Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | I agree and one more thing...

I was just thinking about this myself today.

Like you said, no one can give an improvement to another person. It's a process that happens within each and everyone of us. And of course when you're ill you want to be well again - NOW! You don't want to have to wait weeks, months or even years. But that's just the thing. You can try new strategies and make changes to do the best you can and know how to for yourself and that you can do over night. But even changes take time in general before they turn into your new lifestyle and routine. But the change in the way you think and feel about things - that does take time. I have had IBS since about '97 though it didn't get bad until the summer of 2005. In the beginning when I didn't know what to do and I was going through test after test and getting told there was nothing wrong and nothing they could really do to fix it I felt so miserable. Then I found the right loperamide dose and things got a lot better physically. Still I had suffered so much mentally from my IBS that I was very vulnerable. In the summer of 2006 I found this website and for me the most important thing was to have some idea of what to eat and do to feel as good as possible so that I didn't have to think and analyze so much all the time. And one important thing here is that the advice agreed a lot with my own intuition. I have had ups and downs since, mostly being all right physically but I have had some periods when things have been a bit worse. The point is that over time I have become much calmer and more optimistic. In the beginning I would panic over every slight discomfort, noise or sensation from the digestive system and every time my BM were a bit looser than I like them to be. Gradually though I have learned and am still learning to take it easy. Sure I can still get a bit worried or stressed about these things but the reaction is so much milder. To get to the point (finally) I am able to feel more relaxed because I have gotten to know my body, and this condition and got to feel better and gradually built up the courage to do more things. I still have a bit of a way to go before I get back to living my life without being hindered at all by IBS but I'm feeling more and more confident that I will get there. And this is not something that could have happened for me over night. It needed time. Changing your thought patterns takes time. So don't give up!

Another positive note is that once I get to the point where the IBS doesn't hinder me anymore, then I will have a much healthier life overall than I would have had if I would never have got IBS in the first place. I used to push myself so hard, suffering from constant performance anxiety. I would work hard, skip meals or forget to eat. I would stay up all night studying for exams or writing reports for hand in assignments. I just didn't take care of myself. I am still working with these issues and I have learned so much already. I try to listen to myself now and my body rather than comparing myself with other people, and I think that is a very important lesson to learn.

So all of you out there who are struggling - hang in there and try to be patient. It may take some time and maybe longer than you want it to, but try to never lose hope that it will get better with time.

/Ulrika

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