Beach, I know for me the pain and symptoms caused all kinds of feelings and moods. Now that I feel better they are not as bad even though I still get up swings and down swings with life, I feel I can cope better all in all.Some of the things that have helped is understanding some really basic things of the body. It was also a matter of making the changes and sticking to them.You may want to evaluate or reevaluate meds for this to help.Severe pain in IBS can drive you insane long term and at the moment they happen.The symptoms of d and c are constant nagging symptoms to the brain.Then theres the combination of the two.So we may all express IBS in different ways as individuals and our makeups.I think a great deal of people suffer this way from a chronic problem.