Understanding IBS
Having had some very frank conversations with my family lately, it is very difficult to decipher just how much they grasp about IBS and whose fault (if anyones) that is. During the course of said conversation I was thinking just how typical this was of IBS. My family, with whom I have lived much of my life really did not know a great deal about the condition and of course the reality is few non sufferers really know anything about IBS.
Is it just me
In hindsight I was pretty sure that in fact the problem lay in my lack of communication. Having had IBS since birth, I had gone from being unaware that it was unusual to embarrassed, at no point informing those around me that there even was a problem. How could I expect them to know what what happening?
This appears to be quite common. Statistically there are many millions of IBS sufferers, however rarely have I ever met one in real life (eg. outside of a professional capacity, or through our websites). It is a condition which is kept close to the heart. It does not make great conversation, thus it is no surprise it is rarely raised as a talking point.
Empathy
It is therefore no surprise that the condition rarely receives the attention it perhaps deserves. I can think of few non sufferers who really 'get it'. Few know about the despairing feeling the condition causes, nor do they realise just how debilitating it can be.
It has been allowed to be trivialised as a result of this. With such a ludicrously vast collection of digestive conditions all being loosely tied together under one banner, unless others are told the truth about IBS , we can not expect to receive the support we deserve.
This is not to claim that IBS sufferers are victims, most sufferers I know, go about their business with their heads held high. However, when you see someone (non IBS) suffering with stomach ache or an upset stomach acting as though the world is at an end, remember that you go through that every day and be proud of the way you carry yourself.
Opportunity
While we do not suggest that you crowbar it into inappropriate conversations, do make sure that others are aware of your condition. Not for the sake of point scoring, more for the sake of sharing. Few burdens feel better when kept to yourself, and the tendency to internalise issues has proven to be detrimental over the long term.
At the very least we hope you know that you are not alone and that millions of others have walked in your shoes and do actually understand.
