What Is ‘Good Enough?’

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I am trying to accomplish with all the work I put towards managing my IBS. CONSTANTLY working on my diet, my exercise program, time for meditation, time for doctors. Is this the right food, the right routine, the right doctor? I realized that I really wasn’t EXACTLY sure what I was trying to accomplish. I want to feel better, I want the symptoms to stop, I want to make my life the way it was before IBS. Upon reflection, I’m not sure my expectations are reasonable. I think our expectations may sometimes get in the way of true progress, because we become frustrated when all of the work doesn’t do what we expect it to. At some point, I think most of us believe that if we do A, B, C and D, that dramatic things will happen. They might, but then again, in a lot of cases, there is no epiphany, no moment of clarity, no point in which you feel ‘DONE’. The reason for this is that IBS cannot be cured and that, at least in my case, seems to adapt to changes I make in an effort to improve my condition. That said, expectations need to be changed. So how can you tell if you are making progress in your recovery; what is ‘good enough’?

IBS symptom management: what is good enough?

We are only human. We have so many things in our lives that require attention. I KNOW from reading the forums, the articles and the comments on this site, that a whole lot of people are working very hard to ‘manage’ their IBS. Very hard, sometimes to the point of obsession. Myself included. Dietary changes, medication changes, trying to fit the exercise in, trying to find time for yourself…all while, inevitably, it seems just a matter of time until the next attack, the next flare up, the next time you are laid out on the couch. I’m not trying to be a downer, I think I’m just expressing my frustration with the whole process. The conclusion I’ve come to is this; do you feel better than when you started working on this? Was this month better than last, was today better than yesterday? It is continually re-evaluating what is best for you in this moment. The hard part is not letting all this stress you out. You know deep inside whether or not you are doing a good job trying to improve your wellness. You know what you can and can’t handle. You know what can be changed and what cannot. Listen to yourself and be ok with it. Easier said than done, I know, but because we know that our mental health is so inextricably tied to our IBS, this acceptance of your current condition is very important.

Good enough for the moment

Let yourself off the hook. There is no ‘ALL FIXED’ here. I’m sure that there are those of you that have climbed the mountain and are doing very, very well. I think we are all very happy for you; I mean that. But, for the majority, the struggle continues, both mentally and physically. Let whatever you are doing be ‘good enough’ for the moment. Allow yourself to be human and hopefully, symptoms will improve, mood will improve and ultimately, your life will improve. Just my thoughts about all this, at the moment.