IBS is a chronic and unpredictable condition. Symptoms that change over time and are hard to talk about add to the challenge of living with it. IBS affects not only each of us who suffers, but also many others - family, friends, employers, students, teachers, patients, doctors, customers, constituents - everyone whose lives intersect with our own.

Having IBS gives you something in common with literally millions of other people who live with their disorder every day. There is no cure, yet, but there are ways to manage though not always simple or straight forward. It may take some detective work by you and your doctor before you find what works best.

Managing your own health is obviously important. Research shows that supportive relationships are also important. Here are some tips to help you and those close to you live with IBS.

General Guidelines

Don't spend time and worry about what your symptoms may or may not mean. Start by getting a definite diagnosis from your doctor.

Take an active role in your own health care. Learn all you can about IBS so you understand the nature of the disorder and different management and treatment options.

Use this web site to keep up to date with changes in understanding IBS and treatment advances.

Try to identify things that seem to make your symptoms worse and work on reducing their impact.

Investigate non-medication treatments that may help reduce symptoms, like relaxation training, yoga, or hypnosis.

Use medications to relieve or avoid symptoms. You may only need them now and then if your symptoms are infrequent or mild. Or your doctor may suggest or prescribe a medicine for regular use.

Be sure to tell your doctor about anything you take to treat your IBS.

Find a health care provider who will work with you over the long term to help you manage and treat your IBS.

Relationships

Family and personal relationships can have an effect on illness and on how well you will feel as you live with your IBS. These interactions have been described by family medicine experts.

Relationship factors, which are particularly relevant to IBS, include:

• Putting the illness "in its place" - being concerned about the person with IBS without making the illness the primary focus of relationship life.
• Recognizing the skills and strengths the person with IBS uses coping with this challenging disorder. For example, calling attention to his or her strategies and skills used in managing urgency, pain, and distress.

What partners can do

• Consider the person with IBS as the expert in charge of his or her condition. Do not be over-watchful or over-protective. Asking, "Are you alright? Are you really ready to leave?" can actually provoke a bit of anxiety in someone with IBS, which affects the gut and can lead to a sudden sense of urgency or pain.
• Help create more regularity in home life and time management. Avoiding disorganization, over-scheduling, or lack of planning will help the person with IBS feel more internally regulated and balanced and help restore a sense of control.
• Be flexible. IBS symptoms can flare up at any time without warning. Understand that plans sometimes will need to be changed.
• Avoid (sometimes unintentionally) laying blame on the person with IBS. Saying things such as, "You don't eat right," or "You worry too much," grows out of a desire to help, but places blame. It makes the person with IBS feel less in control because she or he knows how often even the best of self-discipline cannot always prevent an outbreak of symptoms.

What you can do

If you have IBS, here are some things that you can do to help you manage your condition and improve how you feel:

• Try to locate areas of conflict in your personal relationships and reduce distress. Research shows that continuing to talk about problem areas, not withdrawing or blaming, results in much less personal stress, no matter how serious the issue.
• Be specific about the kinds of support you need from your significant others. Others are often misinformed about what is useful in terms of reminders, scheduling, and other restrictions.
• Explain that having IBS requires you to be a kind of active researcher, always looking for what does and does not help, hurt, and work best for you. Sorting this out takes time and focus, and your efforts should be recognized and admired.
• Be aware that friends and family members may be projecting their own worries about health issues on to you. Point out where their comments seem not to apply to your health problems.

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