Fake IBS, OCD/GAD

[Rhaziel]

Hi everyone,

It's the first time I'm posting about my condition, just got encouraged after reading a few threads here, and would like your input on my situation.

Since I was a little kid I suffered with what many people call "School Phobia".
I missed 2 years of school due to that. At the time I had to visit psychologists (paid by the gov) but nothing really helped.

I believe that was my very first touch with whatever I have now.
It then evolved to what I call "Pseudo IBS". Basically like many anxiety sufferers I do have that "toilet" phobia. Meaning, I fear having to go on an impossible-to-go situation.

I don't want to bother everyone here with my life story so I want to keep it short. Is that REALLY, I mean really IBS?

I thought people with IBS would also experience pain etc. I don't. I just end up having to go to the bathroom everytime I'm out. This DOES NOT happen when I'm at home or on another "trusted" place - like my gf's home or my grandmother's home for example.

And it's like, as soon as I know that I have to leave my house, it sets in. Just as soon as I wait for the elevator to take me downstairs, I feel like I have to go. And if someone is with me, it gets 30x worse. It's like I fear the embarrassment.

This is embarrassing as all hell, please try to be nice here :)
My doctor cannot find anything wrong with me except for a few very very low vitamin deficiencies - he told me they wouldn't cause such thing, Medically, I'm a healthy 26 year old guy.

I do think that I have GAD plus OCD (I do have a few "rituals" that I can control in public, however when I'm alone they get sometimes in "Turbo" mode). The most recent is always looking back every X seconds. I cannot even focus sometimes do to that.

It's crazy.






What I would like to know is: is there someone with the same problem?
How can I overcome this toilet phobia/agoraphobia thing?

I have this for years now, I'm really tired of faking it and letting it rule my life.
Would CBT help for this?

I thought about getting an appt with a Psychiatrist but yeah you guessed it, I'm "afraid" to go as I don't have one near me, it's like a 10min drive which is not much but...Agoraphobics know exactly what I'm talking about.

Thanks!

[RabidBadger]

Hi

There are two problems here...

The first is something you've identified yourself, you fear embarrassment - which is very common amongst people with anxiety problems.

The second is that needing to go to the toilet is a natural biological reaction to fear. One of the first things your body does when faced with a fearful situation is try to shed any excess weight (in case you need to run from the danger), and this means emptying the bowel and the bladder. Where do you think phrases like "sh*tting yourself" come from?

I'm not a doctor and I've never met you so I can't say that you don't suffer from IBS but what I can say is that there are THOUSANDS of people who experience the same things as you and they don't have any physical illness.

Best wishes

Chris

[frisby]

The question is do you go when you feel like you have to go. I am guessing you mean number 2 since you said IBS. If you go then it could be IBS triggered by stress in this case the fear anxiety of going. Since you can't just get worried and go to the bathroom. If that were the case people would not need laxatives just a good scare. Sounds like IBS but only triggered by the fear.

Not sure if this happens to you if you are sitting relaxing out. Could also be that you are moving around that enables you to go. But in all cases if it doesn't happen when you are at home then it sounds like anxiety but it triggers IBS. That is what IBS is. Just taking a guess I could be wrong.