I've been suffering from IBS (uncontrollable gas) for almost 2 years.
I am so restricted in my life. Everything feels heavy and on bad days I already start crying while getting ready for school because I don't know how to get through the day. Going to school with IBS is challenging. I've been missing a lot of classes since December and my grades are dropping. I'm trying though. I really am. I wish people would see how much. A boy in my class called me lazy. As if it was fun ruining my grades and skipping school, knowing it will only cause more problems.
In my flat (I moved in 2 weeks ago, this should be a happy time and not depressing), I mostly stay in the bathroom (to keep the smell there) I basically sit on the floor with my blanket and pillow. I literally sleep in the bathtub because I don't dare to sleep in my actual room. I'm constantly anxious about my neighbors noticing. It's not just all in my head. I mean I know I smell, I must, with the (nearly constant) gas problem. And let me tell you, I am so ashamed.
I hide away in my tiny bathroom, unable to meet friends, often unable to go out. I miss my old life before the IBS. And I wish I had appreciated my health. I know I need to improve my diet, but I feel so lost. As soon as my stomach feels good for like two seconds, I seem to forget about the mental hell my symptoms will cause.Times like this make me realize just how badly I DO want to live, but can't. Or I wan't to fall asleep and not wake up. Preferably, I want my life back.
I'm in therapy and my therapist knows and she sees how I'm struggling. She tries to encourage me with saying we'll run every test possible to sort out the mess in my digestive system. I am aware that there is no magic cure for this. And my diet has to be well. My bad coping mechanisms have to stop for good. After all, my IBS started when I was abusing drugs and got stuck in an Eating Disorder. Sometimes I dread to fall asleep because the morning comes so fast and at the same time, I want to escape reality. I know there are better days. I know there are good days. I'm awake and I'm already exhausted. It seems so ridiculous, all of this just because of my gas, yet it steals away the years that are supposed to be my best. I'm only 18.
I dreamed of living alone for so long and now I can't even be happy about it. Everything is closing in on me. I don't want to die. I KNOW there is so much more to my life. I'm so young and yet I feel so fed up with life. I can't talk about it as it's embarassing and no one would get it. When my gas is bad, I don't even leave the bathroom.
I never had much self confidence and if I had, my IBS crushed it. I'm afraid to hope because I'm afraid to lose it and I'm afraid of not having any options anymore.
I'm currently waiting for my anti-depressants to hit in (was dumb enough to stop taking them in December). Maybe it's the 'it gets worse before it gets better'. But even if they work again, I won't be happy as long as I have this problem. I'm scared. I'm so scared. What if there is no solution? What if I can't be cured? I don't want a life like this. And I wish my brain would finally decide what side to pick because hanging between wanting to give up and wanting to live is so exhausting.
I'm holding on. I've gone through so much worse, I can't give up now. Sometimes I got hope and think I can take it. On other days I feel hopeless.
I'm sorry, this got really long, but I needed to get it off my chest. Even if no one will read it. And if somebody does and relates to my story, at least you know you're not alone.
I am so restricted in my life. Everything feels heavy and on bad days I already start crying while getting ready for school because I don't know how to get through the day. Going to school with IBS is challenging. I've been missing a lot of classes since December and my grades are dropping. I'm trying though. I really am. I wish people would see how much. A boy in my class called me lazy. As if it was fun ruining my grades and skipping school, knowing it will only cause more problems.
In my flat (I moved in 2 weeks ago, this should be a happy time and not depressing), I mostly stay in the bathroom (to keep the smell there) I basically sit on the floor with my blanket and pillow. I literally sleep in the bathtub because I don't dare to sleep in my actual room. I'm constantly anxious about my neighbors noticing. It's not just all in my head. I mean I know I smell, I must, with the (nearly constant) gas problem. And let me tell you, I am so ashamed.
I hide away in my tiny bathroom, unable to meet friends, often unable to go out. I miss my old life before the IBS. And I wish I had appreciated my health. I know I need to improve my diet, but I feel so lost. As soon as my stomach feels good for like two seconds, I seem to forget about the mental hell my symptoms will cause.Times like this make me realize just how badly I DO want to live, but can't. Or I wan't to fall asleep and not wake up. Preferably, I want my life back.
I'm in therapy and my therapist knows and she sees how I'm struggling. She tries to encourage me with saying we'll run every test possible to sort out the mess in my digestive system. I am aware that there is no magic cure for this. And my diet has to be well. My bad coping mechanisms have to stop for good. After all, my IBS started when I was abusing drugs and got stuck in an Eating Disorder. Sometimes I dread to fall asleep because the morning comes so fast and at the same time, I want to escape reality. I know there are better days. I know there are good days. I'm awake and I'm already exhausted. It seems so ridiculous, all of this just because of my gas, yet it steals away the years that are supposed to be my best. I'm only 18.
I dreamed of living alone for so long and now I can't even be happy about it. Everything is closing in on me. I don't want to die. I KNOW there is so much more to my life. I'm so young and yet I feel so fed up with life. I can't talk about it as it's embarassing and no one would get it. When my gas is bad, I don't even leave the bathroom.
I never had much self confidence and if I had, my IBS crushed it. I'm afraid to hope because I'm afraid to lose it and I'm afraid of not having any options anymore.
I'm currently waiting for my anti-depressants to hit in (was dumb enough to stop taking them in December). Maybe it's the 'it gets worse before it gets better'. But even if they work again, I won't be happy as long as I have this problem. I'm scared. I'm so scared. What if there is no solution? What if I can't be cured? I don't want a life like this. And I wish my brain would finally decide what side to pick because hanging between wanting to give up and wanting to live is so exhausting.
I'm holding on. I've gone through so much worse, I can't give up now. Sometimes I got hope and think I can take it. On other days I feel hopeless.
I'm sorry, this got really long, but I needed to get it off my chest. Even if no one will read it. And if somebody does and relates to my story, at least you know you're not alone.