Hey, all. I've been through the program and my anxiety is lowering.
My problem is that I'll be going along in my life fine, whistling a happy tune, then I'll have a negative thought like, "People are going to know I'm a fraud" or "I'm going to disappoint everyone" and I feel like a knife goes from my mind to my gut. My arms get chilled, my stomach clenches, and I have diarrhea. I've stopped with most of my negative, beat-myself-up thoughts, but it seems that a single, random negative thought will cause me to instantly have diarrhea.
I don't know if I should be taking metamucil or eating bran or whatnot, because 95% of the time I'm fine. It's just those odd times where I go from sunshine and flowers to public washrooms in the blink of an eye.
Can anyone give me any advice?
Is this considered IBS?
Hi doggiet, I'm still "in recovery" myself but just thinking, you may want to take something when you know you might not be able to get to a bathroom right away. Well, I have to do it for me anyway.
I was in church this morning, and went to the restroom during the worship part of the service. I only had a peach beforehand so didn't expect anything, well during the sermon I started to have strange sensations like sudden urges to go and run out of there. I kept practicing my breathing and the techniques and it really helped after a while.
And I'm like you - 95% of the time, I'm fine, but maybe if I eat something weird or a feeling of panic crops up out of nowhere it triggers it. It's very annoying and makes me anticipate future events where I know I'll feel trapped.
I was in church this morning, and went to the restroom during the worship part of the service. I only had a peach beforehand so didn't expect anything, well during the sermon I started to have strange sensations like sudden urges to go and run out of there. I kept practicing my breathing and the techniques and it really helped after a while.
And I'm like you - 95% of the time, I'm fine, but maybe if I eat something weird or a feeling of panic crops up out of nowhere it triggers it. It's very annoying and makes me anticipate future events where I know I'll feel trapped.
Shif.
If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
Yes I can relate with both of you on this. Its panic. And peoples symptoms are different. One of my biggest, if not my biggest symptom is the diarreah and need to urinate. Taking something for the stomach problems (I think) in the end is just adressing the symptom but not the CAUSE, which is the anxiety. Use lesson 2 and the six steps to get through the panic and know you WILL NOT lose control. Don't run, work through it! At first you can have a bathroom nearby just in case. But if having a bathroom nearby eliminates ALL anxiety then you need to practice where there is not a bathroom so close by. In other words you need to face the anxiety. Best of luck, I'll be around to post updates. I just ordered the book by Obitz and am looking forward to it.