Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | I'M FED UP TO HERE!! Is it food? is it stress? is it sleep? what can i do?

Over the past few weeks, I've been having an increase in IBS symptoms. I'm IBS-D and the doctor says I have IBS.

When I first started on Heather's IBS Diet, it really improved things, dramatically. BUT now, i'm not sure why things are "going bad" again.

Here is what I've been putting into my body in general:
...Sourdough or French bread from a bakery
...bananas
...cheerios/kix/oatmeal/rice chex with some rice or soy milk
...i put deli turkey or chicken on the sourdough/french bread with mustard
...occasionally i have potatoes (with the occasional dollop of baked beans)
...i made the "Brown Sugar Banana Bread"...
...sometimes i put some Rice Dream or Soy Dream ice cream on the Banana Bread, slightly warmed in the microwave.
...sometimes i have had the occasional bowl of "Graham Cereal" or "Post Honey Bunches of Oats".
...Carrots
...Beets
...Fat-Free "Saltines"

My work schedule usually changes a lot, including day and evening and overnight shifts.

Plus, I've had a lot of "post-nasal" drip and wake up with a sinus headache several mornings (though I think the air conditioning may be adding to the aggravation of that).

Monday night into Tuesday AND Tuesday night into Wednesday I worked 12am-8am shifts at work.

Yesterday when I got home from work at 830 am, I had bananas and oatmeal with a couple pinches of brown sugar for breakfast. An hour later, I took a warm bath, sipping on some water. An hour later, I had a bowl of kix cereal, with some Soy Milk. Then went to sleep for about 6 hours. When I woke, I had a banana and a Mission Flour Tortilla and a few Saltine Crackers. I had a "normal" movement (though the "movement" was a bit light in color (but most of the food I've eaten over the past several days has been pretty light in color)). I went to pay a bill. Came home, had another "regular but light" movement. Then I went out shopping for a few hours, then came home and had a banana, 1/3 of a potato and serving spoon of carrots. I sipped some water in between. About 2 hours later, I had a warm flour tortilla, and another warm flour tortilla with some deli turkey (warmed in the Microwave), with mustard. About 1/2 hour later, I had some Mango Flavored Gatorade (about 8-10 ounces). About 2 hours later, I had some Kix, with Soy Milk. About 1/2 later, I had more of Gatorade. I fell asleep about 2 am, then woke at 8 am.

This morning, I woke and had one of my IBS-D attacks. I had a cold banana (i keep them in the fridge sometimes) Then I went to get some more "food" supplies. I went for about a 20 minute bike ride. When I got home, I drank some of the Gatorade. Then I had a bit more of my IBS-D attack.

That is what I'm physically doing. (I do NOT usually drink Gatorade)

Mentally, I wonder if i'm more stressed out and if that is adding to it. This is what is going on mentally:

...over the past year and 1/2 I've been going to see a therapist for depression and stress and, after it became an apparent "trauma", we started working on the sexual abuse i was subjected to when I was a young child.
...in therapy recently, we've been dealing with what my therapist says are very "core" issues dealing with my abuse.
...at the end of this month, i'm flying across country (from Spokane, Washington to Buffalo, New York) for the wedding of my sister. And my family has been a big "issue" in therapy.
....in reality, i'd rather not fly back to New York for this wedding. First because of my IBS. I don't want to travel with IBS. Second, because I have not been back to see these people in over a year and a half, since before I started therapy.

i'm not really feeling all that great about anything at the moment. i'm sleeping bad, especially with allergies and sinus headaches; my work schedule keeps changing (which is unavoidable...since i'm a meteorologist and the weather is not on a 9-5 schedule); i'm in therapy; i have a wedding to go to soon; I DON'T see anything in my diet that is particularly bad...perhaps "HOW" i'm eating is still not great.

But IN THE END, seeing my IBS flaring up, I immediately just blame myself. (Though there is something whispering in me that says, my body isn't defective, but that this is just how my body works and it isn't wrong or right...it is just the way I am.)

But I think, I must be doing something wrong and stupid and I want to "yell" at my stupid body for being defective! And I just am so tired of this. I just want to cry, literally.

i don't know if anyone here can actually help.

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