Hi Everyone,I've had very bad IBS-D ever since high school (I'm now 32). I look back over the years and can't believe how long I've been letting it ruin my life. There was a point when even supermarket shopping was a problem for me. Dating was nearly impossible since everyday things like going out to eat is a major terror for me. I finally got a break a year or two ago when I demanded that my GI remove my bowel, and he finally took me seriously and eventually gave me Lo-Cholest Light (a brand name of Cholestramine like Questran). This was the first thing that ever worked and has made an incredible difference. Although I still have bowel problems, most of the times I am pretty normal as long as I watch what I eat.The problem is that as I am physically becoming better, I am as terrified as ever at leaving the apartment. Going out to eat is still out of the question, and when I drive too far from home I start to panic majorly and have to turn around NOW! The interesting thing is that many times I get home and I don't even have to use the bathroom after all that.So I finally realize that after all these years, I am at the point where much of my problem is in the mind. My plan: hire a good psychiatrist, get him to give me a pill to solve my panic attacks, and live happily ever after. I will ignore the suspicion that nothing is ever that easy.Problem solved, right? Wrong. My first hurdle is one that I didn't expect...finding a good psychiatrist. I was trying to make an appointment since last week. I called my insurance company and they don't know of any that have experience with IBS. I called my GI, and after I finally got in touch with him (he doesn't have time to call me back) he told me nobody specializes in IBS, but after some persistance, he finally recommended somebody. I called him up and he didn't have a receptionist, just an answering service. (Is that normal in this specialty?) After much phone tag, he sounded annoyed when he picked up the phone, and nastily told me he has no openings until the end of June. He sounded like he was doing me a favor just by answering the phone. Maybe I made a mistake, but it just didn't feel right, and I said thank you and hung up.Tommorrow morning I will follow a lead from Trbell, a really nice guy here on the board who found me a few names (thanks!). If that doesn't work I guess I will just start going down the yellow pages I guess and asking them if they have any experience with IBS. Or maybe I should just make it easier and find one who simply treats anxiety/panic. I see lots of ads for those specialties. I was hoping I would already be seeing somebody by now, but I have a feeling this is going to be a long, drawn out process. Thanks for listening!