Sophie Lee
Many irritable bowel syndrome sufferers first develop symptoms
of IBS during their teenage years. Symptoms like stomach pain,
diarrhea, constipation and bloating are difficult even for an
adult to deal with, and if you also have to cope with peer
pressure, new relationships and exams it can make life very
miserable indeed.
On top of this, teenagers often find that their parents, and
even their doctors, do not take them seriously when they try to
seek help. The number one complaint I hear from teenagers who
have been diagnosed with IBS, often after many months or years
of asking for help, is that "no-one believed I was sick". This
is horrible for the teenager, as not only do they have the
physical pain and discomfort to deal with, they also have to get
past the fact that everyone around them thinks they are 'faking
it'. Can you imagine anything worse?
Because of this problem, it is vital that we trust our children
when they're say that they're having bowel problems. Of course,
most kids will try to get out of school once in a while, but
very few will pretend to have embarrassing symptoms like
diarrhea or wind. In fact, it may have taken a great deal of
courage for them to even admit to these symptoms in the first
place. It's very important that when they do manage to talk
about their problem, they receive a sympathetic ear.
It's also vital that teenagers receive a definite diagnosis of
IBS from a doctor - bowel symptoms can mean IBS, but they can
also mean Crohn's Disease, celiac disease, and a range of other
disorders, so please get these ruled out before you assume that
it's IBS.
Once a diagnosis has been made, you need to work alongside your
teenager to help them find some treatments that work for them.
This may be in the form of medications, dietary change, or
supplements, and it may take a while to find something that
works for each individual, but there certainly are treatments
out there - don't let your child feel that they're going to
suffer forever, or that just because IBS is still poorly
understood there's no hope for the future. Most IBS sufferers
find a treatment program that works for them, but it may take
time and a trial and error approach.
Another important point to remember is that because of the
general lack of understanding of IBS, there are some
long-standing myths which your child might be subjected to. The
most damaging, and most common, of these myths is that IBS is
"all in your head" - the implication being that if the sufferer
would stop being so neurotic or anxious the IBS symptoms would
magically go away. This is nonsense, and you should make sure
that your child knows that their symptoms are NOT their fault,
and are certainly not caused by emotional problems.
Having said that, stress and anxiety can be triggers for IBS,
just as certain foods can be triggers for IBS, and so anything
you can do to relieve stress may help relieve symptoms to a
certain extent. Remember that your child may be worried about
not reaching a bathroom in time and having an accident, or
having to leave class during school time and being made fun of.
They might also have problems with teachers who think that they
are missing out on too much school.
At all stages of your teenager's illness, the best thing that
you can do is be their advocate, whether it is with doctors who
are not offering treatment options, teachers who are blaming
your child for missing school, or family and friends who have
decided that IBS is not a big deal.
If you are standing beside your child saying "IBS is real,
painful, and depressing, but we're going to beat this together"
then you should find that your teenager is far more hopeful
about the future, and far more willing to talk to you about what
can be a very embarrassing and painful disorder.
About the author:
Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS since the age of 12. She runs
the website Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment
http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws where you can read
reviews of all the treatments available for IBS.
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