# Work/College with IBS



## AllStrZ (May 6, 2006)

Hey, I'm 17 years old, Male, and have had IBS for about 4 years. I am just curious how you guys go to work with this sympton? I really was looking foward to getting a job, but I am too scared and embarassed in case something happens while i'm there, and I don't want people to think I'm weird or get fired. I am currently on Home Instructions due to this, and i wanted to also start college. I don't think i will start right away, probably going to take a year off and try to control this. I've had so many embarassing close calls its not even funny! But yeah, my main question is how do you go to work and college if you really have it dreadfully bad like me? PS : I'm not lazy or anything!


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## 14849 (Aug 25, 2006)

> quote:Originally posted by AllStrZ:Hey, I'm 17 years old, Male, and have had IBS for about 4 years. I am just curious how you guys go to work with this sympton? I really was looking foward to getting a job, but I am too scared and embarassed in case something happens while i'm there, and I don't want people to think I'm weird or get fired. I am currently on Home Instructions due to this, and i wanted to also start college. I don't think i will start right away, probably going to take a year off and try to control this. I've had so many embarassing close calls its not even funny! But yeah, my main question is how do you go to work and college if you really have it dreadfully bad like me? PS : I'm not lazy or anything!


None of us are lazy. We're simply in a bind. I work literally right around the block from home. Since most of my bouts with IBS rear their ugly head in the morning, I work 2nd shift. I know it isn't healthy but I don't eat all day until I get off of work at 10:30pm. That's about 1 LARGE meal per day, maybe.


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## AllStrZ (May 6, 2006)

I just said the lazy part, because a person who knows my mom, whose a psychiatrist said its part laziness, which really had me furious.


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## 13594 (May 14, 2006)

IBS is a very physical problem believe you me.Professor Nick Read (ibsnetwork, UK) has had a thing or two to say to the psychiatrist's who have this opinion. (Links below.)The problem is whenever were under pressure; even if there is no concious stress the brain seems to go crazy with the seritonin which obviously is sensed by the very complicated nervous system in the gut (Enteric.)Obviously in a normal person the reaction is anything from nothing to that butterflies feeling. In IBS certain seritonin (5HT) receptors are physically faulty or oversensitive and therefore cause the various IBS symptoms. 5HT-3, 5HT-4 and 5HT-1 antagonist medications have been developed in the last 15-20yrs to block some of the troublesome brain-gut reactions in IBS. Its certainly a physical problem; just on a level we were unable to even to begin to understand 40 years ago.This is why psychiatrists have these nasty opinions about IBS.Your not lazy by any means, IBS and other functional diseases like ME often affect the people who least deserve it. I would recommend you give the IBSnetworks's self managment programs a go since its now open to public access:IBSNETWORK Self managent programIt's written by Prof Nick Read himself and is an excellent resource. You might want to get his book:"Sick and tired: Healing the illnesses Doctor's cannot cure"Amazon UK link Amazon US linkI've lost 3 years of college and work to IBS, and am living on UK sickness and disability benefit payments. Information can make all the difference in getting the right treatment from your doctors and correctly self-treating."Knowledge is power. Use it to your advantage."Good Luck,mr_colt


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## rarr (Nov 2, 2003)

Hi AllStrZ,you are only 17..you have so many years ahead of you and you should be enjoying life right now. I am 22 and let IBS have the best of me from the age of 18 until recently. I was in the same position you were, although I was in university...terrified and missing classes because I was busy getting sick and lost in my anxiety. It's taken me years to get to where I am now and I only hope others will not put their lives on hold because of IBS. I repeatedly would tell myself that I would do something as soon as "I could control it". ...but what you have to do is just push yourself and get out there...apply for the job you want..if you get sick at work...so what. you'll be surprised by how many people are understanding and by how many people who won't even notice. If you want to start college...go...it's actually one of the best places because there are washrooms everywhere and it's not as strict as highschool. Also, you'll notice once you get out there that the less you think about it and the less you stress about it...the less attacks you'll get. so go after what you want and Good Luck!







P.S. I've been dealt the lazy card too and how I would love to tell those people to live a day in our shoes.


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