Currently away from home & going crazy
#359587 - 07/04/10 12:07 PM
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Hey guys
Let me preface this by saying that I have large amounts of anxiety, which I think is a significant part of my IBS
So I'm 18, and haven't visited my family upstate for around a year. My mother has been trying to get me to go, so I finally agreed to go three hours upstate for 2 nights. She agreed to pack a ton of food, so that food wouldnt be a worry
Well, I've been eating the kind of food I always eat, but my IBS is still spiking, and I have ridiculous amounts of anxiety
I think it has to do with a change in my surroundings. I'm so used to being safe and protected at home, that I don't feel comfortable eating or living so far away from it. Also, I like a lot of alone time, and being with family all day is really hard for me.
So, my IBS has been acting up as a result. Yesterday I felt bloated and constipated, which rarely happens. It feels like my digestion decided to shut off because I was in such unfamiliar territory
The reason I'm thinking about this is because I'm going off to college in 6 weeks. I think within a few weeks, I'll be used to my dorm, be able to relax, and become normalized. However, I'm really worried about the sudden change
Does anybody have any ideas of ways to cope with this? I've gotten really good at controlling my diet, but not so good at coping with other facts that affect IBS
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Hey
I also suffer from anxiety, and I definitely feel you on the 'liking your alone time' bit. It really helps if you just relax...this is not as simple as it sounds, I know.
You can try to find some time to yourself, even if you have to shut yourself in your bedroom or the bathroom for a couple minutes. Sit there for a bit with your eyes closed, breathe deeply and talk yourself down. Seriously. I say stuff like 'this is not a big deal, it's not so bad' etc.
Sometimes i will do this while listening to my favorite music on my ipod, chewing on some Altoids or just laying flat on my back completely relaxed. That's the stuff that works for me, everyone is different so think about what relaxes you most.
Another suggestion is to watch what you eat even more closely; i find that some stuff that's safe when I'm calm might give me a tummy ache when I'm anxious, and also I tend to overeat when I'm anxious as well which is no good because we have to watch portion size, too much of even safe foods can set off an attack.
ok so that's all i got... hopefully something in there was helpful :-)
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“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”- Mary Anne Radmacher
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I have a couple suggestions.
First have you used the Hypno cds?
They can really help you not only with IBS but anxiety.
I did them and they really changed my life.
My IBS is totally dependent on my stress level and thus my anxiety flares causing more Ibs symptoms. 
Second I also have an anti anxiety pill.I take Lorazepam .I only take it when I am having a really bad flare with anxiety.I take a small dose and it is amazing at making me feel better and thus my IBS stays calm.
I would get something like this.Just having my bottle with me and knowing I can take it sometime keeps the panic from intruding.
Next also remember to eat totally safe, take whatever safety tools you need.
(I mean extra clothes,toilet paper,safe snack's,Imodium,Pepto...whatever is in your emergency kit...we all have one  )This makes you feel prepared for all problems and usually takes the anxiety out of your day.
I hope this helps a bit.
What are you going to school for?
It really sucks having IBS interfere with your life,we all know and we are all here to help you and let you know you aren't alone.
Have a happy tummy day!
Chris
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Thanks for the advice, Chris!
I actually downloaded the IBS 100 hypnosis program, and I've been listening to the first two sessions on-and-off for the past few weeks
I like them a lot. Occasionally, I will get into a really deep state of relaxation, and get a little dreamy and able to visualize anything
On the other hand, sometimes I cant get relaxed by them
I also have a pill just in case. I took clonopin (clonazepam)today for the first time in a while. It works wonders. My psychiatrist only gave me 15 pills, and warned me that theyre very addictive.
The 'emergency kit' I have handled pretty well, with a cooler and a bunch of safe food. Still doesn't matter, since my anxiety-->IBS symptoms was caused by being away from home and around relatives all day
I'm going to Vassar, probably to study something in the sciences. I'm actually more excited than anxious for college, its just the transition that will fluster me
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You and I are pretty similar, it sounds
I do generally eat more when I'm anxious, except when I'm so anxious that I dont even feel like eating
I do some similar things, like go in the bathroom and play gameboy, or listen to music and lie down. Either way, Id like to start practicing more coping strategies and ways to relax, whether its deep breathing, visualization, relaxation, or anything else
Id like to pose another question
How do you guys deal with negative thoughts? When I start to get IBS symptoms, I can't help but obsess with them. I feel a symptom, and imagine the worst case scenario. In the process, I usually visualize negative symptoms or feelings I would have in my gut. I feel like I might have to go cold turkey and, if my diet is OK, simply not think about IBS at all. Even if I try to assess how my IBS is, it leads me down a negative path
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Your comment about the negative thoughts is SO interesting to me. I'm the mom of a 12 yr old (newly diagnosed and still clawing her way to stability) and she has this exact same problem/issue. I can actually watch her physical symptoms increase dramatically as she goes down that dark path, emotionally. This will happen for her even if the thing that triggered the negative thoughts was not physical and/or was not that overtly important to her. Is this something that everyone deals with? What strategies for dealing with this work for people? I think this exact problem could be the biggest single factor in my daughter's case . . .
Thanks,
Kem (daughter w/ibs-d)
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Actually, I had this problem even worse when I was first diagnosed with IBS. Its really difficult and confusing when you're first diagnosed.
For me, its a more subtle process. I am an extremely pensive person, so my mind is churning a lot. When I think about the state of my IBS, I tend to feel at the same time, if that makes any sense. So I'm thinking of it going bad, I feel it, as well. I think ideally it would be best to make smart choices when it comes time to eat, then forget that I even have IBS the rest of the day. About a year ago, my pediatrician (who also had IBS) old me something like "IBS is a problem for a lot of thinkers like us". Since then, I've tracked the origins of my IBS to a bout of colitis caused by C. dificile a while back, which I'm almost certain set all of it into motion. Now, having taken a lot of physical measures, I really have to put in work to getting my mind in the right place
Some people say that since IBS is a functional disorder, the brain-gut connection is what causes most of the problems. I have trouble understanding that, since so many tangible issues are intimately connected as well (diet, exercise, sleep, food allergies, etc). I think that these environmental issues can make a person sensitive to disruption, and the mindset is what triggers it.
Anyway, I hope you're able to help your daughter cope with her IBS. I think it would be helpful if you tried to get her to verbalize her feelings (but in a gentle way- don't force her to talk). Thats one of the reasons I use this forum; I can get my thoughts straight since I don't talk about this to anyone in real life
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Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. I appreciate hearing input from someone younger and someone who has gone thru' this as a teen.
It's almost comical that you would suggest that my daughter verbalize her feelings on this . . . She would prefer to never discuss the matter EVER with anyone other than me, and would prefer that no one EVER discuss IBS in her presence. It's all entirely mortifying to her. However, she DOES tell ME about her feelings regarding it all the time. When she starts going down that path of negative thoughts, she looks for me or waits for me to be available as the one person she feels safe dumping all her negativity on. I am finding that much of the time, the best thing I can do for her then is to encourage her to be as brief as she can to make her point(s), but then STOP talking. At those negative times, the more she talks about the negativity, the more negative she feels . . . and then the worse the spasms and pain get. It's very hard for her to be brief, though, because she doesn't really know where she wants the conversation to go - she just wants/needs to dump. I'd love to hear what people's experience with this scenario is . . . What works better? Let it out (and potentially suffer physically for it) or distract yourself and calm down (and potentially let the negativity build)?
kem (mom of 12 yr old w/ibs-d)
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This is a common problem.The more you think,the more you feel.If you THINK you will have an attack,you will.
This is also one of the hardest things to change.
What Itry to do when I start thinking about IBS is to make sure I have my emergency kit available..I think through what it is Ihave to do,or go and plan accordingly.Knowing that if Ihave to go to the store that if need be,I can leave.I know where all my bathrooms are too.
Then when I feel in control of where I am going,I make sure I take my Imodium and do something else to distract my brain.
Counting helps anxiety.Deep breathing also.
The CD's address this issue also.If you keep doing them on schedule,one day you will wake up and IBS will not be the first thing you think about.
Also talking to others around you so they understand what is wrong helps.Then you don't have to feel alone.
As for your 12yr old I think there is a program for kids too.Check out the Hypno Board and ask Marilyn.
I can't imagine going through this as a kid.It' hard enough as a grownup.
My IBS began after the birth of my second son.It was a stressful time and my IBS flares with stress I can go months and be fine and then bam it hits me.
Good luck
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Thank you - We're already doing the kids' hypno and spoke to Marilyn at the beginning. We're about halfway through - just finished doing the midway evaluation. My daughter's physical symptoms have improved somewhat, but that is definitely due to following the diet, because if she accidentally eats the wrong thing it's . . . bad. (We began the diet just before the CDs.) However, she rates the anxiety symptoms exactly the same (off the charts!) as she did initially. I remain hopeful, though . . .
I like the advice about the 'emergency kit,' but note that we are still at the point of trying to figure out what helps and what doesn't, so my daughter doesn't have a lot she can absolutely count on for relief . . . Anybody else have any comments on the negative thoughts?
kem (daughter w/IBS-d)
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