Emotional Aspects

Having a stoma formed may be as a result of an accident, long-term disease, or a newly diagnosed illness needing acute or even emergency treatment. For some, a stoma can be perceived as a relief from severe inflammatory bowel disease and years of pain. Others will think of it as something unexpected and unwanted, which can make it more difficult to accept.

A stoma means a sudden major change in your body and in the way you see yourself and may impact your quality of life. No matter how much support and information you can get from skilled and helpful doctors and nurses, it will take time to adjust to this change, and it is natural to experience sadness and grief, even anxiety and stress while you adapt to the new, but not really so different, you.

Sometimes you may struggle with thoughts like: 'Why me?' or 'What have I done to deserve this?' Thoughts and strong emotions can be difficult to put into words or to speak about. Experience shows that before we come to accept the inevitable and thus are ready to move on, we have to start by acknowledging our difficulties. Once we do, we can find countless examples of people who live full and satisfying lives with a stoma.

You can read more about emotions and adjustment to a new body image in the Dansac booklet, Body Image.

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