressed in the last 30 days because of their UC. Nearly half said having UC caused them to feel stressed within the last 30 days.

 

Ideas to help you take charge of UC in daily life

  • Keep in touch

    • Friends and family members may not know what you’re going through and how it affects you. Or, they may not know what to say or how to help. So it may be up to you to take the first step. You may want to let them know what you are going through and ask for their support.

  • Teach friends and family

    • Consider asking some of the people who are close to you to find out more about UC. You can give them brochures, point them to websites or even take them to a support meeting.

  • Do fun things

    • Findings from the Voices of UC survey show that symptoms of UC may be keeping many people from doing things they like to do. If it starts to affect you in this way, fight back. You may want to ask friends to help you think of ways to deal with your UC symptoms so you can still do the things you enjoy. Look into new things that you can do. You may be surprised to discover how creative you can be when you put your mind to it.

  • Find Support

    • Only 1 in 3 patients say they have a support network to help them cope with UC. Consistent with 2005, more than half of the patients say that their family and friends underestimate the impact that UC has on them. Yet, very few patients turn to support (11%) or advocacy groups (10%) for help. More people talk to their doctor (69%) or search the Web (46%) for information.

  • Meet others with UC

    • It can be helpful to get in touch with other people who have UC because they know just what you are going through. They may be able to help you with practical ideas for problems you are facing. You can also share your good ideas and tips to help others. You can find support groups through UC advocacy groups, or through your doctor or a local hospital.

      Click here for additional resources that can help you get the support you need.

Digestive Disease National Coalition