I'm 17 and have been living with IBS for a while, but in the past year it has gotten horrible. School and work were the hardest parts because having a flare up of diarrhea at either place was very difficult! I had to make up excuses because youre only allowed a few restroom passes PER SEMESTER at my school. I avoid so many fun activities because I fear a flare up, and when one does happen when I'm out it devastates me.No one in my life understands, and I know that people here will, but I don't know what to do to get the people in my life to understand. It took me 5 months after my diagnosis to tell my boyfriend, and I've only told one friend. My parents are really unsupportive and my mom thinks I exaggerate. She's been pressuring me to get off my medicine, and I told her that when I've not taken my medicine, a flare up occurs. She tells me that she doesn't want to call the doctor or go there because I just need to deal with it because it's not a huge deal. She doesn't understand that it IS a big deal, and it takes over my life. I have only told my boyfriend and my one friend that I have IBS once, because it is an embarassing issue for me. We do not discuss it and I've never told them details or anything. Once however, I told my boyfriend it was a constipation issue just because I was so horribly embarassed that it was really a diarrhea problem. PLEASE HELP! Any advice would help. I can't believe I'm only 17 and have my whole life to deal with this...