# does IBS affect your confidence



## 21315 (Apr 1, 2005)

hi i was wondering how ibs has affected other peoples lives ive noticed that since ive had it my confidence has dropped alot when i was younger i was very chatty and would love to act but now im quite shy and hate to draw attension to myself has anyone else felt like this and if so do you know anyway to help bring my confidence back up thanks for any advice you can give .


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## H. Lacey (Feb 17, 2005)

i won't say that IBS has knocked my confidence or anything like that, i do feel self-conscious however, especially when i'm eating something in front of people (lke lunchtime) and i can hear my stomach making noises and i do wonder whether they can hear them too. i've been bullied a hell of a lot in my time at school and so my confidence is at a minimum anyway, but IBS definitely doesn't help.


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## lulu684 (Aug 10, 2003)

i am always self consious about eating and i get nervous around a lot of people. i used to be a lot more outgoing before my ibs got really bad.


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## Loz88 (Sep 6, 2005)

IBS has knocked my confidence in some things as i get nervous doing some things, and i fear getting nervous because when i get nervous it sets my bowel off. So really, it's a vicious circle. IBS has made me the person i am today though, a good person, i understand a lot more about truly being ill and it's made me a better person. So, although i've had IBS for 6 years and it has been hell. IBS has made me who i am today.


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## Carlyn (Jan 15, 2005)

ibs has really affected my confidence sinces the beginning of september my confidence is so low, i dont go out shopping now i stay indoors if i have to go somewhere for more then 20mins i just wont go my life is miserible and i hate it


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## 22476 (Aug 30, 2005)

I'm still as out going as before. I just hide alot of stuff from the people i know. My confidence has been shot down though. I down like being around alot of people, i would rather stay at home where i know nothin to go wrong. I just work twice as hard to look nice when i'm out, so if my hair happens to look a lil messed up i will leave school. I feel i have to look perfect to make up for my stomach problems.


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## ~Vicky~ (Oct 24, 2005)

Having IBS has kind of knocked my confidence down.But It was kinda brought on more because I was being bullied for just being me - I was being threatened, they followed me, they hit me they threatened my family and taunted me to come out my house.one time they said they would kill me. and on that day I had terrible pains.Seeing that there are people with IBS just like me (off here) is a great confidence booster though and it makes me kind of feel better.((My e-mail address is Groovyvickster###hotmail.com))


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## 14855 (Oct 27, 2005)

It first knocked my confidence but you have to come to terms with it. You can't just sit in all your life because you have an illness. You have to find out what is causing your illness and help yourself, if you can't do that then get someone else to help you with prehaps treatments. It will help to tell your friends what you're going through and if theyre decent friends will be there and help you. I havent let IBS stop me from doing anything except for prehaps when it's at its worst point. Things could be a lot worse so dont let IBS stop you. If youre confident you will find ways to prevent being so ill.


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## smiley (Dec 28, 2004)

EM!







Don't say that! You are a confident young individual who is important in someone's eyes. Actually, IBS has helped boost my confidnece. I view it as I better live life how I want when I'm around people if I"m going to go home later and have a bad stomach. Don't let IBS effect your life until it starts to hurt-then run off and take care of whatever helps your stomach. View IBS as a challange that you must overcome and to overcome IBS you must be as smiley and happy as you can so you don't worry about things!Thats what helps me anyways.


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## 21315 (Apr 1, 2005)

thanks smiley id never really looked at having IBS like that ive always just hated it but i can see where your coming from and im going to try and have a postive out look from now on


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## smiley (Dec 28, 2004)

He he he ! No problem! If you need help being smiley I'm here to helP! lol


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## 22288 (Aug 5, 2005)

IBS has affected my life quite a lot. Before I knew I had it I loved to go out (though I didnt because of my protective parents) but now I am older I have the desire to get out there and have fun, though that can be difficult. My problem is more to do with Stomach craps trapped wind, stomach noises and the occational big "D"







I cope at school sometimes but I do get tose days where this go horribly wrong.I like to still go out with my friends and it helps take my mind off my problem(until its time for lunch). Though going to sleepovers is a big no no. I feel really nervous going round to my friends house then it kicks off my bad stomach. So if I ever meet up with my friends it has to be a day out or I just cant cope.







It really does suck but its going to be part of my life now.


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## 18200 (May 22, 2006)

i have not seen a real dip in my confidence at all and i am quite and confident person. The only time i feel self concious is when i go to the bathroom in my school but i guess that is kinda normal plus half of our schools bathrooms smells like drugs. Oh and i hate when my friends ask me if im ok when i can't eat anything at lunch or i feel sick (i got it once at a dance







had to leave early) cause i dont want and dont know how to explain especially since no one in my family knows i just figured it out by myself and my allgerist asked me if i had it, which is such a stupid question. sorry babbling


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## 16129 (Jun 1, 2006)

Shockingly, my confidence has improved. I've been always very shy, self-concious, and with an extremely low self esteem. It just taught me to love myself no matter how i am, even if people think bad things about me, and it helped me step out of my shell. In a way, I guess I am thankful because if I didn't have this problem, i'd still be running around worrying over the littlest things thinking 'What would everyone think of me if i wore this shirt? what if they didn't like it?' I do have gas, so I'm still a little self concious over how I smell, but I've got hopes to find a cure for it, lol.Now, I do talk to people more. And when i do, i found it helps me get my mind off of stuff like IBS and relax.My suggestion-just know that there's always SOMETHING...even the littlest thing that's positive about a situation-no matter how bad it is.


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## 18398 (Nov 11, 2006)

Ibs has drop my confidence but it not always the same for eveyone else at tye moment i getting my confidence back slowy but i glad i getting it back!







don't worry


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## sazzy (Nov 27, 2006)

I would say almost definitely although i'm not as bad as i was a few years ago. I was diagnosed with it at just 11 years old around the time i changed schools, before then i had been fine and never worried about anything like ibs. But since i was diagnosed my life has gone upside down, sometimes for a few months i'm fine and then a few months later my stomach is as bad as anything. Although i wouldn't say i've lost confidence around other people i still worry about going out. Slowly i'm getting better but i still worry so much more than i used to


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## 20663 (Jul 8, 2005)

yeah, i'd say thatmy confidence has dropped, but its been a while now, so its getting better(my confidence that is..) i can only be myself, so i try to be proud of who i am...ibs and all. plus for all of us on thissite,and anyoneelse with ibs, you should be proud of yourselves/ourselves for keeping at it everyday anyway. cuz we do the everyday thing that the normal ppl do, but we mangae it with ibs on top of it, which is a big accomplishment in my book...so be proud of yourselves, give yourselves a pat on the back







way to go us!


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## 22943 (Aug 27, 2005)

I've had a confidence issue since I was really little. So, my IBS didn't create it, but it is making it worse. Especially when I'm having a rather odorific day. Sigh. I'm working on it. Eventually it will get better. I just have to take it one day at a time.


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## AllStrZ (May 6, 2006)

I try not to let it affect me, I mean I am who I am, although my social life has decreased dramatically, when I am out, I am still the funny kid.


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