# Question about lectures



## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

Hi, i was just diagnosed with IBS recently but i've always joked that i've had it(because i've always had stomach problems and worried about going to the bathroom). Whenever i go out i always worry about not being able to find a bathroom if i have to go. I don't have IBS-D or C just the pain, but when i get really nervous i definitely can go to the bathroom many times. However the reason i get nervous,for example before a test, is only because i'm afraid i'm going to have to go to the bathroom, and this makes me have to go. So also when i go to classes i have to get to my lecture halls way before class starts so i can get an aisle seat close to the exit. I get really nervous if i have to be in a small classroom because i'm just afraid i'm going to have to go to the bathroom. If i have to go once i'm afraid i'll also have to go again and don't want to look stupid leaving the class twice! (I don't get as nervous in a lecture hall because i feel more discreet with 500 people in the room as opposed to 30)This is definitely in my head and i was just wondering if anyone else has this same problem. If i even go grocery shopping i sometimes get nervous i'm going to have to go to the bathroom when i'm in line, but if the store has a bathroom i'm fine and i never have to go. I'm so worried i'll never be able to go on dates or anything because i'm always so worried about having to go to the bathroom, with no good reason for it! Is anyone else like this???


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## somewhatlost (Jul 28, 2001)

Shineon, take a deep breath. I have been in your situation. All of my classes at university had 24 people in them. The same 24 people. I always had an aisle seat, and frequently joked with people about it. Same as when I go to the movies or to a concert. I always shotgun the aisle seat. During lectures I frequently had to leave the room many times and even had professurs ask me if I had gone to the bathroom yet before class (along with IBS I have a bladder that just won't hold anything). You need to learn to not care what others think. Everyone goes to the bathroom. You would be surprised how many people have IBS when you start talking about it. Don't stress about not having a bathroom around. There is always one. Most stores have one, you just have to ask. Say that it is an emergency and that you have to use it. (Most stores will let you) Don't let ibs hold you back. kerry


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## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

I mean i'm also nervous when i go to the dentist or other appointments like that. I can't exactly get up in the middle of the appointment(i mean i guess i could but i just feel so embarrased about that and a lot of times you have to do things fast on the teeth and can't just get up and leave for 5 minutes to go use the bathroom) The thing is i would most likely not have to go to the bathroom at all! i just can't stop thinking about it. I think it's because in the past there have been a few times throughout high school that i've had to go soo bad and almost not been able to go. I'm sure some therapy would help get my head straight, i'm thinking about going to hypnotherapy in general just for the IBS pain that i have, so this could probably help my ridiculous worries. I just feel bad because i feel like i'm such a bother when i go out with people and always have to make sure theres a bathroom around (and that stems from a small bladder too, i always have to pee) there are so many things i want to do, like go and travel all over Europe, but when i'm wlaking around i get so anxious until i spot a bathroom that i can't even take in the beauty of it all, i'm just afraid i'll never get over this.


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## erin5983 (Mar 25, 2003)

Anxiety is common, especially with IBS, but when it becomes to the point where it's handicapping you and you're afraid to do things, you might want to look into a mild anti-anxiety medication.I'm not implying that you're so high strung you need medication, I just think that you might feel more comfortable in situations where your anxiety could be calmed down a bit. I know being anxious is my number one problem with IBS as it seems like I must run to the bathroom whenever I am nervous or stressed. I've tried to learn to deal with panicking when I'm afraid I won't have a bathroom near when I need it, but it's hard. Don't be a victim of this anxiety, though, because it really is unnecessary. There are a TON of people on these boards who take anti-anxiety medications and swear by them. It doesn't mean you're crazy or anything, but it could significantly change the way you feel in certain situations.You might want to post a topic in The Meeting Room board located here. It's a very general area for general topics, but if you posted about if people think their anti-anxiety meds have helped them, you'd get some interesting responses and probably some additional resources to help you out.Best of luck. And you're definitely not alone. Keep posting!


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

ooo boy, i know how you feel shineon! the whole aisle-seat thing, and feeling safer in larger classrooms...erin and somewhat had some good advice though...


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## Sarah Akerman (Dec 21, 2003)

i can sympathise with the bathroom thing- i ALWAYS have to go! i only have 15ppl in my class and we all just joke about it now, although only 2 of them know i have ibs.i have recently been on anxiety meds but they made me so tired that ive had to stop them. i was wondering about hypnotherapy thoughGood luck!


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

sazzle, did you see the article in 'health' magazine this month (or can you get that over in england?)? it was about how hypnotherapy seems like one of the few effective treatments for ibs....


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## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

Do you know how many times it takes for the hypnotherapy to become effective?


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## sadone (Dec 17, 2003)

shineon...probably lots of sessions...that's why i have been hesitant to take that route--can't afford to see a hynotherapist regularly...and since i don't really understand the science behind hypnotherapy--i'd be worried that the hypnotherapist would tell me that i 'needed' to see them regularly, when i really didn't or something.


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## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

i'm not sure about that...i'm a psych major and i coudl never see myself convincing a patient that they need to keep seeing me just so i can make more money. I read somewhere that it takes about 12 sessions on average or something like that...but where i go to school theres this hypnotist guy at mental health services and is covered by my school health insurance...the only probably is by the time i start seeing him i'll only get in about 4 sessions at most and then i'm transferring! and i can't seem to find any at that school...which means i'd probably have to find a special hypnotist and pay a fee not covered by insurance, but i think it's definitely worth trying it a few times...i've heard that even just cognitive-behavioral therapy a few times can make all the difference in the world. I'm also considering getting those tapes i've read about on this website.


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## LD1 (Jan 20, 2004)

I am also ordering the tapes I saw on this site. I am on anti-anxiety meds and seeing a doc when I can to talk about my anxiety, but it doesn't seem to be helping with all my problems. Anxiety is a killer for IBS. It can drive attacks and ruin your social/school life. Try to see hope. I have been fighting this for two years (especially over the last 3 months) and you are not alone.


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## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

i've learned that one of the first things you can try is seeing a psychologist who specializes in biofeedback. With biofeedback the dcotor basically shows you what is happening in your body when you get worked up and you learn how to control it. You might have a little clamp over your finger to measure temperature or pulse rate, or they might take your blood pressure. Than they work you up and try to teach you to relax yourself. I know this is the young adult section so for anyone in college, lots of universities offer free psychological services through the campus health service so you might want to check it out.


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

hii used to feel the same and still do think about situations before im in them and make sure that i have taken my medication and not eaten anything stupid beforehand.have you been prescribed immodium/lopermide or anything for diahoea? you could take that before a lecture to give you piece of mind. i take 10mg of an anti depressant for pain and i can cope with it much better. i dont get anxious either.


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## abcdef (Jan 2, 2004)

hi,sometimes i suspect that some of my classmates have figured out that i have a problem because i always go to the bathroom at least once in every single class. in long classes i go more often. you have to steel yourself to the possibility that other people can tell there's something wrong. kind people who can empathize with others will not think badly of you for it. thinking of that reassures me. as for mean people - write them off.good luck shineon


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2004)

hey all-- i empathize completely about panicking in situations where i feel like i can't get to a bathroom. and i've made it through many years of school with this too, somehow! i finished my bachelors degree in the spring, and am nearly through the first 8 months of my masters!there was something that i found was really useful for classes, and especially exams, and now that i've also been in the position of TA (tutorial assistant--ie. teaching tutorials), i have to recommend it to you. i think the best thing you can do to alleviate the stress about getting an attack when you're writing exams is this...talk to your prof beforehand! or your TA if you have one. just don't make it a big deal. be like "I just wanted to let you know that I have stomach problems, which usually get worse during stressful situations, so I just wanted to make sure it would be ok for me to go to the washroom if i need to."I can almost guarantee you they'll say "ok, no problem" and then when you have to go, you can!it takes away lots of the stress, just knowing you're not trapped in the classroom. maybe your TA or prof will be like me, and will REALLY understand, but at the very least, I'm sure no one could refuse that kind of sincerity!try it! and good luck with exams!midge


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## jrs (Jun 18, 2001)

Hey, I just wanted to get my two cents in of support because this is exactly what happened to me going through university -- I ended up not going to classes because of the anxiety and my GPA fell over 1 1/2 points in two years. There has been lots of good advice given here already and I don't think I have much new to add. But I just wanted to let you know that there are others out there who have gone through the same thing. One recommendation though -- even though it might not seem like food is related to your condition, i.e. you don't eat something then feel bad, you might want to seriously consider checking out some of the basic ideas of the IBS diet -- low fat, no spicy foods, etc. In the end it turned out for me that strictly following this diet (mostly) solved the problems that you seem to be having.


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

You dont need to pay for lots of sessions with a hypnotherapist. The tapes on here are very effective and are equal to the price you would pay for with a therapist. It will be the best ï¿½70 you ever spend. Ive posted stickies about it before. Check out the help for IBS sticky.www.ibsaudioprogram100.com


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