[misssmaz]

i have anxiety,depression,stress,ocd and panic attacks caused by ibd.i think all this has made the ibd worse as im feeling terrible and the more i get anxiety attacks and depressed the worse the pain is.i don't know what to do, ive been diag with ibd two years ago and after i left college six months ago thats when everything went downhill and im still falling.I only just got the courage to tell my boyfriend about it(the 2nd peron to know) he said i should not be embarresed around him but i get anxiety attacks and worry about being sick around him so he hardly ever comes around and i dont see him much since i got worse, which is making the whole thing worse.this is the lowest ive ever been as now im nearly 19 theres so much i want to plan for but cant as im suck in bed or home alone not seeing a sole crying all the time, thinking theres no way out because of it all. i tried seeing a theapist once but the anxiety attacks has stoped me going since.i was wondering where do i start to getting better? i feel so alone and depresed so everythings just getting worse and the doc wont do anything as there useless and just said to take some pills(which never worked)i mostly have C which is a stress as the C always ends in D so i spend my life wondering when its coming which is part of the anxiety about being around my boyfriend as i dont want him to see me ill even though one dy we will life together and he will i dont know what to do.ive not been here before and always thought i was alone and was wondering how can i get on in life? how can i be around people without the stress and anxiety? and whats good to eat when you mostly have C? please help.thanks.

 

[california123]

Hello Miss,Somehow, someway, you have to get yourself to a psychiatrist. Whether that means getting a friend or family member to take you, you need to do it. Odds are the panic, anxiety, ocd and more are not caused by your IBS but closer to the other way round. You need to get those other problems under control--medication may be necessary--and then you can look at the IBS. My chronic D was first diagnosed as IBS but turned out to be anxiety-induced D brought on by chronic stress. If there are emergency clinics, maybe that's where you need to go. But get help right away, this will not get better on its own. Take care.

 

[sadone]

misssmaz,hey there

hang in there! seriously, it may not seem worth trying anymore, but you WILL find something that at least helps with some of your symptoms--it just takes a lot of patience and work sometimes.and it is soooo hard to keep trying when you're constantly tired and stressed. i agree with california though, maybe a first step is to find a therapist that you can trust and feel comfortable with...i don't think it's any coincidence that so many of us with ibs have mental health problems. i, for example, have been diagnosed with depression. i also had an eating disorder, but that is under control now.so, i'm taking antidepressants and they help keep my depression under control and make it much easier to deal with my ibs symptoms. it sucks having to take drugs, but if it helps when nothing else will...i've also tried a number of drugs for my ibs--no luck so far, but i'm not ready to give up.don't think too far into the future, things will seem more miserable and more impossible if you do. like, i don't know what i'm going to do next year since i graduate from my university at the end of this school year. i don't even know if there is a career i could do with my stomach problems being as intrusive as they are!

BUT, i'm only going to think about the next step first...getting back to my GP to see what drug or test i can try next...take care and all,sadone

 

[AIRBORNE]

misssmaz,Those are two excellent posts above mine with good info. At first diagnosis I think most people are shocked, overwhelmed, embarrased, DEPRESSED. At least that is how it was for me. I was ashamed & still uncomfortable talking about. But like the two people before me you need to see someone now so you can learn how to go on with your life as normal as it can be . Do you tell your boyfriend not to come around or does he not wan't to come around because of your illness ? I hope the latter is not so. If the person is right for you it should not make any difference to them what you personel medical problem is. It may be a challenge at times but, not so much you will not be able to overcome the conditions adversity. Keep your head up.

A

 

[BackFire44]

I agree with the other posters. I'm sure you are embarassed about the problem -- maybe you were also embarassed about going to see a therapist? You should not be embarassed about either any more than someone should be embarassed because they have the flu. It may be hard for your boyfriend to understand -- you didn't mention his age, but even for very mature people its tough if you don't live with it. If he is ignoring you because you are sick, then obviously he is not the kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with. What will he do when you are both elderly? He may just not be mature enough to deal with this right now.You have to find a therapist, though. I know that I constantly think that I can do the mental part myself -- I can teach myself to relax or calm myself down. Plus, there is unfortunately still a stigma in society about going to a therapist. Its ridiculous, though. Doctors for years just treated the body with medicine and controlled symptoms, but more and more research shows the connection to the mind. Your mind can get sick just like your body, and a licensed therapist can help the most.It could be that 90% of your problems would go away if you could work with a therapist on the depression, anxiety, etc. It may be that there is a chemical imbalance and you need medicine to fix it. If you just stick with someone, I know they will be able to help you. Remember your life before you had any problems -- what would you give to get that back? Certainly a few trips to a therapist is a small price to pay.You will get better -- you just have to hang in there and keep trying. Keep us informed of your progress! We can't wait to hear your post that you are feeling better.

 

[misssmaz]

thanks for all the support. at the moment i'm looking into different foods to try out, which is very hard for me as my ocd is partly a fear of trying new foods as i get ill alot but my boyfriend said i have to try anything to get better. in reply to my boyfriend, we are both 18 and he wants to be with me all the time, just the other day he asked me to move in with him and his dad to get me out of the house but right now it's way to hard as it is me who tells him not to come round. i'm always ill when im alone as i live with just my dad who is never home, partly i would be embarrsed if ill around him partly i don't like him to see me ill as it upsets me as he cares so much.i really want to see a theapist i just cant do it, the thoguht of going out causes an attack. the main things i want to sort out at the moment is geting over my embarement around my boyfriend as thats the main part of the anxiety right now, every little pain i panic over. im not sure where to start with the diet or embarresment. any ideas how to do it in steps?thanks.

 

[BackFire44]

I don't mean to make light of your problems at all, but your situation kind of reminds me of Bill Murray in "What About Bob." -- He's also afraid of leaving his apartment, although for different psychological reasons. He gets through everything by taking "Baby steps" -- if you haven't seen the movie, you should. Its a great movie, and I think that's how you should probably think about things. Don't worry about the whole enchilada -- just take baby steps toward your goal. Would taking an immodium before you go see your doctor stop you from being nervous? Usually an immodium will stop my symtpoms for a good period (although sometimes you have constipation from it). If you just can't bring yourself to leave, then I'm sure a doctor would make a house call. Do you not go to the store to buy food? or go out at all? I would just be really frank with your boyfriend. It sounds like he is a good guy. You will find that a lot of the stress you feel over your problem will go away if other people know about it. Yes, its embarassing. Yes, he may make inappropriate jokes at times that you don't think are funny. But deep down, he'll understand you more and can help you more. Its really important for you to see a psych doctor, though. No matter what it takes. Being alone in your house for so long might make you feel better in the short term -- in that you are more secure -- but in the long term it will have an immense effect on your mental health. Just remember to take baby steps, and find a way to make things happen.

 

[misssmaz]

i havn't seen nor heard of that film.i really dont like taking drugs, im asuming its something like that.i do go out if im feeling good, which is rare at the moment, some times i could go out into town alone on my push bike as its quick and if i start feeling funny i can get home quick. I keep going through stages of really bad anxiety to not so bad, depending of if i get ill.I do go food shopping with my dad, that's only as theres a toliet inside, same with town. I hate being center of attention, which is partly why i don't like the theapist and theres no toilet nearby and they wont to regular house calls. baby step idea is good and did it a few times regarding town, i started having a anxiety attack and thought to myself instead of going town, to go to the local shop and see what i'm like there as its in the center of my house and town.What i'm finding very overwelming now is the food i really don't know what to eat anymore.Alot of the problem is i seem to always be waiting until the next time i get ill again and i don't know how to think possitively anymore. Any suggestions of how to keep positive, where to start with food and seeing people? how do you guys get on with things?thanks.

 

[BackFire44]

The movie is a really good movie and has nothing to do with taking drugs. Really funny with Bill Murray.Anyway -- the therapist's office doesn't have a bathroom? That would be odd. Maybe you just need to find another doctor that you feel more comfortable with. Therapy is hard work. You have to face a lot of problems. But in most cases, I think that you will get better a lot faster through seeing a doctor than trying to do home remedies. Its like trying to treat bacteria by eating a lot of chicken soup. The chicken soup may make you feel better, but you really need an antibiotic to totally get better. I share your concern with taking drugs, although they are necessary in some cases. See all the people here whose problems cleared up totally as soon as they started taking them. Most times, even if you start drugs, the doctor will ween you off of them over time. However, if your therapist's answer to everything is just more perscriptions, then I agree with you 100% and you should find someone else. I know its difficult being the center of attention and telling all your symptoms to a psych doctor, but if you want to get better, you'll have to face them at some point. I'm a perfectly functioning member of society. No disorders. No mental illnesses that I know of. Happily married, great job, live a nice life except for having to deal with IBS. I'm considering going to a therapist myself -- not because I think I'm looney, but because I know that a trained professional can help my anxiety and stress much more quickly than I can figure it out myself. Why reinvent the wheel? You should really seriously consider going regularly to a therapist -- everyone on the board can offer suggestions as to what has worked to some degree for them; but any home remedies you try won't solve your problem as quickly as a good doctor.To answer your question, though, its hard to think positively and something that all of us struggle with. When I am out and I hear rumblings in my stomach, I immediately start thinking "Oh no, where's the nearest restroom. I have to get there quickly." Of course, that probably causes the cramping and D that comes later. I'm currently doing three things to help this.1) I'm meditating twice a day (when I remember!). This also is teaching me how to breathe and relax my body. I use the relaxation response: http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/asc/improve/...s/response.html 2) I'm trying to eliminate stress in my life by getting plenty of rest, exercising, and trying not to internalize problems. This website may help: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW...ml?d=dmtContent 3) Last, I'm trying to make a good dialogue in my head when I start to get in that thinking. If I hear rumblings, I say to myself "That's just gas, let's just see what happens -- it may not lead to any other cramping or D; if it does, I'll deal with it then." I also try not to think about it all the time. Thus, when I find myself thinking a lot about IBS or where the nearest bathroom is, I just say to myself, "I'm not having problems now, so don't worry about it until it happens." and change the subject of my internal dialogue.Things seem to be improving with these three things, but I'm also taking Citrucel once a day and levsin twice a day. You may be a prime candidate for self-hypnotherapy. Many people have gotten better by using a certain set: ../hypnosis/ I've never tried them, but they are certainly worth a shot.Don't mean to sound like a broken record, but even if you try all these things and improve a little, you'll improve the most if you have a good doctor that treats both the physical and mental aspects of IBS. I know you don't want to go and its difficult, but I think its the easiest way.And all the best in the New Year when you'll start to see improvement!

 

[eric]

missmaz, I am confused somewhat, do you have IBD or IBS, as they require different treatment approaches, although there can be some overlap.

 

[misssmaz]

yes sorry i only recently noticed the mistake. i have ibs that is definatly worsened by anxiety. I would like to see a theapist and will but not when im feeling so bad, i need to get slightly better pysicaly and mentaly health before it will be possible, sounds strange probably and i dont know how to explain it, sorry.Thanks for the links backfire, will check them out now. you carry on a normal life?wow your lucky.take care all.

 

[eric]

Okay Missmaz, because of the important distintions between the two.You don't have to explain it and it does not sound strange at all. Totally understandable and there is a lot a person can do.Also PS read the hyperventilating thread.