Newbie: Me & Anxiety

Hi there,

I'm a 27 year old guy and have suffered with stomach problems since I was about 11, but it's only been in the last 5 or so years that I've been seeing Doctors to try and sort out what's wrong with me.

I was eventually referred to a Gastroenterologist about a year ago and had an endoscopy, a stomach acid test and a manomtery. When I got my results back, I found out that I don't have GERD, I have IBS and a sensitive stomach, all brought on by anxiety.

I was gutted to learn this as I thought I had GERD and could get surgery to help me. Now I have to accept that in order to feel better, I need to calm down. Easier said than done!

Since puberty I've felt as if I was born in the wrong body, I was bullied at school and left when I was 14 and then I couldn't cope with my first job at 16 and haven't ever worked full time since. And then my GP tells me to irradicate the stress in my life to feel better! Life is stressful! How can I irradicate life if I don't want to die!?

I get very worked up about having to go out into the world or meet new people which results in rotten stomach problems, so I'm kind of at my wits end right now. I feel as if my GP isn't listening to me as he refuses to give me medication for my anxiety, yet he's willing to sign me off with that as the reason for my not being able to work.

I've also tried hypnotherapy for many weeks at £40 a session and that didn't do a thing either!

I have taken one step towards feeling better, which is that I am now in the process of changing sex (woman to man) but it stresses me out no-end.

I'm very angry and upset, so I hope to find a bit of support here. I'd also like to know how other people's GPs have responded to your needs.

Thanks for listening,
Nicky :(

Hi nicky i thought that id just reply to your post. i suffer with ibs too im now and an elimination diet which seems to be my last straw unfortunately it doesnt seem to be working.im having cognitive behaviour therapy at the mo it seems to help but unless my stomach gets better i will always worry about it.:( Anyway you sound exactly like me with this prob,mines always in the morning.Mornings are a nitemare 4 me when ive got to be somewhere.i also get it in queues,in shops,onh trains,on busses,waiting for anyone or thing.do you feel the same?I feel like im just going round in circles with this it just wont let me get on with my life.I dont class myself as normal do you? normal is someone at the bus stop at 9 in the morning or someone walking there kids to school or going in super market early in the morning.Anyway i would love to talk some more but i gotta go please let me know if you feel like this.p.s i tried hypnotherapy too it was rubbish

Hi Julie! Thanks for replying!

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling rotten as well. What are you eliminating from your diet? I've cut out cow's milk and I also try to avoid wheat, but it's so hard when you eat out 'cause everything's got those things in them.

I was thinking of going for cognitive behaviour therapy, but I'm not sure if my GP will refer me as I've just finished 4 years of psychotherapy! I'm worried that he'll think if that hasn't helped me, then why should anything else. It's good to hear it's helping you though.

I do feel the same as you yes. I hate getting up in the morning if I know I've got to be somewhere. As soon as I wake up my stomach starts to knot up. It used to be so bad that I couldn't even eat breakfast, but that's changed now. I've calmed down enough for me to be able to eat something, which is a relief.

I do feel like this won't let me get on with my life, but I wouldn't say I'm not normal. I just can't do things that a lot of other people can and that really makes me angry. My idea of 'normal' is being able to do anything I want without feeling poorly and that would suit me fine :)

It's a bummer that you found hypnotherapy didn't work either. It suprises me that it works for anyone actually. You see people on TV getting cured in one session and I think, 'You must be lying!' Either that or yours and my brains had some kind of ability to refuse to be hypnotised! Then I would begin to think I wasn't normal!

I hope to hear from you again,
Take care
Nicky

hiya how are you today?Im feeling ok today so far.Well i stopped cows milk a couple of years ago and it seemed to work.Then at xmas i wanted to eat what i wanted so i came off of it then my stomach got bad so i tried again but it didnt work.I had a hair analasis done at my local health shop apparently the women who work there all swear by it and say that they feel 100% after following there specific diet.mine came out that i couldnt eat the mustard family e.g brussels cabbage radish, brocilli etc.thats easy to follow but also there was sugar and sweetner on it. I was like omg i cant have anything everythings got sugar in it.Anyway i went back to the shop and she explained it to me i can have anything organic as it only contains raw cane sugar so that makes it a lot easier.iam slightly pessimistic about it though and often wonder if it would come back the same if i was to pay £25 to do it again in another name but with my hair sample.I wonder if it would be the same!!I also take coloflac for ibs from my dr,i am taking them at tyhe moment also aloe vera digestive aid juice.so ive throwm myself in the deep end this week and im really following this diet,it might be worth trying a hair analasis as a long shot.im eating breakfast now but i used to feel so bad that the only thing i could eat was a banana and mostly that would make me gag.Anyway its lovely talking to you i hope your feeling ok today speak to you soon.

Hi Julie!

Sorry for the delay in replying! I don't think I got a notification that you'd replied to my last message :mad:

Thanks for telling me about the hair test. I'm definitely going to find out where I can get it done. I'm also going to try and eat organic stuff too. There's no way I can go without sugar! I would be soooooooooo miserable!

Are you feeling any better since you wrote your last message? I hope so! Thank god you can eat a bit of breakfast now too. Breakfast is so important :)

Apparently goat's milk has more calcium in it so that's one good reason to stick to it. I've been having goat's milk milkshakes recently and they haven't upset me as much as a cow's milk one would. But I'm still struggling when I eat out. The whole world uses cow's milk and wheat :mad:

Right, I must dash! Thanks for your messages, it's been really helpful to talk things over :D