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Chronic UTI and Mental Health

People experiencing chronic pain and illness, like chronic urinary tract infection (UTI), often find their condition has as equally devastating an impact on their mental health as it does on their physical health and well-being. In a society which overwhelmingly focuses on health and ‘good’ health behaviour—you go to the doctor, follow their instructions, and get better—the impacts of having a chronic health condition are often completely unexpected, and rarely discussed. It is not unusual for the resources and strategies people previously used to cope with everyday life stressors to rapidly become overwhelmed, leaving people feeling lost, helpless, and hopeless. We tend not to talk about how experiencing a significant health condition increases people's vulnerability. Unfortunately, additional features associated with chronic pain and illness are loss and grief. When someone is chronically ill, they can be at risk of loss of employment, important relationships, and secure housing. They may also experience less tangible losses, such as a loss of identity, and of their hope and dreams for the future. In the struggle to ‘get better’, many patients are inadvertently traumatised, either through the struggle for an accurate diagnosis, through invasive and painful treatments, or through the implication that they may somehow be responsible for causing their condition. Is it any wonder then, that anxiety and depression are increasingly experienced by people with chronic UTI? We feel it is just as important for people to know about the mental health impacts of chronic pain and illness as it is to know about the physical impacts, and to be able to recognise when their physical ill-health is impacting their mental well-being so they can seek appropriate help.  The following article has been written by people who understand chronic UTI and the impact it can have on your mental health.  We hope you find it helpful.