Hi jomam;Welcome!
You WILL find acceptance and hopefully help here as you are NOT stupid and it's not in your head. You can have anxiety about having an attack if you go out, but that is a normal reaction. It's one of the things you can work on to deal with and maybe get your life back.Yes, there are trigger foods for some people that they have to stay away from, but so many times food has nothing to do with IBS, but how the body handles it. I can eat something one time, and be perfectly fine, eat the exact same thing another time, and have an attack. When you say you have to take tablets just to leave the house, are you referring to Immodium? Are you on any antispasmodic for cramping?Have you tried Calcium for the D? If you go to the IBS-D board, you will see at the top, a topic on Calcium. It is an interesting read, and some people have had success with it. Everyone is different what works for them. I take 60mg of Cymbalta a day, Librax as needed, which I'll take as a preventative before eating out, or if an attack is coming on. I'll also take Immodium as a preventative before going out.Some people have good luck with flavanoid supplements. If you type in that in the "find" column you will see posts about this.Don't give up looking for something that works for you. It took me almost 9 years before I came across this site, and, I am so grateful I did. One, because I have made alot of "online" friends and, two, this is a huge source of information that I could not ever begin to have found on my own. Some of these people on the site that have been members for years have, in my opinion, better knowledge of IBS than alot of doctors out there. Make sure you have a good relationship with your doctor. That's important.Also, the next time someone tells you to just pull yourself together, tell them until they've walked in your shoes, they can't say a thing!! People here understand because we live with it daily also.Welcome again, and remember, you're not alone!