# IBS-D and extreme anxiety



## Lozbollar (Jul 30, 2012)

Hi,Last year I had an accident due to my IBS-D (although back then I didn't know I had IBS) This led to chronic anxiety, I stopped going out completely, couldn't answer the door, i hid from all my friends etc...was an extremely bad time. I went to doctors and because i have a history of mental health problems (mostly depression and anxiety) they instantly dismissed it as being anything physical and stuck me on anti-depressants again. This calmed the anxiety slightly but really did nothing for me, I went back and they suggested CBT, again this did nothing. I gave up with the doctors because i just found that they weren't helpful at all. I tried to control it with immodium and taking st johns wort...this worked quite well for awhile until recently. I struggle with leaving the house, petrified about having an attack, and as I also have a fear of using a public toilet it makes it worse...i can usually only go out if i know there is going to be a private 'safe' toilet for me to use, but even then its hard. I had a great day out a few weeks ago, i went to park with my daughter and mum, then we went to a pub for lunch. I got home and my hubby to be then took me out for a meal...later on in the evening a friend asked me for a quick drink, my tummy had started to feel bad and began the grumbling...but i dismissed it, determined to go out and enjoy myself as i had been doing all day...but as soon as i got to the pub i could feel it happening and had to make a run for it. it hadn't happened in a really long time and i felt like id taken so many steps back. I decided to call the doctors again to try and get to the bottom of it. This time I insisted they check for something physical and they took some blood, which all came back normal and led them to diagnose me with IBS-D. Which is great to finally know what it is....but at the same time its like...yeh you have ibs...bye now thanks for stopping by. I live in the UK and i understand the NHS is severely overstretched and everything but is that it? I've called my doctor again today to see about anxiety medication and ibs medication...he's meant to be calling me back but so far nothing. I hate the fact that the anxiety feeds the ibs...its such a vivcious cycle. Im finding it hard to see a way out of it. I'm getting married in september and i'm dreaing standing up there in my white dress and having an accident, the thought of my wedding day shouldnt feel me fear and dread







What I wanted to ask is how do other suffers cope on a day to day basis with attacks and needing loo and fear of having accidents?Thanks!xx


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

You are not alone! I live in the US, but I am the patient support associate of clinical hypnotherapist, Michael Mahoney, who is in Cheshire. He has developed a protocol specifically for IBS - and for the brain-gut connection which you have described - I know just what you are talking about, and had the same thing, I was at the end of my rope, nothing helped until I tried this. The NICE IBS guidelines for the NHS suggest hypnotherapy as one possible treatment after 12 months of nothing helping, but the wait list is over a year. You might want to consider Micheal's recorded program, of if you are near Cheshire to see him. There is free support and his protocol is used in a GI hospital in London.If you have any questions, feel free to ask me - I am happy to help - take a peek at the links below for more info. There IS hope - especially with the very things you mention. Take care.


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## By_the_way (Sep 5, 2009)

I can definitely relate to your story.Ive had this for the past 6 years since a car accident i was involved in lead me to be hospitalized for a week or so. I had a lot of surgery during that time and was pretty out of it and since then my life has been an absolute nightmare. I could honestly just sit and cry (and have done in the past) about what has happened, i certainly don't recognize the person i have become. I haven't found any relief from anything i have tried and my GP will no longer treat me unless i start taking yet another anti depressant (citalapram this time i think it is) which i was shocked by to be honest.I am certainly worried about my mental health, i find it very difficult to see any future in my life. I get angry about a lot of things for no reason and have a very strong feeling of injustice that builds inside me which i find hard to let go of. This is such a drastic change from a chap who used to be very happy and enjoy his life, i think that is the hardest part to deal with and understand. I often feel time is going by and there is nothing i can do to get back on track, my world has become very small and the smallest of tasks seem incredibly daunting. Very different from the festival going happy chap of the past! I see a psychologist quite regularly but haven't found that very helpful. She basically tells me how i need to sit with the feelings of anxiety and discomfort when leaving the house but i just don't know how you're meant to 'sit with' having an accident and the constant need for the toilet. The embarrassment of that doesn't really bother me anymore, it used to but now im past caring so much that i honestly don't care if it happens. Its happened before and it could happen again who knows, who cares right? the doctors certainly don't.Even just sat here right now i feel why am i even bothering sharing this with anyone im sure they dont care or want to read this self centered defeatist rubbish, i feel let down by so many people that i thought would be there for me whenever i had troubles. I've talked friends out of killing themselves before but where are they when i need help? no where to be seen. It has shaken my faith in people and made me question myself and the way i interact with people. I have no friends, no job but most importantly no hope or ambition. The only thing that has increased is my feelings of empathy, seeing anyone suffer is magnified ten fold and can be enough to bring me to tears.Despite what may appear to be a very negative outlook that i have on life, I try to keep a positive mental state and I realize that there are still thousands of people worse off than me and with far more crippling conditions but sometimes that frustrates me even more as they achieve more than i do. anyway to make a long story long, Im not sure if there is anything you can draw from this except knowing you are not alone, who knows what the future may bring...


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

By_the_way - your post brought me to tears... I know how it feels to live with chronic pain and illness and the world goes by and you are torn between putting the glad face on, and losing it.. I hope you find some solace somehow - my heart goes out to you....


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## Sammetal91 (Aug 8, 2012)

By_the_way said:


> I can definitely relate to your story.Ive had this for the past 6 years since a car accident i was involved in lead me to be hospitalized for a week or so. I had a lot of surgery during that time and was pretty out of it and since then my life has been an absolute nightmare. I could honestly just sit and cry (and have done in the past) about what has happened, i certainly don't recognize the person i have become. I haven't found any relief from anything i have tried and my GP will no longer treat me unless i start taking yet another anti depressant (citalapram this time i think it is) which i was shocked by to be honest.I am certainly worried about my mental health, i find it very difficult to see any future in my life. I get angry about a lot of things for no reason and have a very strong feeling of injustice that builds inside me which i find hard to let go of. This is such a drastic change from a chap who used to be very happy and enjoy his life, i think that is the hardest part to deal with and understand. I often feel time is going by and there is nothing i can do to get back on track, my world has become very small and the smallest of tasks seem incredibly daunting. Very different from the festival going happy chap of the past! I see a psychologist quite regularly but haven't found that very helpful. She basically tells me how i need to sit with the feelings of anxiety and discomfort when leaving the house but i just don't know how you're meant to 'sit with' having an accident and the constant need for the toilet. The embarrassment of that doesn't really bother me anymore, it used to but now im past caring so much that i honestly don't care if it happens. Its happened before and it could happen again who knows, who cares right? the doctors certainly don't.Even just sat here right now i feel why am i even bothering sharing this with anyone im sure they dont care or want to read this self centered defeatist rubbish, i feel let down by so many people that i thought would be there for me whenever i had troubles. I've talked friends out of killing themselves before but where are they when i need help? no where to be seen. It has shaken my faith in people and made me question myself and the way i interact with people. I have no friends, no job but most importantly no hope or ambition. The only thing that has increased is my feelings of empathy, seeing anyone suffer is magnified ten fold and can be enough to bring me to tears.Despite what may appear to be a very negative outlook that i have on life, I try to keep a positive mental state and I realize that there are still thousands of people worse off than me and with far more crippling conditions but sometimes that frustrates me even more as they achieve more than i do. anyway to make a long story long, Im not sure if there is anything you can draw from this except knowing you are not alone, who knows what the future may bring...


By_the_way, although I can never completely understand your situation exactly as you do, I can relate to the thoughts when it comes to the future and seeing the suffering of other people. It almost feels like you see the sadness of the world and then you feel like an ingrate for thinking your life sucks and then it turns into a vicious cycle that keeps gnawing your insides. If you ever have that feeling that you're 'graying out' or fading away, you are most definitely not alone. Although every passing day we may feel worse, we have to keep going forward for a better tomorrow. whether we can hope or not.


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## DiamondRose (Aug 25, 2012)

You are definately not alone. I am also from the UK and have found everything the medical profession has to offer completely useless. I dread going out and eating out is often out of the question. I'm hoping to get married in August next year and i feel the dread that you described. I have often found deep breathing and relaxation to be kind of helpful, also being with someone who knows your condition and you feel 100% comfortable with can help too. I hope this has helped a little. Best of luck.


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