Spastic Colon/Irritable Bowel & Anxiety?
Hi.
I’m in college, and in certain classes I have spastic colon and it makes really loud and embarrassing noises.
I’m pretty sure it’s triggered by anxiety, as it’s not followed up by diarrhea or any of the things attributed with intestinal problems.
I am wondering if I could possible have agoraphobia. I have severe social anxiety every time I leave my apartment, and in classes where I have spastic colon the anxiety is usually caused by a fear that something embarrassing will happen to me–i.e. needing to go to a bathroom and not being able to, saying something stupid, etc. But this anxiety is causing even more embarrassment because my intestines make strange and loud noises during class.
So I guess, a few questions:
* Is it possible I have agoraphobia?
* What’s the difference between agoraphobia and social anxiety?
* How do you prevent your innards from making such weird noises?
HELP!
Thanks to the bottom two. The answerer who recommended the Bible, however… the Bible is xenophobic, misogynist, homophobic, and elitist.
If you’re anything but a white, male, non-handicapped heterosexual who was "lucky" enough to have been born into a culture where Christianity was the dominant religion, I don’t understand how the Bible could do anything but GIVE you anxiety.
P.S. Don’t you think that it’s kind of convenient that your religion offers "solutions" to all of my problems. God gave people brains… God wanted people to use them… those people came up with medication. I would take chemo for cancer, not wait for some kind of answer to drop down from the clouds.
The true agoraphobic isn’t able to go out, much less go to classes, so as you have deduced, you have social anxiety. Most colleges have a counsellor who could help you with this – or your doctor could give you something to calm your nerves.
There isn’t much you can do to prevent your innards from making noises – part of that problem arises from what you have eaten and how you react to it. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee can generate that response as well.
But the bottom line is, no one is paying that much attention – other people are making other noises as well, and the lecturer is talking etc.etc., so don’t fret about it.
I’ll answer the third question only. It doesn’t matter what your diagnosis is.
The way to "prevent your innards from making weird noises" is to reduce your anxiety. Once you are more relaxed, your digestive system will work like it was designed to work.
The only good answers for reducing anxiety that I know of are found in the bible. But you will need to get saved first.
If you’d like, you can check out the website below.
These issues are very closely linked. Your colon issues can be helped by drinking lots of water. It’s a fact that people with high levels of anxiety absorb toxins into their system making the problem worse. Also they get dehydrated quickly because they hyperventilate hence the spasms. I bet you are not drinking enough water.