# Self esteem



## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

http://www.more-selfesteem.com/visualisationarticle.htm http://www.more-selfesteem.com/useyour_ima...ion_article.htm http://www.more-selfesteem.com/newsletter1.htm http://www.more-selfesteem.com/confidence.htm


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## allinknots (Jun 29, 1999)

here is a list of all newsletters from that site http://www.more-selfesteem.com/articles.htm


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

I think a big part of loss of self esteem comes for us IBS'ers when we have accidents in public- whether it is merely passing gas when we don't want to or having actual fecal incontinence.The way I have boosted my self esteem is by fully accepting that I have an ilness and just like I would not feel shame if I had cancer and suffered from the repurcussions of it, so the same with ?IBS. For too long we have have been told that it is all in the mind as if it were psychological. It is a physical illness due to serotonin acting funky. We need to accept that and then only will we be on our way to recovering our self esteem.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Thanks for the links AIK. It is a good site. Many of the things mentioned make a lot of good sense. Bonnie, Sorry I still feel humiliated when I have an accident. However, that humiliation doesn't change how I feel about me. I think I am ok and that I manage this illness well. But when I cr###p my pants, sorry.......... it IS humilating to me. I just don't allow that humiliation to change how I think about me. I do not feel the humiliation a long time. It is brief.But I separate the manifestations of my illness from the person who is me. I just happen to have IBS. It doesn't have me.FWIWBQ


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## poet (Nov 17, 2003)

I like that way of viewing it, BQ!tom


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

Well when something humiliates me it means i find it extremely destructive to my self respect. I feel that there is no need for an accident to make you lose respect for yourself at all. It is the illness which is incontinence caused by iBS that is causing it. You don't have any control over it, your illness does. So how can you blame yourself especially if ,like most of us, you have made the effort to find out what your triggers and done your best to avoid them If inspiteof your best efforts you can't avoid the triggers, then you have tried your best. I think as long as we try our best to avoid the triggers we are aware of there is no need to lose self respect for even one moment.i agree that not letting the illness define you is very important. i think as long as you feel the humiliation for however short a time, you are momentarily letting it define you and this could probably be avoided by making a list of what is your illness and what is you in that moment of the accident. I don't think the shame, with which we have lived with for so long, w


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

Sorry my cptr froze. I don't think the shame we have lived with for so lonfg due to perhps pdocs telling us that it is all in our minds, will evaporaste overnight. It took me atleast a month since I accepted it as a real illness to reach the point of nopt feeling shame. For some it may take longer.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2004)

I also like your attitude, B.Q.I learned the same attitude from my husband years ago when he was coping with his own illnesses.I carry my spare underwear and fresh wipes with pride.....







I think it may be Bumblebee 101 ?







EvieP.S. I routinely suggest to doctors that they may need to reevaluate their evaluations.







....and I am through feeling badly about myself over what I cannot control.


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