People with IBS

Hi @outlander, my wife has IBS and is seeing a Psychologist/Hypnotherapist for it under a mental health plan. She was told IBS can be linked to mental health issues, they recommend for example mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy as this has been demonstrated to improve symptoms & quality of life in people suffering IBS and IBD.

Monash Uni has also developed a diet guide called the Low FODMAP diet. Their advice can help stem the flow, so to speak.

I hope you can get a handle on your gut issues soon.

thank you @Keppet

ill take all that on board during my treatment

Pain and discomfort, mostly. Gas in the morning is so painful sometimes and uncomfortable the rest of the time. I wouldn't say I have constipation or diarrhoea often, but I have three small daily motions which make me feel relieved bit by bit. I can't always go even when I feel like it, and I can't strain because I have hAeMmOrHoIdS, how good is that?

But it started this horrible feeling and depressive behaviours like, staying in bed just trying to sleep through the pain and discomfort. Years ago it started.

Strangely, antidepressants actually helped with the abdominal pain and discomfort, at least to begin with. But I didn't continue with my anti depressants because sometimes I feel hypomanic and I've never really fit criteria for MDD, more a bit of depression and periodically bad anxiety.
Honestly what I think started all of this was this diet challenge that involved eating food that was less than $2 per day, I did it for a whole month and my digestion and defecation has never been the same since. When I went back on my regular diet, it was very painful. Since then I've had ultrasound, colonoscopy, CT, numerous blood tests, breath tests... considering how chronic the problem is without any severe symptoms leads me to think IBS is the correct diagnosis. It's not the worst thing in the world to have but management is key. That's why I'm here because I've realised I haven't been managing it at all, I basically just wish I didn't have it and resent that I do. I must get out of bed early the way I used to, that way I won't wallow in my pain and make it worse.