Anxiety & Stomach Problems. Can Anyone Help? Posted: 03-09-06 23:27pm
Im a 21 year old college student, and
since highschool i've had an anxiety
problem where whenever I get into a
situation where a bathroom is unavailable,
or something of that nature... I always
have pretty bad diaerea. When my mind
thinks about it, it makes my body do it.
I am perfectly fine upuntil that moment.
Traffic, buses, camping... Things I like
to do (well not traffic) all trigger this
horrible problem. It happens less when I
am more comfortable with whom im with
(such as my parents) but still its an
issue. I've had to make many a roadside
crap (for lack of better words) because my
stomach gets all knotted up in these
situations. Its very frustrating, and
prevents me from doing alot of things I
would like to... Sometimes as simple as
heading into the city for an evening with
my friends. My mine is always worrying
about that now, so when I have something I
know that will put me in that situation I
have been taking pre-emptive anti-daereal
medicine (imodium).
I want this all to stop. I want to be a
normal healthy college student who doesnt
have to think twice about heading out for
a night on the town.
Does anyone have any suggestions. I've
dealt with this too long, and i'm finally
trying to do something about it. Any
help would be greatly apprecieated.
Thanks.
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Morning_Glory
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 207 Location: NE Ohio
Posted: 03-14-06 19:31pm
Sounds like you have convinced yourself
that a toilet isn't available and like
most of us when you tell your body you
"can't" you start to feel like you must!
Here's a suggestion you can try - when
your at home or other comfortable setting
where you know there's a bathroom
available. When the need to go strikes,
wait. See how long you can actually hold
off going to the bathroom before it
becomes now or never situation.
If you can get used to holding off for
awhile in comfortable settings, it should
be helpful to you in the situations like
camping, road trips and so forth.
Also when your on a trip, you have to stop
telling yourself that a bathroom is no
where to be found. A bathroom is as
close as the nearest gas station,
mcdonald's, grocery store, tree line,
large bush, etc.
(be sure to go before you leave the house
and limit your food intake to help as
well).
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munky23
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 130
Posted: 03-18-06 19:15pm
I've also had major stomach problems due
to anxiety...Constant for the past couple
years. What happens to me is I had so
much diaherria that if I couldn't go it
would just turn into constipation. So I
would have both all the time (which of
course is hard to treat).
Well what I did was looked at what was
causing anxiety. Broke up with my
boyfriend :) and worked on rational
emotive therapy cognitive distortions
(telling yourself things are no big deal)
as far as school is concerned. Yes I like
to use self therapy on myself. And I
concerned myself with things that don't
stress me out.
This stomach problems have generally been
gone for the past couple months. It took
a while to get rid of them, there was no
cure all method. It slowly began to get
better.
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CubanMale
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Miami
Same Posted: 07-30-07 20:12pm
Hello all,
I am 22 and I am having exactly the same
problems. It started about 1-2 years ago
and ever since i am not able to do any of
the things i like or enjoy or just want to
do. For example, I used to go to the
movies every weekend with my Girlfriend
but not any more, I sold my season tickets
to the Miami Dolphins because of it, any
time I am out of my house or parents house
or just some one that I knows place I get
stomach pains and the feeling of having to
go to the rest room. I live in Miami and i
cant even go to the beach because of this
illness. Can someone help!!!! Please feel
free to PM me with any help or information
about this!
Thanks.
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metalcrystal
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 112 Location: most boring state, USA,
Posted: 07-30-07 23:08pm
munky23
wrote:
I've also had major stomach
problems due to anxiety...Constant for the
past couple years. What happens to me is
I had so much diaherria that if I couldn't
go it would just turn into constipation.
So I would have both all the time (which
of course is hard to treat).
Well what I did was looked at what was
causing anxiety. Broke up with my
boyfriend and worked on
rational emotive therapy cognitive
distortions (telling yourself things are
no big deal) as far as school is
concerned. Yes I like to use self therapy
on myself. And I concerned myself with
things that don't stress me out.
This stomach problems have generally been
gone for the past couple months. It took
a while to get rid of them, there was no
cure all method. It slowly began to get
better.
Munky you are the perfect
example of what we all need to do. Treat
the underlying anxiety. I am really proud
of you! Yes we can treat the anxiety
symptoms, we often need to. But we have to
deal with what is really wrong with us,
crippling anxiety. Especially when we know
anxiety is behind so many of our physical
problems. It is hard to face our
underlying issues, but we can all do it,
and it is amazing how much better we feel.
We get so we are scared of our own
anxiety, its a viscious cycle!
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UKC
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 1
I'm the Same, And I'm Not Sure What to Do Posted: 11-14-07 01:52am
I have been having the exact same problems
as PhotoPunk. I've had it ever since I
was once in a situation where there was no
bathroom on a boat with 20 other people,
and it was really painful and stressful.
That was years ago, and I've had various
similar experiences since then. It is
definitely easier to handle when I'm with
someone I trust, because the embarassment
factor is minimized. It prevents me from
doing various fun activities, like going
on biking and hiking trips with friends,
getting on airplanes (because you can't go
to bathroom during various stages of
flight), taking roadtrips, and yes even
getting a ride into town with a friend.
At work, it impacts meetings and
presentations, because I can't just leave
partway through. I'm more stressed about
the bathroom issue than I am about public
speaking and my work performance!
I'm trying things to help alleviate the
stress but it's a vicious circle. I keep
pepto bismol with me to settle my stomach
(and therefore relieve my anxiety) when
I'm situations without bathrooms.
Sometimes I eat nothing before a flight so
there's nothing in my stomach - that sort
of works, but it might just be in my head.
I try to think of something relaxing to
keep my mind off of it. I try not to let
it affect my plans and what I do, but it's
hard. Does this problem ever goes away,
or is it just something that I have to
manage with?
Munky - -your solutions are for when the
problem is caused by something else, like
your boyfriend or another external stress.
What if it's caused by itself?
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CarolDiane
Moderator
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 2393 Location: ,
Thanks: 111
Thanked:156
"the Culprit" Posted: 11-14-07 08:39am
Just want to say that stress is the one of
the major factors with stomach problems. I
have had IBS since childhood and now have
advanced to colitis due to anxiety and
stress in my life. I don't ever think
there was a time I have been without
stress or anxiety. Coming from a broken
home as an infant did not help either. I
never knew how to love because my family
never showed love. I don't remember ever
hearing the words "I love you" growing up.
Things like this stay with you for the
rest of you life. You can learn to deal
with it and with the help of some
medications but, it seems it is always
there.
and worked on
rational emotive therapy cognitive
distortions (telling yourself things are
no big deal) as far as school is
concerned. Yes I like to use self therapy
on myself. And I concerned myself with
things that don't stress me out.
