Artificial nutrition keeps the body going. Nobody hands you anything for your mind. Yet for many of us, the hardest part has not been the line, the tube or the pump. It has been what goes on in our heads.
Feelings people talk about most
- Anger and frustration at not being able to eat, or eat enough, and at a body that does not do what it used to.
- Grief for food, for meals with family, and for the life you had before.
- Anxiety about infections, complications, deliveries going wrong, or what the future holds.
- Loneliness, because so much of social life happens around food.
- Feeling self conscious about tubes, lines, pumps and changes to your body.
- Low mood and depression, which can creep up slowly.
Some changes in mood can also come from the body itself, such as when salts or blood sugar are out of balance. If your mood changes suddenly, mention it to your nutrition team.
What helps
- Talking to people who understand. Support groups and communities like this one exist for exactly this reason.
- Telling your team. Your nutrition team cares about your mind as well as your blood results. Ask them about psychology support, or ask your GP.
- Small routines. The Battle Plan gives three days a week a focus: motivation, wellbeing and getting outside.
- Being kind to yourself. Bad days are not failures.
If you are in a dark place right now, please do not wait. Call Samaritans free on 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258, or call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. In an emergency, call 999.