# Teen Who's Sick of Being Sick



## surving_the_void (Sep 5, 2017)

Hey, I'm new to this forum. I'm a high school student with suspected IBS (I'm not technically diagnosed, but it runs in my family and there's no other explanation), and GERD. I also have anxiety and depression. I've had issues with constipation and some acid reflux for most of my life, but about 8 months ago it got significantly worse (likely due to various medication changes), and I've been dealing with varying degrees of alternating IBS and rather severe acid reflux since then. It's definitely related to stress, as it was better at certain points over the summer, but the only food trigger I've been able to identify is lactose (there could be others, i just don't know what.) I was on Miralax from a young age up until a few months ago, when I switched to a magnesium supplement (reacted magnesium), which has been somewhat helpful.

One of my biggest issues at this point is that it takes me about an hour to go to the bathroom every morning. I usually go twice, for about half an hour each, once before and once after breakfast. It often doesn't feel like I'm done, and I worry about having to go at school, even though generally I physically can't make myself relax enough to go at school, so I'll just be uncomfortable all day if I do have to go. I have to get up insanely early if I want to be on time, and even then I'm often inevitably late.

Over the last few days, I've been in a bad constipation flare, and it (along with possibly medication side affects) has caused me to be having unbearable acid reflux. I've barely eaten today because of it, and I honestly just feel so done with all of this. I have a GI specialist, who we're trying to get another appointment with, but overall doctors aren't usually able to be very helpful. Overall I just feel really hopeless about this, and even though my parents try to be supportive, it really upsets me that I can't talk to any of my friends about it because I'm so embarrassed, and it frequently gets to the point where I have panic attacks over it, am afraid to go out in public, and feel like I want to die. I'm incredibly tired of being in pain all the time, and feeling like my body is waging war against me, and it increasingly feels like there's no real hope for me to get better. I don't really have a specific question, but any advice or support is greatly appreciated.


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## Barney71 (Aug 1, 2017)

Hey, I know what you are going through. I can't say much about improving your health issues that haven't been said yet, even today I already wrote what is advised in such circumstances, so you will easily find it here on our forum and our community, but as for depression and anxiety - let me be honest. This is what you need to get rid of the sooner, it should be your priority now in life. If you want to feel better, start with improving your mental health. Of course follow doctor's directions etc and do everything to treat your disease, but mental health is the most important here. I was at the same stage as you were, I wanted to die as well but please, stay here on this forums, read about other people's problems as well, read their stories, how they overcame their feel and regained their will to live. You are not alone here and that is what's most important, you have to realize that you are not the only person in the world with those problems and that there are many of those who suffer same things as you do or even more. You can't compare yourself to the rest of your peers, healthy and happy about life - you have to compare yourself to people like us now, then only after you overcome this you can enter the world of normal people again as an reborn guy, willing to take from life what it has attempted to steal from him once again. Good luck with this, I know you can make it. Remember, you are not alone!


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## Isabellaida (Sep 29, 2017)

Hi,

I get it and I really feel for you, my IBS is greatly effected by stress as well and induces anxiety. School is horrible for this as well, I really hope you feel better soon. You should talk to your school guidance councilor (if you haven't already) and put systems in place where you can leave class for 10 to 20 minutes or something along those lines to go to the toilet or just have a breather, I have got a card that I can use to have a ten minute time out. I know its horrible but I think we have just gotta get past high school into the land where you get to make the choices and you get to choose what you do with your life, where people are far less judgmental. Please don't let those dark thoughts suffocate you, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just think of it this way, we are experiencing a huge array of experiences and emotions most people our age don't have to deal with, but life is about more than only experiencing happiness otherwise there would be no such thing as happiness, if we were all happy all of the time it would be the norm, you have to experience the bad stuff to be able to realize and appreciate when we are experiencing the good. Sorry for the cheesiness...


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