Six Months G-Free, Just Now Hitting Me?

[livelifelarge24]

After being diagnosed and going gluten free people would always say how much it sucked for me or was unfair. I never felt that way, I have just been so happy to find an answer with a solution that doesn't require surgery or drugs. It's been an up and down battle but when things are up, I feel so much better than I ever could have imagined.

I don't know if 6 months is my magic marker or what. I've been so depressed lately. I feel and think things I never did before- this is unfair, why me? I've been getting jealous of others that can eat what they want and have a "normal" lifestyle. I want to go out to lunch with friends without worrying! Social activities always seem to revolve around food andni feel like an outcast. I think the holidays had a lot to do with this depression- there were an awful lot of depressing issues surrounding Christmas and new years for me.

I think the biggest problem has been cross contamination. I am so tired of thinking I'm doing everything right then BAM out of the blue I get glutened and I'm done for another week or two. After a few times in a row of that I got SO SICK of being sick that I have become overly vigilant. I wash my hands til they bleed, don't eat out anymore, am fearful of any makeup... I am just depressed

I guess I'm just venting because I feel so alone in my family and circle of friends. I started counseling yesterday for this and I'm hoping that will help.

[eatmeat4good]

It is very difficult to adjust to this new life. I was relieved to know what had been wrong with me all of those years. It takes about 6 months for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD symptoms to kick in after a particularly stressful event in your life. Especially if you were sick for very long. So the fact that depression is hitting you now is very normal. It's something your therapist will probably talk with you about because it is very typical to have a period of elation, and there there is the learning process involved with avoiding gluten, and all of that takes away from really absorbing what it has done to your life and now 6 months in you can begin the greiving process. Some people do better with it than others. I lost a lot due to this little frigging molecule called gluten. It sucked. I knew I was very sick and no one would believe me. They thought I was a hypochondriac. So of course I was thrilled to have the answer. But I sunk into a depression too about 6 months into it. Angry at the Dr.'s, my ex who divorced me because I was sick and everyone who thought I was making it up. Lost my job and ability to function professionally. I had a hard time accepting all of the losses. The only thing that has kept me going is watching my body get better and trying to rebuild my life. I think it is pretty normal but that doesn't make it easier. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. Now I'm one year into this and I realize that things are going to get better but I sure wish I had figured this out sooner....Ah well, one gluten free meal at a time. And sometimes there is nothing better than a hot cup of coffee and a straight talk with a therapist. Hope it gets better for you soon.

[rosetapper23]

It might help if you join some celiac support groups in your area. The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America has a lot of local groups, depending on where you're located. Do you live in the U.S.? You can check their main website to see if you can find a support group in your area--www.gluten.net. Also, if you join the national group, they send you a fantastic quarterly newsletter (it's actually a magazine) with very well-written, informative articles about celiac.

There's also the Celiac Sprue Association at Open Original Shared Link and the nfca at www.celiaccentral.org . Maybe they can help with their resources. All of these organizations also sponsor workshops and conferences on celiac and gluten sensitivity with very pertinent information on how to deal with the diet and our friends and family. I usually attend at least one conference a year in the States and have made a number of friends who stay in contact with me. They're always "there" for me when I feel down or have a concern.

If you have meetup.com groups in your area, this can also be helpful. Simply sign up with meetup.com and let them know that you're interested in meeting other people with celiac or gluten sensitivity. You'll probably find a number of them in your area, depending on where you're located. I meet up with people I've never met and others that I see on a consistent basis through meetup.com. We meet up at gluten-free bakeries and restaurants that specialize in gluten-free food. It's wonderful to meet people who have the same concerns, and I always learn a lot of new things (favorite gluten-free products, good restaurants, the latest health information, etc.). I found that, by socializing with other celiacs, I could feel comfortable dining at a restaurant, and I don't feel "different."

Believe me--there's a LOT of support out there. Please take advantage of it....

[livelifelarge24]

Thank you both for the great advice! I will definitely check on some of those meetups and support groups. I started working out again today (I had taken the last 6 months off because the new diet was hard for me to adjust to and I lost weight that I could t afford to) and I feel so much better after working out. Like eatmeat4good said, one meal and one day at a time.