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I wish I had some advice to give you. I've been dealing with anxiety and panic too, and although I've been getting better over the last three years I'm still on Buspar and still taking lorazepam as needed (several times a month). Accepting that I'll probably never be panic free has helped to alleviate some of the frustration and guilt I feel about it and I think that's help with my general anxiety. I did see a counselor and tried some CBT and that did help, so it is worth a try. I haven't tried pot since I've heard that in the long run it can actually cause more anxiety.
Best wishes. If you do try CBT, would you please let us know how it works out for you?
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I have restaurant issues! - I always check the bathroom and try to glance into the kitchen. I don't know about guidelines to find a therapist. There are so many different schools of therapy, and you would have to ask what type of therapy they practice and then read up on it a bit I guess. I've gone to people who were referred by friends or family or something like that.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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There's been times that I've psyched myself out of even drinking water from restaurants if I don't think it's clean enough. It really affects my social life, it's hard to go out with friends, and when I do I'm an anxious mess the whole time, and afterwards I question for hours if I'm okay or if there's something wrong with what I ate. Plus, I always choose off the menu based on what I believe would be hard to poison, like pasta is usually a safe bet, fish a definite no-no...yeah...i need help...Well I suppose I'll just do a search based on my insurance, spin in a circle and see which one my finger lands on! Ha! 
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LMo,
I usually post in the IBS Diet message board but for something different I checked this one out. I am telling you I could have written your post! I kindof chalked my anxiety up to being OCD. My hands bleed because I wash and sanitize them so much because I am so afraid of getting the stomach flu. I am a first grade teacher and if a child even coughs in my direction I immedietly think I am going to get sick. I have thought about changing my profession because I am so obessesed with the thought of getting the stomach flu. I dont obsess about getting things like the common cold or anything else... just the stomach flu. Also I am the same way with side effects. I read every label of every medicine and if a side effect is vomiting, I wont take it. I mean this sounds so crazy, but I am so glad to hear someone else have anxiety about this. I never used to be like this. My husband calls me a germ-a-phobe but honestly I feel it goes beyond that. I also get so paranoid about cooking chicken all the way that I would rather burn it just to make sure. How do you deal with this? I am thinking about seeing a psychitrist but I need to figure this whole IBS thing out first. I dont know how this all started! 
Stefanie
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Yes we're all somewhat identical in this it seems. I'm a teacher too - its a crazy choice to have made considering! More later.....
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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Hawkeye,
When I chose teaching, IBS wasnt even a glimmer in my eye. In retrospect, perhaps I would have chosen something else, but honestly I dont know what else I would do! Teaching has been all I've ever wanted to do. And really I do enjoy it. This is technically my first year. I taught preschool for two years after I graduated from college. I live in Cleveland, Ohio... finding an elementary teaching position is near impossible. But finally I found a first grade opening in a really bad part of Cleveland, but hey its a start right! I am getting my Praxis 3 in a month or so. That stress I am sure will just help the IBS! I just dont seem to know to get rid of the anxiety, germ-phobe, paranoia that I seem to have. No matter what I try, every day its on my mind and at times it takes over my mind. I am pretty sure my husband thinks I'm nuts! Honestly I dont blame him! Its just good to hear that I am not the only one. Hope youre feeling well.
Stefanie
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How strange! I'm applying to grad school for my MFA in hopes to become a publishing writer and teach at a University level--not nearly as germy as elementary school you brave girl!--but still lately I've been thinking about being around all those germs and it's been freaking me out. I work from home now, so I'm fairly isolated and have a very controlled environment. Although it's comfortable, I'm sure it's also enabling my anxiety and OCD. I actually became a vegetarian in 5th grade when mad cow disease was rampant and a few years later cut out all meat (in large part of my paranoia). Man the three of us would make quite a dinner party! We could all take turns hyperventilating and over-analyzing our food!
The problem with the whole thing, and this is obvious I'm sure, but it really reduces the quality of life and I certainly don't want to look back at the way I've lived and consider myself a fool. I always think if I end up with some awful disease I'll be like, what a waste, i was an idiot that whole time. Worried about a 24 hour bug or food poisoning--things that go away in a day or 2. A woman who works with my boyfriend has cancer, and there's nothing they can do for her anymore to get rid of it, only give her treatments to prolong her life. Then I look at myself and really feel obnoxious. Still, a few hours or so after my epiphany I'm right back at it again!
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Stomach flu...
#322053 - 01/09/08 01:07 PM
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Aly
Reged: 08/16/04
Posts: 669
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
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Hi friends. Reading everyone's post really hit me this afternoon. Yesterday morning I started feeling the nausea and had a mild breakdown at work. I left my classroom for about 10 min and just cried in the backroom. I was so scared I was going to be sick. Well, the waves of nausea passed and I taught the rest of the day. Came home still not feeling great. Cancelled the LOVELY dinner reservations we had for my husband's bday. (boooo) I tried to eat a bagel and it all went bad. I'll avoid details since I know how difficult this topic is for you, but I def. have the stomach flu. I was up all night with it bad from both ends. It was a disaster. Today I do feel better, but am shaky and feel like my confidence is shot. I wish I could just say, "ok, this was a bug. it'll end soon enough and i'll be ok"....but I'm already worrying about work the next few days. I am about 300x better with my anxiety related to IBS, but boy did I have some anxiety kick in when it came time for a stomach bug. Deep breathing has helped today...along with about 3 LONG naps. 
Anyway, I am making it through well and just wanted to say I understand... and I am a teacher as well. crazy we all chose that profession when we know it's so germ crazy. Literally, I've been sick for about 5 months with colds and all. yuck!
Hope you're all better than me today!
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IBS-A
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Don't worry, your posts never get old. I can relate as I have anxiety, emitaphobia, germaphobia ect too! I do just want to quickly respond to something you said in your post and that is that when I'm feeling anxious or having anxiety, my husband doesn't ever know. I feel that if I tell him about it I'm giving in to it so for me, it's better just to let the anxiety pass on it's own without anyone knowing! I see it worked better for you the last time when you said you didn't tell your wife. Look at it as I do. Don't let it take over you. You take IT over! You'll feel much better! I don't think it's a matter of masking it like you said, I think it's just that when we feel anxious we know we can/should work through it on are own and it will make us feel that if we do it once, we can do it again!
Hope you are feeling better!!!
P.S. As far as the pot thing....my neighbor who has both anxiety and IBS SWEARS by it! I've been have tempted but just can't bring myself to try it. I don't even smoke cigarettes!
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~~~Lisa~~~
Edited by LittleLisa (01/09/08 06:42 PM)
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Thanks Lisa. This has been such a rough few weeks for me with my car accident and hearing about my friend who died, that I have been on the edge of panic each day and especially night.
I'm actually feeling miserable right now. My anxiety is so high - I have a little fever and throat is closing up but I have convinced myself that this is a stomach bug. Its getting insane! I've never had a stomach flu that began with a sore throat! But its beyond rational thought. I can tell myself that this is obviously a cold or the flu - as in upper respiratory, but I still get stuck in the panic.
Its also partly that my mind gets tripped into this mode when I hear about someone else getting sick. I heard 2 people say they had a stomach bug today, and then got home and read the email on this thread from someone describing her illness. Thats all I needed to go into overdrive.
I think I need to take the xanax that is sitting and being ignored. I don't trust it for some reason. I think it may be because the panic gives a false sense of control - as in I'm freaking out, so I'm somehow in a twisted way being vigilant against getting sick. If I take something that stops the panic than I'm not protecting myself. I think that could be how my unconscious/subconscious operates.
So I'm here analyzing each and every stomach sensation. Its not a way to live. Like someone else said, I don't want to be on my deathbed and realize how much time and energy I wasted on useless worry. I'm going to find a new therapist and try CBT. Its time for a new step towards reducing this.
Thanks for listening.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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