IBS ruining my life
Hello all,
I'm very new to this sort of thing so I'm sorry in advance for rambling or being inarticulate! I'm struggling at the moment and don't know where to turn.
I'm in my early twenties and have been suffering from IBS badly since my late teens. All testing has shown no issues with my gut. It started off as a nuisance and an embarrassment, but now I am terrified of it. I cannot leave the house until the afternoon due to the severity of symptoms on a morning, and I cannot bring myself to socialise anymore as I have had countless bad experiences with symptoms when in uncomfortable situations.
Beyond this, I have developed severe anxiety and depression as a direct result of my IBS. This has also limited my confidence in doing even the most simple of tasks. My anxiety also has a direct impact on my symptoms. I have had CBT and psychology in the past for this with mixed results.
I am well educated, I have a fantastic family, a very understanding partner. However, despite being so so grateful of this, my life feels in complete turmoil.
Everything seems to be going wrong right now. My physical symptoms are only getting worse. My mental health is spiralling downhill rapidly the longer it goes on.
I am trying my best to make improvements... now I have finished my studies I am trying to find a job that is suitable for my health, but it's so hard to find something that is advertised as in the afternoons. I am being promised things by prospective employers which are never met, and I am being turned away from mediocre jobs for being over-qualified.
I am trying to help myself in other ways such as by learning to drive to aid with travelling and commutes, however I have failed my test a few times with very few minor errors. This has utterly shattered my confidence, and events like this are making me dangerously pessimistic.
Again, even when writing this, some of my issues seem utterly trivial compared to what so many other people are experiencing. I am grateful everyday of everything that is positive in my life, however I can't help but be upset by my own situation, especially when I see the lives of those directly around me going so positively.
I guess what I am asking for help with is this; how do I get out of this rough period that I am in, and how do I stay positive despite persistent failures, rejections and ill health despite trying so hard to make things better?
In the long term, how do I manage my IBS and become less terrified of symptoms that have persistently blighted me in the past? It has got to the point now where the terror and worry I feel everyday when I wake up is the cause of some symptoms, but I don't know how to stop it.
Best wishes to everyone out there, and thank you so so much for reading.
Anonymous-IBS-Sufferer
First, I just want to say thank you so much for sharing with us and I'm sorry that noone has responded to this post yet. You deserve to know that you're not alone in this. That for every mountain we face, there's a slope to slide down on the other side. IBS symptoms and itr triggers can be debilitating. It's so hard to reliably go through nife, not knowing when pain and cramps will strike. To balance that fear, with the willingness to venture out and go through life anyway is no easy feat.
For me, Imodium has been a life saver. It's helped me get through 14 hour days (I'm an actor) where I MAY only need to go to the bathroom once. One big poo that's been cooking since the day before lmao. Few anxiety poops. My gastroenterologist even said I can take 4 a day, always. Just every day! With that said, managing your triggers is still important. Knowing what foods do and don't damage you is very important. People often keep a food journal to really catalogue what upsets them, so that they'll have to stay in the bathroom fewer and fewer times.
I've just been put on the medication Bupoprion, with hopes that it'll lower my anxiety. I can get really stuttery, clammy, and poopy, when I'm in an uncomfortable situation. I hope that his medication will help with my IBS as well, as it's all connected! It always is 🙌.
Thank you so much for sharing, again. This is the right place for folks to feel comforted and understood. To share experiences and helpful tips that may improve our life going forward. I just saw someone recommend that you drink peppeprmint tea to help with cramps! I'll for sure have to try it out.
I hope you've become more confident the more you understood IBS and your symptoms. That you didn't let it stop you, but adapt to what your body needs. We're in this together, and I hope you're having a great day ~ Sawyer (team member)
