[overitnow]

There was a time that I had a horrible case of eczema from exposure to chemicals at work. (Cleaning products and lottery tickets were the culprits.) Having no medical recourse but stronger and stronger medicines, once cortisone stopped working, I visited a naturopath, at the suggestion of my doctor. Once we had spoken about my problem and done some initial food and chemical sensitivity testing, he asked me what my goals were, an end to the eczema or an overall improvement to my health? I opted for the specific problem, went through a liver cleanse, and left with a pile of supplements that only partially addressed the symptoms. I never once mentioned my GI problems.I often wonder if this could have been solved alot easier if I had taken a more holistic approach to my health. When my D was at it's worst, I would have signed a pact with the devil to be done with it; but I could never have avoided my own responsibility in bringing this on. It was not until I took real steps to address my core problems that it went away.I bring this up because I get reminded, from time to time, about the difficulties we throw up in searching for a way out of this. It would seem to me that if you have lived a gastricly normal life, only to find it changing, then this ought to be seen as a sign that something is wrong with your diet, lifestyle, etc. The search for a medicine or treatment that will just allow you to keep on living in the fast food nation, keep smoking, keep living with high stress, low exercise and in polluted environments will never address what is contributing to this. Heart disease is the No 1 killer, Cancer No 2, and obesity--with it's conbtribution to diabetes and hypertension--is a North American scourge. I know that IBS is not a fatal disease; but the numbers affected at 20% are getting up there. I know this because I suffered in the past with all but Cancer and diabetes. I don't now.The more fundamental the changes, the more permanant the solution.Mark

 

[Screamer]

I know there's things I need to change in order to get my IBS under some sort of control. I look at supplements as exactly that. They will supplement my diet, my lifestyle, my health but not fix it. I think a lot of people (and I'm not saying people here, just generalising) think that taking a pill is going to make them all better.I know I need to quit smoking, I know I need to exercise more and I know I need to address my stressed out worrywort attitude (which I am trying to do with the help of Mike). I am planning to start Grapeseed Extract soon but I don't expect miracles from it. I also plan to up my exercise routine soon and the smoking is kicking the bucket come New Years. Glad you dealt with your whole life Eric and have had such a great improvement from it.As far as diet goes I've suffered my whole life so I guess I can't really contribute my symptoms to anything in particular that I'm doing wrong, I have however gotten worse as time has gone by which is why I need to address the things that have changed (such as starting to smoke!)

 

[20250]

As the topic asks, I want to be like my DH, eat like a normal person, go out like normal person.I know coffee is my biggest trigger, and I must start weening myself off it. Already started mixing half decaf, so I'm half way there.Nice Topic that you started, I see it will be getting very long. Thanks

 

[kitkat17 Lady of the Loo]

I would LOVE to be normal and be able to pack up and go wherever and whenever I want. I would love to have all the things I missed come around again so I could go. Be a Mom who helps more and gets to go on those field trips and room parties. Not to live in FEAR as to where is the bathroom, am I going to make it as I am runnning through the store. Be able to get in a car without freaking out and driving like a crazy person to get to where I am going.JUST BE NORMAL AND NO IBS!!! Do you got a majic Jeanne who is going to grant my wishes??Take careKAt

 

[kateandtink]

Yeah ibs is definately not the best thing but i know i bet it once and im planning to do it again and get over this bad patch, which has come since i tried to open my diet, the thought of going back to chicken and bread makes me feel sick to the stomach but i know i can live then and be "normal" like before.i have also brought a my own exercise equipment for xmas so no matter how my tummy is i can do a bit of gentle exercise, cant use my dance mat at the moment as the kittens throw thereselves at my legs thinking its a game lol. Though i know i do trigger alot of my ibs with anxiety when its like it is now but i dont want to take no meds for it... im fighting it like before and by next semester, i will be like i was last year.... back to basics, another #### xmas of just eating white bread and turkey. o the money i would pay for normailty lol but i will get back =)i can only trace mine back to coming back from isreal with food allergys i still think my ibs is high allergy n intolerance but my doctor wont test me, even tho i been to casulty with it before.... tryin to get referred again.

 

[20358]

I think we're all after the same results, in one way or another. I think it's just a matter of personalizing the results that separates us from each other. When thinking about what results I'm after, it's easy to say I want a "normal" life. But I think everyone - at some point in their life - says that, whether they have IBS or not. I'm 41 years old, and I can't think of a time I didn't have trouble with my stomach. It's only been the past 5 years or so that the doctor was finally able to put a name to the culprit. So, like others, I have my good days and bad days. I've learned that my bad days are mainly brought on by stress. At times I've had D so bad that I was amazed that I was able to live through it. But you know what; I do live through it and that's what I try to focus on the most. I'm thankful to God everday that I can say, "yeah, that symptom is from IBS and not something far worse." Watching my mother dying puts all of this into perspective for me. She has a few years left, but she still goes to work EVERY DAY, and she laughs, and enjoys time with her friends, family and hobbies. I don't know how the women does it, I honestly don't. She's always been a pillar of strength and I have always wanted to be just like her. So I would have to say the result I am looking for is my mother's positive attitude for life, despite the cards she's been dealt.I guess what I'm saying is, if she can go to work every day even though she is dying, then I can go to work when I'm having IBS symptoms.This is not to say that those of us who fear not being able to find a bathroom is not a justified fear. Because, for IBSer's it is. But FOR ME, when I compare my problem with IBS, to my mothers problem of dying, I can say, "thank God it's only IBS." I guess it makes it easier for me to get through the pain, discomfort and embarressment of having IBS.Please don't get me wrong. I am not saying we all need to compare our problems to other's. I'm saying that the end result I'm looking for, is being able to say, "so what, sometimes I have diarrhea at a bad or inconvenient time." I want to find a way to stop all the worrying and what if's, and the best way for me to do that is to tell myself it could be much worse. P.S. -I hope I haven't offended anyone. It's not my intention to do so. I also am not minimizing anyones personal suffering or trying to say it's trivial. I know for some of you, IBS is very debilitating.

 

[20250]

I'm not offended at all. The SO what sometimes I have D at a bad or inconvenient time part took me back a bit, but everyone deals with it differently, and maybe your case is less severe than mine, I can appreciate where you are coming from. We aren't dying, and thats the most important part.Everytime I hear someone say it could be worse or we could be living with a terminal disease it kind of hits a sore spot, because that is exactly how doctors and researchers have treated people like us for way too long, and are just lately working on a solution for us. No, I don't think I'm dying, just living in Hell everyday.Please don't take this as an argument, as I'm sincerely happy you are dealing with your situation, and I respect your view.Overitnow, it's great that you have found a solution, and live comfortably, without worry that you will have an accident at any time of the day or night.While I know there are foods or other triggers that set me off, and i have to decide what I want more, I need to know why? Why can my dh have a cup of coffee, with no problem?Why can she eat anything and not have any problem? Why can she go anywhere she pleases with no worry of sh&*%ing her pants? What is missing in my gut or brain or whatever, that I can't enjoy life. Why do I have these triggers? When is somebody going to figure it out?Sometimes I feel like god decided when I was born, Brett, this is what I choose your life to be. You will live in pain and embarrassment until the day you die, and if you perservere, you will get to come home to me and live in eternal bliss. Its tough to stay strong all the time, its tough to stay positive all the time, its tough to be happy and nice all the time.It's easy to say what we do wrong, and what we need to change when you no longer deal with this frustrating condition everyday.I could write 1000 pages today on this subject and how i feel about this, but maybe today is not a good day so I'll stop for now.

 

[20358]

I'm the black sheep of the family. They all can say "whatever" and deal with whatever they need to deal with. Me? - I'm anxious about everything, I worry about everything. I have 2 family members that have IBS and they are able to say "whatever" despite it all. I need that attitude b/c my D is brought on by (mostly) stress. So if I can take on their attitude, then maybe leaving the house won't affect me as much as it does. If anyone can understand that? Right now, just the thought of leaving the house can sometimes get my stomach going. I want more than anything to get away from that. I often wonder what it would be like to come and go with no worries, but seeing as I can't remember a time I didn't have stomach problems, I don't know any other way of living. I guess I'm just trying to say that I am desprately trying to find a way to accept the fact that I have IBS. For me it would make living with it easier, and I guess that's the end result I want; finding a happy medium.

 

[hope*]

To have my freedom back, to no longer me a prisoner of ibs!

 

[overitnow]

I think what prompted me to start this thread was reading a portion of Rob's log on hypnotism and the transformation he is getting. He sounds so great and then mentioned something about coming home and having a smoke after work and that being ok. Now cigarettes are my issue because I smoked them for so long and continued for 5 years even after the D started. The thing is, we all know they are killers; yet will continue to use them even in spite of what they are presumably doing to our digestive systems. But that is only one example of a trigger that needs to be dealt with. There are food, environmental, and psychological issues as well. Maybe you need to get tested for food allergies or sensitivities, maybe you need to move away from the chemical plant or change to bottled water or look at what you are exposing yourself to, or even change jobs. The point is that if we don't actually look at what our stressors are and make changes now, the next problem to come along is likely to be worse. In my case, I changed jobs and started to take "wellness products" and became well. (What a surprise that was!) I have no idea what my serotonin levels were or are and, frankly, don't care. I know I felt totally lousy before and feel totally good now. So in some odd way, this has turned out to be an opportunity rather than a curse.Help you bodies repair themselves. You might be just as pleasantly surprised as I have been.Mark

 

[18204]

To those who have been reading my posts, I hope the information I have shared has been helpful and encouraging. I can't say enough about how Mike's tapes are changing my life. After years of trying just about every medication, supplement, dietary exclusion and even a local hypnotherapist that was available I was thoroughly discouraged. Not to mention the expense.Based on what I have learned from this support group I decided that Hyponotherapy was worth a second look with a professional trained in the Mind/Gut relationship. My body is healing itself naturally. I am continually amazed with the daily improvements I am seeing with this program. I no longer live with the constant anxiety that trapped me at home. Everyday I feel more and more like a normal functioning individual and I am starting to do things I have not been able to do in years.I know different things work for different people, Mike's tapes are changing my life and I can't believe how simple it is. Even my doctor is impressed with how well I am doing. If you have any questions please feel free to email me or post in "My Update" thread in the CBT & H forum.Robby