[LuckiStar2]

I don't know how many of you watch the show but I know most of you have heard of it. I missed the last new episode but my mom called me because Adriana (Christopher's girlfriend) was diagnosed with IBS-D on the show. Of course, hers comes from the stress of being a mobster's wife but it may raise a little awareness about something troubling so many people.Carly

 

[YouAreSpecial]

I saw it and I thought it was pretty insulting. They made references to it all being caused by stress in being in her head. Then it turned out when she got the test results back, she had colitis.I think it just perpetuated the myth that people with IBS are stress cases with anxiety and all in their head.

 

[meribaibs]

I watched the show a second time. The test results aren't in. She was told she MAY have ulcerative colitis. As for the IBS 'being in her head', it was a conclusion that she drew herself after conducting a Google search.

 

[YouAreSpecial]

My point exactly. Think about it. That seems to be The typical explanation she found about IBS on Google. People watching the show who have never heard of IBS are now going to believe what she found on google to be true and that IBS is associated with being all in your head and psychological.Lets face it. If you never heard of something, and its portrayed a certain way, you take that for granted it is portrayed correctly. There was noone on the show that said, "Adrianna, what you read is wrong. It is not stress induced and it is not all in your head."We IBS'ers have worked for years to get a serious diagnosis from our doctors and not be looked at like hypochondriacs. I feel stuff like that sets us back!

 

[LuckiStar2]

Like I said, I didn't see the episode so I am not sure exactly what went on. But I think a lot of my IBS symptoms are stress induced. I do think that I react to certain foods but I also think if I handled stress in a healthier manner I would not be as sick as I am all of the time. Stress can produce a lot of painful and harmful symptoms in a person, including TMJ (which I also have). Stress affects me differently than it does other people but I have never felt like a hypochondriac.Carly

 

[sum1tryingtogetby]

could not agree more, really didnt like the portrayal at all, was disrespectful to those of us who are trying to think its not in our heads or something we can control.

 

[daisysp]

hey, I am still on season 4, we are playing catch up !!! I can so see how she would get IBS though, she abuses her body so badly and she is a major stress queen. Hope they do something respectable with it ! I better not read this thread again, I dont' want to spoil it for me !

 

[kazzy3]

We love the show. I agree it didn't present it very well, by implying it was all in her head, but hey at least it was mentioned in a well known show and might increase awareness a little. Also my folks told me that there is a character in the movie "Ladykillers" with ibs, and t's presented in a funny way. At least it's being acknowledged somewhat in the media.

 

[YouAreSpecial]

I'd rather it not be mentioned at all than being portrayed as something "stress induced" or "controllable" or "gotten because of anxiety". It just perpetuates the myths alot of our doctors believe and the lack of medical support for IBS.I have peopel in my life who casually have heard me mention I have IBS and they know nothing about it. For them to see this, it makes them think that what I have is because I am anxious or its all in my head. i want people to know IBS is a horrible illness that causes great suffering. Its nothing that I did or do to cause it and its NOT controllable by just eliminating stress. I am not saying there is NO mind-gut connections because I think there is. I just am not sure the IBS doesnt cause the stress rather than vice-versa. Either way, they should protray it like they do any other seriously-taken diease in the medical field. And they dont. They portray it like a panic attack.

 

[daisysp]

Have you written to your congress about how you feel about this ? There is a link on a thread here you can go to. We need to get more exposure for this illness to the public. It's an epidemic. I was just watching another episode from season 4 and in it Paulie's mom has an attack they refer to as something like IBS, brought on by stress. Mine was kicked off by stress, and I meditate when the pain kicks in or I am feeling anxious about eating. It helps tons !###! I do feel the mind-gut connection........the stress-IBS connection are so interconnected, we can only fix the stress and see how the IBS responds.