# Eric/Mike I DO know what's wrong with me, but don't know how to fix it?



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

This might be a long post, so please bear with me and let me know if you honestly think the tapes will help.I have always considered myself to be C-type, but in acuality I really don't think that is the case. I eat sooooo much fiber and take supplements and drink water, so my stool is anything but hard, which is consistant with being "C". Even though I have been taking laxatives, I do not feel the muscles in my colon are not working, because I have no problem pushing the stool out, as long as I am "relaxed" and herein is where the problem lies....if I am stressed even in the smallest way, the stool gets to the rectum/anus but will not go any further, because whatever that anal muscle is called WILL NOT RELAX..instead it tenses up and will not open.







. When I have a day off from work and am not stressed about having to go anywhere that muscle works just fine and I have no problem "going." Unfortunately I cannot stay home everyday, I have to go work, but just the stress of having to go to work and the possibility of having to "go" at work is enough to make that muscle tense up just about everyday. I absolutely cannot "go" at work if somebody else is in the ladies room. For instance, I can be sitting at my desk..get a strong urge to go..get to the ladies room, and if nobody is in there I can "go" fine, but if somebody is in there...that muscle automatically tightens right up and I can't go. The same is true for anytime I have to go some place..even fun places. Let's say I have to go to a wedding or similar event, the day of the event arrives and I automatically start worrying about whether or not I will be able to "go" so I will feel good...look good in my clothes etc. So what happens??? I start "thinking" about it too much...and you guessed it...that muscle closes up and I end up feeling GROSS for the day. This just happened again on Easter Sunday, which is why I am needing some advice. I am beginning to feel like "NUT CASE". I know my "mind" or should I say "state of mind" is causing the problems with that anal muscle, but no matter how hard I try to tell myself to "just relax", I can't do it. It seems I just get more and more stressed and that muscle gets tighter and tighter and some times it takes until the next day for it to "relax". I feel like I am ready for the LOONEY BIN. Will the tapes help me to control that anal muscle? Thanks for listening.







------------------"Remember To Stop and Smell the Roses"Rose (C-type)


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Rose, I read the first paragraph before I thought to myself I had the same problem as you have with that muscle and they worked for me on this. I can relax it at will now.I have followed your symptoms for almost two years and I honestly believe that the tapes will help you with this and others aspects of IBS.Alot of what you wrote here I can seriously relate to myself.------------------Moderator of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anxiety and Hypnotherapy forumI work with Mike and the IBS Audio Program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com


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## AZmom1 (Dec 6, 1999)

Rose,I had the same problem. Before I would go out, I would try to "go" but usually couldn't. Then as soon as I'd get into the car, or down the block, I had to go...NOW.I no longer have that problem.At one point I saw a physical therapist for biofeedback. I had electrodes attached to the rectal area and my stomach. He showed me how when I would push, my bottom would become tighter, and taught me to relax while pushing. Some tips I learned were to sit up straight on the toilet, do not bend over. Do not read or otherwise distract yourself from the task at hand. Concentrate on relaxing down there while pushing. Also, the harder you push, the more tight your butt gets, so the pushing needs to come from the top, so push down. It really takes some concentration to relax while pushing, but try it, it may help.About going in front of others, that's part of the thought patterns you have established, and hypnotherapy can change. You have told yourself for so long that "I can't go in front of other people," so of course you can't. Try to pay attention to all of the things you tell yourself, then try to change those thoughts into positive messages. Something like, "I am relaxed each and every day, and empty my bowels easily and naturally." All messages need to be in the present tense, not "I'm going to... or I will..." which implies sometime in the future, but not now. Your subconscious mind is quite literal. This is what CBT does, teaches you to recognize negative thoughts and change them to positive ones.However, hypnotherapy will work for you too. Hypnotherapy is easier and quicker than CBT. CBT is done through conscious effort, while hypnotherapy works on the subconscious, and the subconscious controls the ANS and digestive tract. Although Mike's tapes don't address your problem directly, it seems that the subconscious mind uses the information in the tapes, and applies it where needed. I hope that makes sense. That is why each of us, with wildly varying symptoms, can all be successful with Mike's tapes. The subconscious mind is creative, and adapts the information as needed. I hope you will give it a go.AZ[This message has been edited by AZmom1 (edited 04-17-2001).]


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2001)

Hi All, Hi Rose,Men often suffer with something called "bashful bladder syndrome", they can't pee when others are about. They might have to go in the cubicles to pee, then might not be able pee until the whole room is empty. Sound like you have bashful bowel!To just tell yourself to relax will not prove to successful. I posted a thread about breathing from the diagphram some time ago, take a look through and see if you can find it. Breathing correctly once mastered, you should be able to learn how to master the lower part too. Hopefully someone here will post it. I am in and out with patients at the moment so can't search for you.Find the thread, practice it and them let me know in about a week, and I will advise how to reduce tension in the lower part of the bowel.Best RegardsMike


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## jane93 (Jan 21, 2000)

Hi Rose,Wow you have described my case almost exactly except that I get terrible G when I can't go as often as I need to. I'm not C, I just have a "bashful bowel". I've found that getting up and giving myself more time in the morning helps immensly...but that doesn't help during the day.I though you were using the tapes?I am on day 70something and have found that this problem has cleared up a lot through the use of the tapes. In fact I think Eric and I discussed this once and he suggested that it was a case of tight ***. Sound funny? I eat loads of fibre drink lots of water and I think the tapes have helped me learn to relax my abdomen at least so I don't have it quite so severely. I'll see if I can find a breathing post too.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Is this the thread you mean, Mike regarding breathing? http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum11/HTML/000082.html Firstly you have identified that your stomach is not relaxing. However you knwo it can, becuase you have done it in the past. OK so just take a few mo's and study your breathing..If your chest rises when you breathe in then you are taking big breaths, not deep breaths which you should be A deep breathe is when you chest stays still, and your tummy moves out.To get it as it as it should:First lie down. Put a book on your tummy, and breathe your breathe into your tummy and feel the book begining to rise. (Don't force your tummy muscles out - let the breath fill your tummy )You will have to concentrate a little to start with. Do this with your eyes open.Once you are doing that comfortably, put the book on your chest. breathe into your tummy and keep the book still. Your tummy should move, not your chest. This happens quite naturally at night when we sleep - (assuming you don't have any breathing health problems)Do this with your eyes open too.When you have mastered that, put the book back onto your tummy, take gentle breaths and breathe into your tummy under the book again. This time with your eyes closed.Then after 6 successful deep breathes, open your eyes, put the book back on your chest, close your eyes and let the breathe go into the tummy again, chest remaining still.OK, When you can do this, do it without the book. You will notice a difference in the calming, and your stomach relaxing. To help think of each breathe having a relaxing colour, and the colour relaxes your stomach even more.Try this a few times a day and let me know how you go on. This is just gentle control of breathing patterns. So easy, we do it in our sleep anyway Best RegardsMike------------------Marilyn[This message has been edited by cookies4marilyn (edited 04-18-2001).]


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Thanks everybody for the replies. I will practice the breathing technique. I defintely do have a "shy bowel". Yesterday, at work...I had some "D", which is rare for me. I had to "go" with "urgency". I went into the ladies room and there was somebody in the other stall. I actually held in the "D" until they left. I don't know how I did it, but I couldn't let it go with that person in there. When that person left and I finally let it out, I did not feel the relief I would have felt if they were not in there in the first place, because that muscle was starting to close up, which left me with that "incomplete" feeling. I definitely feel like I am ready for the Funny Farm.







------------------"Remember To Stop and Smell the Roses"Rose (C-type)


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2001)

Hi All,Marilyn your a star







Best RegardsMike


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