Drawn By: Eva Roach Aged 9, Pond Park Primary School, Lisburn
Sometimes having a health condition like IBD can be tough. Young people can feel worried, sad, angry or stuck with a problem. Our Clinical Psychology Team can support children, young people and their family with the tricky parts of living with IBD. Some of the difficulties we can help with include:
Taking medication and sticking with your treatment
Having tests, medical investigations and surgery
Coming to medical appointments or having to stay in hospital
Juggling home, school, and social life
Feeling different
Coping with pain
If you would like to talk to a Clinical Psychologist, speak with one of your medical team who can make a referral.
Take 5 steps to wellbeing
Most of us know when we are mentally and physically well but sometimes we need a little extra support to keep well. There are five simple steps to help maintain and improve your wellbeing.
Try to build these into your daily life - think of them as your ‘five a day’ for wellbeing
The five ways to wellbeing were developed by the New Economics Foundation
Public Health Agency, 12 – 22 Linhall Street,
Belfast, BT2 8BS
Tel: 0300 555 0114 (local rate)
Connect with people around you, family, friends, colleagues and neighbours at home, work, schools and in your local community. Think of these relationships as the cornerstones of your life and spend time developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you everyday.
Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance. Exercising make you feel good. Most importantly discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
Stop, pause or take a moment to look around you. What can you see, feel, smell or even taste? Look for beautiful, new, unusual or extraordinary things in your everyday life and think about how that makes you feel.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, rediscover an old hobby or sign up for a course. Take on a different responsibility, fix a bike, learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do.
Do something for a friend or stranger, thank someone, volunteer your time or consider joining a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself and your happiness linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.
