Mental Health, Anxiety, and Learning to Trust Yourself Again

Living with an ostomy is not just a physical adjustment. It is an emotional one. And for many people, the emotional side is the part that takes the longest to settle.

In the early days, anxiety can show up in ways you do not expect. You might feel on edge leaving the house. You might replay worst case scenarios in your mind. You might find yourself constantly checking, adjusting, or worrying about what could happen next. That does not mean you are weak. It means your nervous system is trying to protect you.

For a long time, I did not realize how much mental energy I was carrying. I was always scanning. Always preparing. Always bracing for something to go wrong. It was exhausting, but it felt necessary at the time.

What helped me begin to settle was creating quiet space in my mornings. Not to fix anything, but to ground myself before the day started. Mornings became a time for scripture, prayer, journaling, and sitting quietly in reflection. Those moments reminded me that I was not carrying everything on my own.

Faith became an anchor. Not in a way that erased fear, but in a way that softened it. When anxiety felt loud, prayer helped me slow down. When my mind raced ahead, scripture brought me back to the present. Journaling helped me release what I was holding inside instead of letting it build.

Mental health after ostomy surgery also includes grief. Grieving the body you had. Grieving the ease you once felt. Grieving the version of life you thought you were returning to. That grief does not mean you are ungrateful. It means you are human.

One of the most important shifts for me was learning to be kind to myself on hard days. Instead of asking what is wrong with me, I started asking what do I need right now. Sometimes that meant rest. Sometimes it meant reassurance. Sometimes it meant sitting quietly and reminding myself that I was supported even when things felt uncertain.

Trust does come back. Slowly at first. Then in waves. Then one day you realize you are living your life without constant fear in the background. Not because nothing ever goes wrong, but because you know you can handle it if it does.

If anxiety feels heavy right now, please know this. You are not failing. You are adjusting. And you are allowed to take this one day at a time.

Healing is not about eliminating fear. It is about learning that fear does not get to run the show.