Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | OK, I Went Out Tonight Trying Not To Drink

I don't want to drink because it hurts my stomach.
So, for the past several months, one of the reason I have been hermitting has been my assumption, if you can't drink, you can't have fun hanging out with friends who do drink.

Tonight though, to get away from my controlling roomate, who I will discuss, I decided to go out and watch the NCAA tourney with buds.

They all were drinking.
I was asked by one friend if I wanted to drink.
I said no.
I kept getting asked, and said no.

Then they started pressuring me, telling they would make a drink.
Their roomate then said drink or get out.
I continued to shrug it off saying I'm fine.

My friends, not the roomate, know I have IBS or stomach problems.

Anyway, after the roomate left, I told my friends I was upset.
I said I thought it was disrespectful to put me on the spot and pressure me into drinking when it is not good for me.
I said if I had diabetes it would be the same thing, I said this is why I don't eat dairy.
I got it out.

My friends acted like they understood, and overall I had a good time.
I was told, maybe I should smoke with them since I can't drink.

I am a little uncomfortbale.
Yes I had fun and like them, but really, from here foward, they should know drinking with me is out of the question.,

Thank goodness I read most of Heather's book and how people who don't respect my health are not worth my time.

Still, I am a VERY passive person, which I am working on in therapy, and moments like these are very uncomfortable.

I feel very vulnerable, and in the past, I would have succombed to pressure, gotten a bad reaction (my stomach alreayd is not good today), been angry the next day, and then secluded myself yet again.

I have a lot of anxiety right now, I am worried I will succomb to peer pressure, vent in public, or who knows what, but I wanted to thank you guys for your support.

IBS is hard, but dealing with in public is especially hard for me because I have a diffuclt time speaking up.

Any advice, tips, would be much appreciated.
I hate giving in to peer pressure, but I usually do, and it hurst my IBS badly.

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IBS-C and Bloating

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