Living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis means managing much more than gut symptoms. It often comes with worries about finding a bathroom in time, unpredictable flares, and feeling exhausted when you seem fine on the outside.
When other people do not understand these challenges or make comments that minimize or judge your experience, it can create what we call disease stigma: being judged or treated differently because of your IBD in ways that make you feel reduced to your illness instead of recognized as a whole person.
Because bowel symptoms are still taboo in many social settings, IBD stigma often happens quietly ... [leaving] you feeling misunderstood or ashamed.
— Megan Riehl, PsyD, AGAF, GI psychologist and board member of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation
For people with IBD, stigma can show up in subtle ways — a friend teasing you for canceling plans “again,” or a coworker rolling their eyes when you step away to use the bathroom. Over time, these moments can add up. Research suggests that up to 84 percent of adults with IBD feel there is stigma directed at them because of their disease. This can feed painful stereotypes that people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are unreliable, dramatic, or antisocial. It is understandable that feeling judged this way might lead you to pull back from social situations, delay seeking care, or struggle with loneliness and anxiety.
What Is IBD Stigma?
Stigma means being judged or treated differently because of a characteristic or condition that others see as “less than” or outside the norm.
For people with IBD, that can include harmful assumptions that symptoms like diarrhea, urgency, or fatigue are somehow controllable, exaggerated, or a sign of being “weak” rather than real manifestations of a chronic medical condition. Because bowel symptoms are still taboo in many social settings, IBD stigma often happens quietly — through uncomfortable jokes, awkward silences, or well-meaning but minimizing comments that leave you feeling misunderstood or ashamed.
Researchers describe several layers of IBD stigma: Perceived stigma is the sense that others hold negative attitudes about your disease, while internalized stigma happens when you start to believe those stereotypes yourself and fold them into how you see your identity. Studies suggest that up to about 8 in 10 people with IBD report some experience of stigma, and more than one-third report internalized stigma, which is linked with higher depression and anxiety, more social withdrawal, and lower quality of life.
How to Cope With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Stigma
Stigma can be tough to face, but it’s not something you have to carry alone. As a gastrointestinal (GI) psychologist who works with people living with IBD, I use several evidence-based tools that help reduce the impact of stigma and make everyday life feel more manageable and fulfilling.
1. Share Your Diagnosis on Your Terms
Opening up about your IBD status can feel vulnerable, but sharing with people you trust can ease stigma and loneliness, and you always get to decide what and how much you disclose.
“By opening up and sharing something that is such a big part of you and your identity, you quickly come to realize whether that person is meant to have access to your life,” says Natalie Hayden, an IBD patient advocate, blogger, and Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation social media ambassador.
Many people find it helpful to think ahead about what they need from a conversation — understanding, emotional support, or practical accommodations — and then choose simple language that feels comfortable, such as “I have a chronic digestive disease that sometimes causes pain and urgent bathroom trips.”
Research suggests that people who feel able to disclose their condition in a thoughtful, boundaried way often experience less internalized stigma and more support. You do not have to share every detail; focusing on what helps you feel safe and understood is enough.
“I told my husband I had Crohn's disease on our third date,” Hayden says. “We were out to lunch and I casually brought it up. I was pleasantly surprised by his response and care, and it was never an issue from that point forward. It was comforting to know I had a partner who genuinely saw me for so much more than my disease.”
“Not everyone is meant to be a partner for someone with chronic illness, but for us, it's imperative we don't settle, and that we find someone who lifts us up and sees us for more than our IBD,” she says.
2. Build a Supportive IBD Community
Feeling like the only person with IBD in your life can make stigma feel heavier, but connecting with others who truly get it can create powerful relief. IBD support programs and patient organizations like the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation offer spaces to share stories, compare coping strategies, and feel less alone.
In surveys of people with IBD, greater social support is linked with better quality of life and a lower impact of perceived stigma. Hearing another person say, “I’ve canceled plans for the bathroom, too,” can shift the story from “I’m missing out again” to “I’m managing a real illness — and others are navigating this alongside me.”
If managing IBD feels overwhelming despite social support, consider working with a GI psychologist specializing in chronic health and gut-brain behavioral therapies to help manage these challenges.
3. Practice Cognitive Reframing
Stigma often seeps into your inner dialogue, showing up as thoughts like “I’m a burden” or “People will think I’m weak.” Cognitive reframing is a skill that helps you notice these automatic thoughts, gently question them, and replace them with more balanced statements, such as “I’m managing a medical condition, and needing accommodations doesn’t make me less worthy.”
Over time, practicing reframing can help you separate who you are from the stigmatizing messages you may have absorbed about IBD.
4. Ask for Accommodations
Sometimes stigma is eased not just by changing minds, but by changing environments. Reasonable accommodations at work or school — like flexible breaks, quick restroom access, or remote options during flares — can make it easier to participate fully without pushing your body past its limits.
Advocates emphasize that accommodations are not special treatment; they level the playing field so you can succeed while managing a chronic digestive illness. A simple script such as “I’m managing a chronic digestive disease, and there may be times I need quick restroom access or occasional flexibility to continue doing my best work” can open the door to support without requiring you to share your entire medical history.
“I wish I had known early on all the ways accommodations could be applied as a student,” says Kaylaa’ White, a college student and Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation social media ambassador who was diagnosed with IBD at 17. Kaylaa’ has since worked with her college disability services office to implement several accommodations, including flexibility with attendance, additional time on exams and assignments, and permission to carry snacks to class.
“At my last GI follow-up before the semester starts each school year, I request two letters: an American Disabilities Association (ADA) compliance letter and a more detailed letter highlighting all the ways Crohn's disease and an ostomy can impact housing, dining, and academics on campus,” she says. “The second letter tends to go into greater depth, and I feel comfortable sharing that additional context when needed because it leaves little room for back-and-forth between me, my school, and my doctor.”
But she says, you don’t have to share that much if you don’t want to. It’s okay to be brief when requesting accommodations.
5. Care for the Gut–Brain Connection
Because stress and emotions can influence gut symptoms (known as the gut-brain connection), supporting your mental health is a powerful way to counteract the physical impact of stigma. Practices like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and other mind-body tools can help calm the nervous system and may improve how some people cope with their IBD symptoms.
Studies show that psychological interventions, including gut-brain behavioral therapies, can improve quality of life and decrease symptom burden in IBD, especially when used alongside medical care. Even 10 to 20 minutes a day of intentional relaxation or breathing can serve as a daily reminder that your emotional well-being and gut health both deserve care — and that IBD is not something you have to endure in silence.
The Takeaway
Stigma around Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is common and can deeply affect emotional well-being, relationships, and even how people manage their medical care.
While you cannot control others’ reactions, you can protect yourself by sharing your diagnosis on your terms, building supportive connections, asking for accommodations, and using gut-brain tools to manage stress.
With compassionate support, effective treatment, and practical coping strategies, people living with IBD can push back against stigma and build lives that reflect their values, strengths, and goals — not just their diagnosis.
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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Perugino F et al. Stigma and Chronic Pain. Pain and Therapy. August 2022.
Taft TH et al. A systematic review of disease-related stigmatization in patients living with inflammatory bowel disease. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. March 2016.
Reynolds DP et al. The mediating role of psychological inflexibility on internalized stigma and patient outcomes in a sample of adults with inflammatory bowel disease. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis. May 2025.
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Xia G et al. Mediating role of social support between stigma and social alienation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Psychology. August 2025.
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Artan Y et al. Efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation in Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial. International Journal of Nursing Practice. October 2025.
Paulton J et al. Gut-Directed Self-Hypnosis for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Protocol: Complimentary Psychotherapy for Remission Augmentation, IBS-Like Symptoms, and Surgery Recovery. Gastroenterology. February 2021.
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Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care ...
Megan Riehl, PsyD, is a nationally recognized gastrointestinal psychologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, specializing in gastroin...
