College & Young Adulthood With IBD
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IBD IN REAL LIFE: TOOLS FOR COLLEGE, INDEPENDENCE AND EVERYDAY LIFE
Going away to college, starting a job or taking on more responsibility for your own healthcare is a big transition for anyone. When you’re living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, there can be a few more things to think about.
Medications. Refills. Appointments. Food choices. Bathroom access. Fatigue. Flares. Roommates. Professors. Work schedules. And figuring out how much—or how little—you want other people to know.
IBD In Real Life is a series of videos and practical tools from the National Association For Continence designed to help young adults navigate these everyday situations with more confidence.
You don’t have to have everything figured out at once. The goal is to build routines, know where to turn for support and find strategies that work for you.
WATCH: IBD IN REAL LIFE
I Look Fine, But I’m Managing… A Lot
IBD isn’t always visible. Follow several young adults as they navigate the things other people may never see—tracking symptoms and energy, thinking about bathroom access, deciding what to tell friends or roommates and knowing when it’s time to speak up.
- Talking about IBD without sharing more than you want to
- Communicating with roommates, friends and family
- Planning for spontaneous activities
- Knowing when symptoms are interfering with everyday life
- Asking your healthcare team for help
My College IBD Plan
College brings new freedom—and new responsibilities. This video follows young adults through some of the practical realities of managing IBD away from home, from keeping track of treatment and refills to finding bathrooms, asking about accommodations and creating a backup plan for difficult days.
- Managing medications, refills, appointments and treatment schedules
- Planning for bathroom access
- Working with campus accessibility or disability services
- Talking with professors
- Thinking ahead about food and fatigue
- Creating a flare and backup plan
Balancing Work, Life and IBD
Starting a job or internship can bring a new set of questions about appointments, bathroom access, fatigue, disclosure and asking for support. This video offers practical ways to think through those situations while building confidence and independence.
DOWNLOAD FREE TOOLS
A Young Adult’s Guide to Talking About IBD
Practical language for talking with roommates, friends, professors, employers and healthcare providers—without feeling like you have to explain everything.
My IBD Backup Plan: College + Independent Living
A fillable planning tool to organize medications, refills, treatment schedules, healthcare contacts, bathroom planning, flare plans and the people you can turn to for help.
Parent & Caregiver Guide: Supporting Independence With IBD
Practical guidance for helping a young adult take the lead in managing IBD while still providing support when it’s needed.
STARTING COLLEGE WITH IBD: A FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
You don’t need to solve everything before move-in day. But thinking through a few areas in advance can make the transition easier.
Your healthcare
Know how to contact your GI team, where your medications and refills will come from, and what to do if symptoms worsen while you’re away.
Your treatment schedule
Some treatments may involve daily medication, injections, infusions, laboratory tests or regular appointments. Look at your academic or work calendar and think ahead about potential conflicts.
Bathroom access
Knowing where bathrooms are in residence halls, classrooms, libraries and other frequently visited buildings can reduce some of the uncertainty.
Campus support
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic medical conditions, and students may be eligible for accommodations. Your school’s accessibility or disability services office can explain the process and what documentation may be needed.
Your support system
Think about who should know enough to help if you’re having a difficult day. That may be a roommate, friend, parent, partner or another trusted person. You get to decide how much you share.
Your backup plan
IBD can be unpredictable. Knowing what you’ll do if symptoms worsen, medication is delayed or you need medical care away from home can make an unexpected situation easier to manage.
TAKING OVER YOUR CARE DOESN’T MEAN DOING IT ALONE
Independence with IBD is something you learn. You may manage some things easily and need help with others. You may have semesters when everything feels organized and other times when symptoms disrupt your plans.
The goal is to become more comfortable asking questions, describing your symptoms, keeping track of treatment, making decisions, asking for accommodations when you need them, knowing when to contact your healthcare team and letting trusted people support you.
IBD may be part of your college and young adult experience. It doesn’t have to be the whole experience.
EXPLORE MORE IBD RESOURCES FROM NAFC
Looking for more information about Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, treatment, flares and living well with IBD?
Visit the NAFC IBD Resource Center
This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Work with your healthcare team to develop a treatment, transition and emergency plan appropriate for your needs.
