Living with a rare chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be stressful. That stress can affect your mental health. If you’re experiencing mental health problems that are affecting your quality of life or overall sense of well-being, it’s important to know that help is available.

Here’s what you should know about dealing with mental health issues linked to complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G, or C3 glomerulopathy) and immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN).

What Are C3G and IC-MPGN?

C3G and IC-MPGN are rare kidney diseases that affect how well your kidneys filter toxins out of your body. Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from harmful factors like bacteria and viruses. However, in these rare kidney conditions, the immune system does not work properly. It makes certain substances that build up in the small blood vessels in your kidneys that do the filtering, called glomeruli. These buildups cause inflammation and make it harder for kidneys to do their job. Over time, this can damage kidney function.

If you’re experiencing a lot of stress, learning how to relax can help you feel better and improve your mental health.

Symptoms can vary. They may include:

• Swelling in the body, especially in the arms and legs
• Blood or protein in the urine
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Fatigue (persistent tiredness or weakness)
• Trouble feeling alert

Treatment often involves medications. In some cases, you may end up developing kidney failure, which requires going on dialysis or having a kidney transplant.

How Can Living With CKD Affect Mental Health?

Living with CKD can affect mental health in many ways.

Being diagnosed with any chronic health condition is stressful. It can feel sudden and overwhelming. You may need to make major life changes in a short amount of time, which can add to feelings of fear, sadness, or anxiety. As your disease changes over time, these feelings may come and go, especially when you need to change treatment plans or make additional lifestyle adjustments. The longer you live with a progressing CKD, the more likely it is to affect your mental health.

By the time people need dialysis, about half are experiencing anxiety, depression, or both. This can be caused by the stress of kidney disease and the demands of dialysis. Some people also experience brain fog (trouble thinking clearly). This can happen when waste builds up in the blood or as a side effect of dialysis.

Talking with someone trained to help people cope with CKD or chronic illness can help you navigate different mental health issues.

Even before dialysis, mental health challenges are common in people with CKD. About a quarter of people with CKD will experience depression at some point. About a third will experience anxiety. These challenges can happen for many reasons, including the following:

• The physical symptoms of living with CKD can be uncomfortable or painful. They may disrupt your life by making it harder to go to school or work.
• CKD can affect relationships. You may need to cancel plans or stay home more often than your friends and family members would like.
• CKD requires time and energy. Doctors’ visits, treatments, and lifestyle changes can feel stressful and overwhelming.
• CKD can make the future feel uncertain. This can make it hard to make plans or think about long-term goals.

If you’re dealing with mental health challenges associated with CKD, it’s important to get support. When mental health problems become severe, they can also raise your chances of poor health outcomes related to your kidneys. You may be more likely to be hospitalized, less likely to receive a kidney transplant, and more likely to die from kidney-related complications.

Treating mental health issues early and staying on top of them can help you avoid these problems and improve your quality of life while living with CKD.

How To Cope With C3G and IC-MPGN

There are many ways you and your healthcare provider can support your mental health while living with C3G or IC-MPGN. You may not be able to do everything listed, and that’s OK. Focus on the options that feel possible and helpful for you.

Education

Learning more about your rare kidney disease can help combat some of the anxiety you might feel. When you understand what’s going on in your body, how to protect your kidneys, and what symptoms you need to monitor, it can help you feel more in control.

Work with your nephrologist to learn about your condition and how it affects you. This can help you make informed decisions about your care and your future.

Therapy

Talking with someone trained to help people cope with CKD or chronic illness can help you navigate different mental health issues. Therapy can help you learn skills to support your mental health, or it can simply provide a safe space to share what you’re going through. Sometimes, just knowing that someone hears and understands you can make a big difference.

Medication

There are a number of medications available to help people who are facing mental health issues. A doctor will need to prescribe these. They’ll need to make sure any medications you take won’t be harmful to your kidneys. Some people find that medications are very helpful when they are struggling to improve their mental health in other ways. Medications can be used alongside other approaches on this list, such as therapy or relaxation techniques.

Support Groups

Sometimes, it helps to meet with other people who are facing the same challenges and understand what you’re going through. There are support groups focused on chronic kidney diseases, where you’ll meet with other people who have the same or similar diagnoses. You can share experiences, learn coping strategies, and get support from people who understand your daily reality. There are also support groups for caregivers who need mental health support.

Relaxation

If you’re experiencing a lot of stress, learning how to relax can help you feel better and improve your mental health. There are a lot of ways to relax, including:

• Meditation
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Massage
• Imagery
• Yoga

Try the methods that feel right for you, and remember that it may take some practice to see the benefits to your mental health.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you or a loved one is facing mental health challenges related to C3G or IC-MGPN, talking to someone on your nephrology team is one of the best steps you can take. Your doctors can connect you with therapists, support groups, and other resources for people with CKD. They can also help you access medications that support mental health without harming your kidneys.

About a quarter of people with CKD deal with depression at some point, and about a third will deal with anxiety.

Don’t leave your mental health concerns out of your conversations with your nephrologist. They understand how hard it can be to get these diagnoses and live with these conditions. They can help connect you with the support you need as you move forward.

Join the Conversation

On MyKidneyDiseaseTeam, people share their experiences with kidney disease, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

How do you keep yourself mentally healthy while living with C3G or IC-MPGN? Let others know in the comments below.