Over asking

Being open about UC has been one of the best things for me therapeutically, but everything comes with a drawback.

One negative thing about being open with others about my UC is their over asking. I know that it is only out of concern and has every good intention, but it is annoying. By over asking I mean people constantly asking me if I need to go use the restroom, is it ok for me to eat this, or really any question that is asked solely because they are aware of my UC. The way I feel about it is that I am a grown person and I will handle my UC myself. I know that if I need to use the restroom, I will go. If I cannot eat something, I won’t. I know people are only being nice, but I still do not like it because it draws attention to my UC. At times, this can have the effect of making me feel outcast.

However, there are other times when I am thankful that people ask. For example when going to a dinner party, if somebody asks it is just polite. This does not bother me because even if I did not have UC people may ask this to ensure there are no allergies, for example.

Over time I have learned to not let over asking bother me as much and be more relaxed about it. It is only an annoyance, but not something to get upset or stressed over. And, I cannot blame people for doing it out of kindness. Before having UC I would probably do the same thing. Now I know that even if somebody is open about a disease not to ask questions that may single them out.