IBS and poor mental health is ruining my life.

[Iloveautumncolours]

I should say that it has already ruined my life as this has been dragging on for 25 years.
I mourn the life I could have had without these awful issues.
The last 5 years have been particularly bad with daily gut issues. Upper with burping, constant nausea and acid. Lower with constant gurgling, growling, bloating, gas and unpredictable bowels which rule my life and have me stressing so much over social events that I have gotten to the point where leaving the house is stress inducing.
I have had 5 years of ongoing stress with my ds suffering school anxiety and now at 17 doing the same with college. I also help care for my mum who has Alzheimer’s, which is a daily heartache.
I feel I could cope with life events if I didn’t have such unpredictable bowels and constantly feel like I have eaten something bad.
My anxiety and depression is at the worst it’s ever been.
I have had endless tests and the gastroenterologist has discharged me as I feels it’s ‘all in my head’ (obviously he didn’t say that but that’s how it feels to me!).
The GP doesn’t want to know because the antidepressants she prescribed upset my digestive system even more so she feels there is nothing more she can do for my mental health.
Endless CBT doesn’t help and that’s all the NHS offers me and I have no money for private care.
How on earth do you cope with poor mental health and a physical health issue?
I want to sleep all day and try to shut it out, I don’t know what else to do.
I feel like my life is well and truly controlled by all of this. I have no life right now.

I suffered with all of that. Had all the tests and the only thing that worked for me is elevating the head of my bed and doing the GERD diet for a month. It's miserable and I have to repeat from time to time but I'm on as and when meds now.

Reintroduce foods one by one to find the worse triggers and just try to avoid them.

I have similar and a also have a chronic pain condition for which I am on an NHS course. Doing the mindfulness along with the FODMAP diet to understand my triggers has been life changing. There are loads of exercises on Spotify and you tube, they’re not exercises to help you sleep but you do them awake. Think the curable app is similar.

How terribly traumatic and lots of things to juggle at one time. Could you look into the Zoe university diet/nutrition plan? I can really really recommend it. Though I have no idea if it would resolve your digestive problems, it would certainly improve your mental clarity, energy levels and have some impact on digestive problems.

Also it guides you thoroughly every day and I’m sure it would help your mental health right now to feel like something is within your control.
Its much much kinder and more enjoyable than any restrictive diet.

Did you know that hypnosis is a medically approved treatment for IBS? It can reduce the stress and anxiety that causes it.

Thanks Matchingcollarandcuffs I currently do hypnotherapy every day but will look into mindfulness too.
HairyKitty I follow Zoe on IG, it does look very interesting, sadly I just can’t afford it right now.
Eyesopenwideawake I have been doing gut directed hypnotherapy for the last 9 months. It sadly doesn’t help with my symptoms but I do find it relaxing at the time so carry on with it.

Hello. I'm sorry your life is really tough at the moment.

I can relate- IBS (and worrying about it) stops me wanting to go anywhere really, I'm obsessed with planning routes and knowing where toilets are, and the more anxious I get about it the worse my belly is! I can't seem to do anything with being stuck on the toilet first. My son has massive school anxiety and it's a battle every day, which definitely doesn't help.

If it makes you feel any better by the way, I have private insurance and no tests (I've had them all!) have shown up anything. Fodmap made no difference, gluten free for 8 weeks helped a little but I know I should eat less bread etc anyway.

It's miserable, and I'm here in solidarity.

I’m sorry you are going through the same thing SugarSyrup, it really is miserable isn’t it? I’ve exhausted all the tests too. I’m thinking of maybe trying something like acupuncture. At this moment I am willing to try anything to help. I hope you manage to get so,e help for your ds, it’s truly beyond stressful having to watch your dc struggle every day and feeling so helpless. If it’s any help my ds is now almost 18 and in an apprenticeship, he is so much happier now than when he was at school, so it does get better.