Stress management

Living with IBS presented me with many challenges, including having to deal with the stress of living with it on a daily basis. I learned a lot about stress management and put these ideas into practice. Research has shown that there are two ways of coping with stress that have been helpful: blunting and monitoring ¹.

"Blunting" is a psychological term that basically means making the stress or pain less acute by not focusing on it as much, so that it is less bothersome. For me, examples of blunting include such activities as writing a poem, going for a walk, or doing daily meditation. The most difficult thing for me is to not think about my body and my aches and pains. At times I have to force myself to look at the birds and the sky and the flowers in order not to think about my illness.

"Monitoring" refers to attending to the stress and its causes, so that one can better control it. Monitoring for me takes the form of information seeking. This can be difficult these days because there is so much information out there, and the field of IBS is changing very rapidly. For example, diets can be found for IBS but they may have been written based on experience with young female IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant IBS) patients and wouldn't necessarily help someone like me who is older and male with IBS-C (constipation-predominant IBS). I have learned to pick and choose which diets to try, and I have also learned to pick and choose from the information available on the Internet and in libraries.

If there is something you can do about stress it helps to "monitor," find out what you can do, and do it. If it is something you have no possible way of solving, it's best to "blunt" it or take your mind off it. These coping strategies are effective in dealing with chronic illnesses such as IBS.

Getting support

I have found it is helpful and important to get support in various forms. I did learn to rely heavily on my doctor for checking out what I found. I also learned that the Internet support group was invaluable for this. Not only did I get verification from others with the same problem, but they led me to other sources of information. There are many good Internet support groups. (Please see below for a link to one I have found to be helpful.)

Mental health treatments

I've found that most people are somewhat cautious when it comes to mental health treatment for chronic illness. Chronic illnesses tend to increase the risk of accompanying depression or anxiety, particularly as a reaction to the illness itself. Thus, it is helpful to talk things over with your doctor or friends (or new friends in a support group).

If that is not sufficient, then professional help from a trained Mental Health Professional is indicated. The choice of whether to have only "talk therapy" or talk therapy in combination with medication is something to be made on an individual basis, in consultation with one's physician or other health care provider.

Typically, talk-therapy or psychotherapy for IBS consists of a 'brief' form of treatment, which can last from 6 to 8 sessions. There are also books that can be helpful in coping with depression that may result from living with IBS. (Please see the link below for a list of these books).

Acceptance as a way of coping

For me, learning to cope has been a key to successfully living with IBS. Now that I have reduced my stress to some extent, I can step back and get a broader perspective of my situation. I can also better understand what others, including my patients with IBS, feel. It is not all in my mind. But what is not in my mind, I need to learn to accept.

Taking one step at a time

As researchers continue to look for effective treatments, I continue to work on coping with IBS. I take the process one step at a time - and try to understand my body. There is no magic answer yet, but science moves forward. In the meantime, I take responsibility of accepting what cannot be changed; and changing that which is within my control. This keeps me from feeling stuck and helpless. This keeps me moving forward.

Ways of empowerment

I have also reduced my sense of helplessness by empowering myself in various ways.

* Information as empowerment

I find that the more I know about the problem the better I feel - it's not some big monster out there with a weird name. Giving it a name was the first step and now the next step, the one I'm in the midst of taking, is to apply this information to my individual situation and my body.

When I can name the 'problem' I feel more in control. Then I can see its parts, (rather than seeing one big mass,) and can start dealing with those parts. By this I mean not only increasing my scientific knowledge of IBS, but also increasing my day-to-day knowledge of living with it.

* Creativity as empowerment

I have written some poetry and done some artwork along these lines, where I express my experience with IBS in creative ways.

* Relationships as empowerment

It was very helpful for me to join the self-help group on the Internet because that was the only place I could find others with similar problems. There are currently very few groups for people with this problem because it is currently not widely recognized and because people with IBS tend to have problems traveling and may be psychologically and socially isolated. I have also learned through my Internet advocacy experiences the strength that can be gained in letting others know about my problems.

I have also learned that other people, both those close to me and first-time acquaintances, are accepting of my limitations when explained in direct and simple language. For example, I feel like I can tell my clients now "I have IBS and may need to excuse myself to use the facilities."

* Helping others as empowerment

As a 'helper' I know that helping is something that I enjoy doing. It makes me feel good "in my gut". I was trained to rely on "my gut feelings" as a therapist and now I really know what that means.

What now?

There are some promising directions for newer medications, (for example, medicines that affect neuro-transmitter levels and pain perception in the colon). The question arises: if there is no immediate solution in sight, how do I live with IBS now?

There is also a lot of potential for exploring psychological ways of effectively living with IBS and coping with it. As I have described, taking things one step at a time, finding support, coping with stress and empowering myself, have all helped me to move forward and live a much fuller life, despite having IBS.