[Guest]

I will be starting school next week, and I am going to have a very busy schedule. I will be away from home for most of the day. My day will start at 6:30am and I won't get home until around 9pm. I am worried about how my ibs will affect me during the day ( I am a (d) type with lots of (g) and gurgling noises).....Ive told myself that I won't get upset and I will just try to deal with it....and if I have to use the restroom I will simply go and not worry about smelling up the stalls. I've also told myself that if my stomach growls during class I will just pretend it isn't me. Having said all of this I don't know if I can do it.....but I really don't have a choice at this point.I was just wondering if anyone on the board ever tries to convince themselves that they are normal by pretending your symptoms don't bother you.

 

[BQ]

I'm normal, I just happen to have IBS, a chronic illness. I can manage symptoms, prepare for the worst & expect the best. I think maybe that is what you may have meant; expecting the best is different than pretending I don't have it. Yes Yes Yes by all means, expect the best!!! Cause ya never know the best can happen & it does all the time. Focusing on managing my symptoms and preparing for flare (It makes me feel lots more comfortable knowing I got my meds in my purse if I need them.) but not necessarily expecting one has helped me alot. Good for you in zeroing in on something as important as positive thinking, which in a way is, I think, what you are doing. Sure looking someone else's way when the stomach growls is good too

. BQ

 

[BQ]

I'm normal, I just happen to have IBS, a chronic illness. I can manage symptoms, prepare for the worst & expect the best. I think maybe that is what you may have meant; expecting the best is different than pretending I don't have it. Yes Yes Yes by all means, expect the best!!! Cause ya never know the best can happen & it does all the time. Focusing on managing my symptoms and preparing for flare (It makes me feel lots more comfortable knowing I got my meds in my purse if I need them.) but not necessarily expecting one has helped me alot. Good for you in zeroing in on something as important as positive thinking, which in a way is, I think, what you are doing. Sure looking someone else's way when the stomach growls is good too

. BQ

 

[GailSusan]

Well, there is the placebo effect! 30% of people taking IBS meds "improve" to the level of the treatment group, so the mind can do wonderful things. Have you tried Mike's tapes, they have been helpful to me. I'm not too far into them, but they seem to work on the mind-body connection, which is where you are focusing.

 

[GailSusan]

Well, there is the placebo effect! 30% of people taking IBS meds "improve" to the level of the treatment group, so the mind can do wonderful things. Have you tried Mike's tapes, they have been helpful to me. I'm not too far into them, but they seem to work on the mind-body connection, which is where you are focusing.

 

[Guest]

pretend I dont have IBS?..only in my dreams.As far as the expelling of aromatic gas goes, I have 3 English Bulldogs, and I can always blame it on them. THey are the most gasey creatures on the Earth. Wish I could take them everywhere.------------------Brenda S, R.N.This too shall pass !Although I am a nurse, nothing I say here should be taken as medical advice, its only personal experience. See your own doctor for any medical questions & answers.

 

[Guest]

pretend I dont have IBS?..only in my dreams.As far as the expelling of aromatic gas goes, I have 3 English Bulldogs, and I can always blame it on them. THey are the most gasey creatures on the Earth. Wish I could take them everywhere.------------------Brenda S, R.N.This too shall pass !Although I am a nurse, nothing I say here should be taken as medical advice, its only personal experience. See your own doctor for any medical questions & answers.

 

[AZmom1]

It's actually a good idea to pretend you don't have IBS. Learning to "Act As If..." is a good thereputic technique.Be very careful with this though. Your subconscious mind does not recognise negative words such as "not." For instance, try "not" to think of a pink elephant. It's impossible. So when you talk to yourself, be sure to word your suggestions properly and in a positive way. Another thing to watch for is that you don't make your suggestions too unbelievable. Your conscious mind won't believe "I don't have IBS and I feel perfect." It will say, "Oh yeah, I'll show you..." A book on self-hypnosis will tell you how to properly word these suggestions.What your talking about here is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Go the the Anxiety, CBT, hypnotherapy forum on this BB to learn more. Hypnotherapy will work well for you also, as it did for me.AZ[This message has been edited by AZmom1 (edited 08-13-2001).]

 

[AZmom1]

It's actually a good idea to pretend you don't have IBS. Learning to "Act As If..." is a good thereputic technique.Be very careful with this though. Your subconscious mind does not recognise negative words such as "not." For instance, try "not" to think of a pink elephant. It's impossible. So when you talk to yourself, be sure to word your suggestions properly and in a positive way. Another thing to watch for is that you don't make your suggestions too unbelievable. Your conscious mind won't believe "I don't have IBS and I feel perfect." It will say, "Oh yeah, I'll show you..." A book on self-hypnosis will tell you how to properly word these suggestions.What your talking about here is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Go the the Anxiety, CBT, hypnotherapy forum on this BB to learn more. Hypnotherapy will work well for you also, as it did for me.AZ[This message has been edited by AZmom1 (edited 08-13-2001).]

 

[Guest]

Best way to go....don't go around thinking about IBS and the what ifs. Remember the old addage..."You are what you think about all day long".

 

[Guest]

Best way to go....don't go around thinking about IBS and the what ifs. Remember the old addage..."You are what you think about all day long".

 

[Tattoo]

You don't have to pretend you don't have it. For me, that leads to thinking that I am bad because of my symtpoms, and I am not PERMITTED to be me-with-IBS. What I have found helps instead is to change my attitude about it. The gurgling, for instance, can have its comical aspects. If I can get over myself, I can have quite a good laugh at the complicated harmonies my gut sings with the ever so serious reader of poetry or whatever... Hey, ya can't do that much about it, might as well giggle!To the extent that I can't control my gas through diet, sometimes I just choose to incorporate it into my personal drama. Such as: There have been times when I knew I was gassy and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it -- so I sat near somebody who really annoys the heck out of me. If I have to smell bad, why waste it on innocent bystanders! I'm not exactly recommending that you do any of this stuff. What I am saying is that if you give yourself a break, you can find ways to accept and love yourself for what you are -- which is a person who has IBS with sometimes intractable symptoms -- and live with it in creative and happy ways.I do everything I reasonably can to promote my health. I prefer to be symptom-free and to be in control of my bowels and to have no pain. When that doesn't work, I'm going to have the best darn time I can with what I've got.Have fun!!!Love,Lydia[This message has been edited by Tattoo (edited 08-14-2001).]

 

[Tattoo]

You don't have to pretend you don't have it. For me, that leads to thinking that I am bad because of my symtpoms, and I am not PERMITTED to be me-with-IBS. What I have found helps instead is to change my attitude about it. The gurgling, for instance, can have its comical aspects. If I can get over myself, I can have quite a good laugh at the complicated harmonies my gut sings with the ever so serious reader of poetry or whatever... Hey, ya can't do that much about it, might as well giggle!To the extent that I can't control my gas through diet, sometimes I just choose to incorporate it into my personal drama. Such as: There have been times when I knew I was gassy and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it -- so I sat near somebody who really annoys the heck out of me. If I have to smell bad, why waste it on innocent bystanders! I'm not exactly recommending that you do any of this stuff. What I am saying is that if you give yourself a break, you can find ways to accept and love yourself for what you are -- which is a person who has IBS with sometimes intractable symptoms -- and live with it in creative and happy ways.I do everything I reasonably can to promote my health. I prefer to be symptom-free and to be in control of my bowels and to have no pain. When that doesn't work, I'm going to have the best darn time I can with what I've got.Have fun!!!Love,Lydia[This message has been edited by Tattoo (edited 08-14-2001).]

 

[Guest]

I think if you don't make an issue out of stomach gurgling etc. then it is less of an issue to other people. I remember a job interview - the personnel manager was well-spoken and immaculately presented - toward the end of the job interview she burped mid-question (not a lady-like burp but a bar room burp). She just said 'Oops, pardon me' and carried on - she wasn't flustered or embarrassed. I was really impressed

 

[Guest]

I think if you don't make an issue out of stomach gurgling etc. then it is less of an issue to other people. I remember a job interview - the personnel manager was well-spoken and immaculately presented - toward the end of the job interview she burped mid-question (not a lady-like burp but a bar room burp). She just said 'Oops, pardon me' and carried on - she wasn't flustered or embarrassed. I was really impressed

 

[zigmissus]

It would be futile to try to convince MYSELF that I don't have IBS. With D being an almost a daily occurrence, that would be the height of denial. But, yes, I'm quite secretive about it to others. Besides this BB, only my immediate family and my doctors know. I've been known to blame frequent trips to the restroom on drinking too much soda, having messy hair that needs combing, or having to accompany my children. (They've learned to go along with this ruse rather than say, "I don't have to go to the bathroom, Mommy, YOU do.") I've also learned to keep smiling and talking while, inside, cramps are tearing me up. I wonder if I'm fooling anyone? Maybe so, because work today was so stressful that I semi-blew up and said, "No WONDER I have a digestive disorder!" My co-workers seemed clearly surprised. (Or maybe just surprised that I finally admitted it.)

 

[zigmissus]

It would be futile to try to convince MYSELF that I don't have IBS. With D being an almost a daily occurrence, that would be the height of denial. But, yes, I'm quite secretive about it to others. Besides this BB, only my immediate family and my doctors know. I've been known to blame frequent trips to the restroom on drinking too much soda, having messy hair that needs combing, or having to accompany my children. (They've learned to go along with this ruse rather than say, "I don't have to go to the bathroom, Mommy, YOU do.") I've also learned to keep smiling and talking while, inside, cramps are tearing me up. I wonder if I'm fooling anyone? Maybe so, because work today was so stressful that I semi-blew up and said, "No WONDER I have a digestive disorder!" My co-workers seemed clearly surprised. (Or maybe just surprised that I finally admitted it.)