# New to Forum- My IBS Story



## sharpada (Feb 14, 2018)

I'll be honest, I never thought I would be joining a support group like this. I am 22 years old, and for majority of my life, my bowels have been completely "cooperative", so to speak.

Anyways, I will share with you all my story. Like I said above, I'm a 22 year old guy, a full time police officer, as well as part time student, here in the great State of Missouri. In 2007, when I was in 7th Grade, I was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder. I was given a prescription for Zoloft, and I still take it to this day. The panic attacks have stopped, and for the most part, so has my anxiety. Although in times of great stress it comes back.

I think that my IBS really started after I became a police officer. I work the night shift, 9PM-7AM, which probably doesn't help anything. I don't feel stressed, but then again its been so long since I didn't work the night shift that I may have forgotten what it feels like to NOT be stressed, so this is just my baseline now. Here comes the IBS part; When I am on tour (working my shifts for the week), I work 4, 10 hour shifts, normally back to back. During the days I work I have normal, sometimes even hard, leaning towards constipated- type stools. I look forward to working because I know that I will be having normal stools. However, when I am off (the days I should be enjoying), I start to have loose stools. This normally begins on the first day that I am off, after I eat at around 12:30 PM- 1:00 PM. The loose stools go on until I go back into work and the cycle starts all over again.

I have tried to ignore this and just move on for as long as possible, but I am so tired of not being able to be a normal 22 year old on my off days. I take a probiotic, and for a while it seemed to be helping, but then I had a more stressful event happen and the probiotic kind of stopped working for some reason. I am so ready to just be normal again and be happy. I hope that someone here can relate... I don't know where else to turn, and I don't really feel like taking another medication. I dread days that I am off because I know I will have to deal with this again. Sometimes I am hopeful that it will not return, but then it does and I just feel so sad and hopeless. I try my very best to be happy and positive at all times, but I just feel so weird and different from all my colleagues and friends. They all have so much fun on their days off and live life like they are supposed too.. But here I am, worrying about where the closest bathroom will be, and analyzing every bowel movement I have, trying to find a cure for it.

I hope that this forum will help me with suggestions on easy treatments and am really hoping that this will subside so that I can live a better life. Thank you all!


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## Magster (Apr 6, 2016)

This may not be helpful but my dad was a cop. I saw the stress. He retired in 1994 and is 75.

I cant tell you to change careers but having an anxiety disorder since you were in 7th grade and now being a cop? I would seek another profession while your young sir. Dont expect IBS to subside- but likely only get worse. Bad work hours, immense stress= a lot of personal and physical problems. Trust me. If its toxic to you, do not be afraid to switch gears. Check your reasons for wanting to be an officer - and use that in any field.


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