Being a young person isn’t always easy, pressure to work hard at school, have 100% attendance, achieve good results and make big decisions about your future! Friendships can be difficult as you try to find your way through it all! And then, as if that wasn’t enough, you are hit with a diagnosis of IBD!
At times, it can probably feel like nobody understands and at other times you might not want people to mention it, you just want to get on with life. The unpredictability of IBD can throw up all sorts of challenges both physically and emotionally, school and socialising aren’t compatible with an IBD flare!! We understand that you want to live life as normally as you can and with the right help and support, this is possible. CICRA are right behind you with advice and information that we think could help you. We also have a Family Support Worker, Laura, on hand should you want to chat with her (online, via e-mail or over the telephone) about living with IBD and the challenges you are facing. We can also put you in touch with other young people who have IBD so that you don’t feel so alone with what you are going through.
exams
Taking exams is a stressful event for anybody, but it can be particularly difficult when you have IBD, given that stress can be a trigger for making IBD more active. As a young person, you don’t want to be singled out or made to feel different to your friends because you have IBD, in fact, you may not even have told your friends that you have it. However, it is also important to look after yourself and listen to your body at times of stress. As well as some useful information that we have put together to help you, we have spoken to young people who have been through GCSEs/A-Levels and asked them for their top 5 tips when managing exams and IBD. We could happily link you up for a chat with somebody who has been through exams and can offer you some practical advice. Just get in touch with CICRA and we will do all we can to support you.