Mental Health and Pancreatic Disease

Coping With Pancreatic Disease

Living with pancreatic disease can affect more than your physical health. It can also affect your mood, stress levels, relationships, and overall well-being. Feeling anxious, discouraged, or overwhelmed is understandable when you're dealing with pain, uncertainty, or changes to your daily life. You are not alone, and support is available.‍

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If pain or illness has left you feeling anxious or exhausted, that is a logical and common response — not a sign of weakness, and not something you're imagining. Your mind and body are deeply connected, and taking care of your emotional health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.  

It is also understandable to feel sad or discouraged after a diagnosis or while managing an ongoing condition. Changes in what you can do, concerns about treatment, and having to step back from activities you enjoy can be difficult to adjust to.
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Recognizing the Signs

Feeling sad, worried, or discouraged from time to time is understandable when living with a chronic illness. But if these feelings persist, become overwhelming, or interfere with your daily life, talk with your healthcare team.
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Signs that you may need additional support can include:

• Persistent sadness, anxiety, or feeling empty
• Feeling hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Irritability, frustration, or restlessness
• Losing interest or pleasure in activities you usually enjoy
• Low energy / change in sleep / difficulty concentrating
• Changes in sleep and/or appetite  
• Thoughts of death or suicide

The most important thing to remember

Depression is treatable — even alongside another medical condition. You don't have to just push through it. Effective help exists, and reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Mental Health and Pancreatic Disease

Pancreatic disease can bring unique emotional challenges. Pain, digestive symptoms, changes in eating, treatment decisions, and uncertainty about the future can all affect your emotional well-being.

People living with chronic health conditions may have a higher risk of depression and anxiety. This does not mean that you will experience these conditions, but it is important to recognize changes in your emotional health and talk with your care team when you need support.

If you are caring for a child or teenager with pancreatic disease, they may also experience stress, anxiety, sadness, or difficulty adjusting to life with a chronic condition. Parents and caregivers may need support, too.

Getting Support

If you are struggling, talk with your healthcare provider. You deserve support for both your physical and emotional health.

What to Share With Your Provider

It may help to talk about:

• How you have been feeling emotionally and how long you have felt this way
• Changes in your sleep, appetite, energy, or interest in activities
• How pain or other symptoms are affecting your mood
• Any medications or supplements you are taking

What Treatment Can Look Like

There is no single approach that works for everyone. Your treatment plan may include:

• Psychotherapy or talk therapy — a supportive space to work through emotions, stress, and challenges related to your illness and to learn effective coping skills
• Medication — prescribed and monitored by your healthcare provider when appropriate
• A combination of therapy and medication
• Support groups or peer support — connecting with others who understand what it is like to live with pancreatic disease

Finding the right support may take time, and that's okay. Even small steps can improve your quality of life while you continue managing your physical health.

If You're Struggling Right Now Help is available 24/7.

Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support.

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency medical care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Reaching out for help is not an overreaction. It is an important step toward taking care of yourself

Take the Next Step

You do not have to figure everything out at once. Consider starting with one small step:

• Connect with others: Consider a support group or peer-support community for people living with pancreatic disease. ‍
• Talk with a mental health professional: Ask your healthcare team for a referral or help finding someone who understands chronic illness. ‍
• Take a free, confidential mental health screening: Mental Health America offers online mental health screenings at screening.mhanational.org.

Your mental health is part of your pancreatic health—and you deserve support for both.

Sources

• NIMH: Chronic Illness & Mental Health — nimh.nih.gov
• US Pain Foundation, Mental Health — uspainfoundation.org/pain/mentalhealth
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — call or text 988, available 24/7
• Caregiver Action Network - https://www.caregiveraction.org