I am IBS: - hear my side of your story!

I am IBS: I sneak into your life,

I slowly and gradually slide my way into your life 
Your slow recognition of me helps me to gain a firm hold on your thinking.
I want you to notice me, you want to ignore me,
hoping I will go away.
Once you never even knew my name,
now I am reduced to just three letters, but they can strike fear into you,
or simple resignation!

I have to get to know you, it takes me some time,
learning your ways of coping and thinking,
I make my self known in various and often multiple ways.
I bring pain and its cousins, cramping and aches,
sometimes they are dull at other times severe and debilitating.

Your belief of being powerless against me, reassures me,
and yet it does not have to be so.
Your fear of me, and your own frustrations and belief systems keep me with you.

I have put doubt in to your mind, and you believe me,
this belief is often reinforced by others,
they try to help you, but their words are sometimes hurtful, upsetting,
and sometimes, just stupid!

Some folk just don’t recognize the importance of me in your life, loved ones, co-workers even some medical folk who should know better, but some do know what to say, they do know me, and they frighten me!

I love your belief that I am here forever,
I consolidate my hold upon you, I may bring urgency,
or the total opposite, with slow dragging feelings,
or perhaps I bring the two together, it depends on me, and you!

My physical influence on you is well known,
I cramp you and bring to you bloating and gas.
For females, I often have to try harder during certain times of the month, and I often succeed.
I don’t want to be ignored, I crave attention.
You grow to hate me,
you tire of me,
you want me to leave, to just go, but I rarely do.

Whenever I feel changes in your thinking, I try to bring it back to me,
not for me a happy social or work life, I want your attention!
I want to be recognized and I will be,
I am often in the back of your mind,
I tire you out, I bring frustration so you waste energy on it, rather than fighting me.

Your love life and happiness are prime targets for me, why should I let you forget about me?
I am important in your life, you make me believe that, by thinking of me often.
I might wake you up at night, to remind you I am still present.

I might make your day difficult from the outset, or leave it until later in the day,
sometimes I might be quiet for a few days and then I will return, sometimes with a vengeance!
But you waste more of your precious energy trying to work out why, and I like that!

I may decide to make you uncomfortable in your back passage, often like a lightning strike within you,
maybe I will, maybe I won't.
I bring anxiety into your life,
I will erode your confidence and self-esteem,
I encourage you to waste your emotional energy at every chance I can.
When you realize you need the energy to change me,
you might decide not to waste it, and then my days are numbered.

I am happy to share your days, but I know you are not,
when you learn how to change your thinking, and how to respond to me,
I will be afraid of you. But not until then!

When you feel empowerment, you are keen to exercise it.
When you feel the first hint of change in me, you want to do more,
when you are focused on structured change, I can be reduced, even defeated.

But I will not make it easy, I do not want to leave,
you will be told that recovery and improvement, take time and effort.
But the time and effort will not be as much as you have put into me,
nor will it take as long!

I am IBS an unwanted companion, I am with you until you do something different.

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SALE ON!

Written by Michael Mahoney author of the IBS Audio Program 100 dedicated to all the IBS sufferers he has worked with over the last 33 years!

Part of the 'I am' series of Blog writings. 

For information on the IBS Audio Program 100 on MP3 or Streamed version click here. 

ALTERNATIVELY Want to work 1-2-1 with Michael Mahoney click here for information