Stress Center Peer Support

hey everyone, wow it really is comforting when i read other people's post just to know and feel that i am not the only one in the world like this. I mean i don't wish this on anyone but it's just comforting to know i'm not the only one, u know. well yesterday was a mixed day for me, the whole day i was doing so damn good i went and faced so many fears. then later on i decided to go to Walmart and on my way there oh my gosh i had such an anxiety attack and i was dying to go to the bathroom. As i walked to the store i seriously thought i was gonna crap myself right there in front of everyone and not make it or start going crazy or embarrase myself in front of everyone. it was just a combo of anxiety and having to go #2 heck #1 at that point too lol. by the time i got to the bathroom and went i was fine, i mean my anxiety had lowered and my stomach was better cuz i finally went. and the car ride was like 5 minutes can u believe in 5 minutes my stomach got like that sheesh. before i left my house i couldn't go to the bathroom and then 5 min later i felt so damn uncomfortable i thought i was gonna die. anyway i'm proud of myself because considering everything i did really well. it just got me upset and depressed yesterday afterwards until i fell asleep and this morning i was fine. i'm going to be extra nice and careful with myself i'm not going to puch too much. like today i told myself to take a damn break and just relax do nothing that scares u too much u know cuz sometimes u just wanna be happy and forget everything and sometimes that's all u need. anyway just wanted to share that experience with everyone. Has anyone ever had that feeling of needing to go to the bathroom so badly that you phsyically feel so uncomfortable and ur anxiety gets really bad? cuz that's how i felt yesterday. does anyone have any ideas on how to prevent or deal with that? Thanks to all who have posted and i wish u guys the best

I SO know what you mean, Bella. That has happened to me numerous times. We recently left a restaurant and went to a store about ten minutes away. I didn't feel like I had to go at all at the restaurant and on the way to the store I got such cramps that I just about didn't make it to the bathroom in the store in time. I had my husband drop me off at the front door so I could run in. Those episodes always come with extreme anxiety. It's no wonder that I don't want to ride with other people! It helps to know I'm not alone in this.

I can honestly relate 2 your situation. I happened 2 stumble on this site while looking for help with my ibs problem. I was surprised 2 find that i'm not alone. It truely is a comforting feeling. Since i can remember [approx. 8 yrs old] i have suffered from stomach upset, cramping, fear of public places, and the need 2 always know where the nearest bathroom is. By the age of 12 it started 2 interupt my schooling [I'd miss numerous days at a time], by high school it got worse. The added pressure didn't help, along with the work load came gossip, rumors, the pressure 2 b skinny, and the usual high school BS. i developed bulimia at 14 [which i assume may have added 2 my ibs problem]..there was always that lingering fear at the back of my mind "what if my stomach starts hurting".."what if i gotta find a washroom?".."what well people think?". As ridiculous as it might sound i was terrified that someone might hear me in the 'process'. That is where my biggest fear lies, aswell as the fear of embaressment. Does anyone else have the anxiety of ANXIETY??? To get all worked up because you're afraid you're gonna??? Please let me know.. i need help. i'm been suffering with this for years and it has completely taken over my life. I'll help where i can.. i can relate. thank you.

It is so comforting to know i am not alone. For the past 3 yrs my anxiety has gotten to the point of not being able to go into public places b/c my main symptom is the "#2". I don't have a problem going to the bathroom in public, just the fear of not being able to make it. You know, trapped in line, or seeing someone you know and having to talk. It's like, how do you say, excuse me b/4 i poop on myself...lol. BUt, seriously, it's really holding me back. I was in nursing school, with only a 1 yr left, but now i can't see myself going back. I take Immodium sometimes, but as soon as it wears off, i'm back where i started. And, i can say without a doubt that it's ALL anxiety related. My nerves start acting up and then i'm in a full blown panic with diarrhea. If i have to go somewhere, i obsess about if there's a bathroom, and how close is it. And, i don't go to weddings or funerals (unless i have to), or even dentists appts. b/c i have a fear of not being able to get up and leave if an "attack" comes on. And, i can totally relate to getting up hours b/4 class to "#2". But, then i'd have worried about it for those extra hrs. b/4 class and i'd be a total wreck. So, if anyone knows any insider tricks to beat this, please write. I really want to live life to the fullest and I know i'm definitely not there yet. And, i'm only 22 yrs. old. I don't want to wake up years from now wishing i had done more. I currently am on lesson 2 in the attacking anxiety program. Does it get any better??

**Thanks for listening**

Originally posted by SNJ: So, if anyone knows any insider tricks to beat this, please write. I really want to live life to the fullest and I know i'm definitely not there yet. And, i'm only 22 yrs. old. I don't want to wake up years from now wishing i had done more. I currently am on lesson 2 in the attacking anxiety program. Does it get any better??

Gang:

I almost hate to read these posts because it is SOO true, the mind-body connection is so strong, that the mere suggestion makes me relive some unpleasant memories of my own. I have suffered from this too! I cannot share the intimate details, but I CAN share some of the elements of success that I have discovered throughout the years that have WORKED for me!

Let me qualify this first. Im on lesson 5. I dont even know if Lucinda gets into this in the program later...I'm going out on a limb here to share what I have learned in my life, so here goes.

1. Get to know your body.
2. AVOID the trigger foods / beverages...unless...
3. Use the mind body connection to your advantage.
4. Get on and stay on a schedule.
5. Use other tools available such as Immodium if all else fails.
6. What is the worse thing that can happen?

I consider myself a sort-of expert on the topic of IBS, because I live it, and I have conquered it. At one point in my life it put my career on hold, but it was DEFINITELY the symptom of a deeper problem rather than a problem in and of itself, as proven by the fact that the multitude of tests that were done on my body showed no underlying problems. I am also still very susceptible to it as well, however, so I still battle it in the present tense. In other words, if I eat certain foods, I CAN have a problem, but sometimes I can eat those foods and NOT have a problem which is where the mind / body comes in. So the foods I eat will have a physical effect, but the tools I have learned so far have helped GREATLY on the mind / body side of the equation.

So, to elaborate for what it is worth, here we go.

1. Get to know your body: learn by keeping a list of what you eat what causes you problems. Learn what effect eating at what times will cause trouble for you. This is an ongoing process. I have had problems since I was in my early 20's (over 20 years ago) and I am still learning about certain foods.

2. Once you learn what causes trouble, by all means exercise this knowledge. Coffee, chocolate...for me these are triggers. They are guaranteed to cause a known effect for me. Just like, if you drink alot of water, you will be having to pee soon. If I drink coffee, it is virtually guaranteed that I will be needing to use the bathroom within the next hour or two. Also, don't go eating that veal scallopini the night before you are going to drive on vacation or fly to London... unless... you are prepared to deal with the consequences. You have to be smart about what you eat and when is pretty much the bottom line for me. And, after all, what is the worst thing that can happen?

I love beer, but i know that drinking beer can and will cause certain body symptoms. Seems like a basic understanding, but at one point in my life, I was doing things knowing what the results would be, yet suffering later for it and saying why me....duh!

3. If the mind can cause all of this turmoil in your gut, and in your life, how much peace and tranquility can you gain from turning those anxious thoughts around? After all, isn't that the whole point of this program, changing the way you think? I am a strong believer in this program!

4. Schedule of eating has helped me immensely, and has made all the difference. Skipping a meal is a big no-no. Eating too late is a bad idea, too. Several small meals instead of less frequent big meals has helped me too. I bring protein bars with me during my travels...and I eat them if I am going to miss a meal due to a strenuous schedule. Regular bowel habits are an absolute necessity for me, but you know what...sometimes that perfect schedule goal does not work either, and usually if it dosen't I know exactly why because I have learned my body.

5. Use the safety net if all else fails. Immodium advanced is a God-send, but I only use it if I am really sick, which happens very infrequently anymore. At one point in my life, i was taking it preventatively, but I didnt like how it made me feel.

6. I have heard the stories, and we all know what the worse outcome could be. Everyone is the same, though. Everyone goes, everyone from time to time gets sick, we are all the same, so having to stop to use the bathroom, get up from your airline seat and use the lav even though the seatbelt sign is "on", stop along the road, or whatever...SO WHAT!!!!!!!

Well, this got to be a long post. I hope this helps someone, because I know how desperate I was before I knew what was causing the problems, how to get control of it, and how to live with it and to get back to LIVING life!

I learned these tools before I found this program, and I am in this program now because I needed a better way to deal with all of these pressures and stresses.

My suggestion to you, SNJ, and others is to believe that a solution is at hand...how wonderful it is to be learning how to solve these problems through this program!!!

Keno,
good insights. thanks for sharing those suggestions. I also believe knowing yourself and your body is essential to dealing with IBS (and anxiety). So many times we fight who we are instead of try to understand it and manage it. Doesn't help to wish you were this or that. Better to get to know yourself the way you are and go from there.

Tammy

Keno...I read your post yesterday and also meant to give you a thumbs-up! Looks like Bakedpears beat me to it. Thanks for your input.

I’ve enjoyed following this thread in total, and also wanted to say to all those who’ve been contributing to this…great thread and input. I’ve identified with a lot in this. IBS has been a part of my life going way back to high school—though as with so many of us, I had no term or understanding of it until going thru this program. And then wow…how unreal to realize that so many others really understand this experience and how powerfully it affects us!

The large majority of my struggles with this, have receded as I’ve worked on healing the anxiety; and for a time, I’d almost thought it gone (but this turned out to be during a period where I was enjoying a first time in a long time relief from my anxiety—a time when I wasn’t all that keen on pushing my luck or my new found comfort zone) The moment I began pushing this some and getting out more once again, some very familiar symptoms known to all of you also returned. But, for me, thinking about it differently—and continuing to use the program skills—has helped me keep this in check I think. For sure, a less anxious me has equaled a less anxious ahhh—‘stomach’—and I use quite a bit of what Keno has shared.

Anyway…great thread everyone.

My best,
JOP

Dear Bella, yes other people do have a fear of not being near a bathroom. My sister and I both have the same fear. We take Imodium in case we know that our IBS is going to strike. It is embarassing, but it is also something that I hope to learn to manage with this new set of tapes and information. I have found and so has my sister that it is somehow related to not being in complete control of whatever situation we are in. We both have issues from childhood when we were not in control, when we were both abused. I hope this is not the case with you. Take care and know that I will add you to my prayer list, for I know how you feel.

It is very encouraging to hear I am not the only one.My very first panic attack was started by the fear of not getting to a bathroom. My world does revolve around this problem. My husband was supportive in the beginning but I think is getting fed up because he is my safe person his world has to revolve around my problems. The only way I can keep from worrying about bathroom breaks is like when we travel or go anywhere I just don't eat, sometimes that could be all day. I am really sick of being like this I have no friends, can't do anything with family or just do stuff that I really used to enjoy. I bought the program several years ago and I just couldn't get all the way through it. I am scared of failing.

oh my gosh i use to have such a fear of not being near a bathroom when i go out,now its so funny cuz instead of being anxious i made it into kinda a game ,if you are sensitive to gross things stop reading now haha. Anyway now I go out and i think of the whole world as a bathroom ...no really...i hit every bathroom on the way just to leave my mark ....haha... oh and i carry tp in my car and im not afraid to use it.....kinda gross maybe but hey no more anxiety about bathrooms ,oh and its kinda funny now when i fart and someone is in the stalll next to me,I use to be sooooo shy