You may not actually feel like it’s the case, but with IBS you have more power than you think.
On Facebook the other night someone was sharing how they got some relief from IBS.
And someone commented “Unfortunately I can’t try this because my insurance doesn’t cover it”.
And this took me back to when I thought EXACTLY the same. I lived in a world of “I can’t”. I didn’t have the power to do anything different.
If my doctor didn’t recommend it, or my insurance wouldn’t cover it, I couldn’t go there.
And that kept me stuck for a really long time.
A really big step
One day the pain of IBS got so bad that I lost it. It was quite clear to me that my doctor’s idea of recovery was taking antidepressants for life and managing symptoms. And I just couldn’t go on living like that.
I decided that life wasn’t worth living if it meant be so limited and miserable. All the fun had gone out of life – and out of me, and I was just hopeful that whatever I ate wouldn’t start off a flare-up.
So as a last ditch I decided to dip in my emergency fund and had one session of a modality I thought might help me. I had researched it, and I could see why it could be of benefit.
It was a big step.
Baby steps forward
It felt like I was paying a fortune for just one session.
I wasn’t used to using my hard-earned savings for my health. And I wasn’t used to taking power or looking after myself. I was used to looking after everyone else.
And it felt a little selfish.
I didn’t realise that I was important. And I didn’t know that I had any power either. No-one had ever taught me that.
Like many people, I was taught that teachers and doctors were the ones that “knew better”. Taking action by myself felt risky.
But I realized that I couldn’t enjoy anything in life while suffering so much from IBS.
I talked about it with my partner and we agreed that I would do whatever it took to get well. Even if it took all our savings.
It was an investment in a different future – for both of us. And for our children.
So I had another session. Several even. And when I felt I couldn’t get much more out of that, I tried a different modality that took me further. And by trial and error I found what helped me the most (at that time Reiki and NLP).
The power of experimenting
Seriously, with IBS you have more power than you think. This is what I did next – something you could do too.
As I felt I had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, I started to make my own choices and experimenting.
I stopped just listening to my doctor and GI – not because their input was not valid, but because they didn’t live with me 24/7.
And I started listening to the only person who was living with me 24/7 – ME (my partner gave me some great insights too).
I started realizing that I knew my body better than anyone – even if it was doing things I didn’t really understand at the time. And that I was the best person to choose who I wanted to guide me.
So I stopped waiting for permission. And took the responsibility for my health into my own hands.
That was another big step.
I now had the power to choose. And to get it wrong!
But from the state I was in there was not much to lose. And that in itself was a powerful lesson. It allowed me to hope for a better experience of life, and to act.
The body’s innate power to heal
Seriously, with IBS you have more power than you think.
There was a second lesson about empowerment that I learned along the way.
My body and mind were in a storm because they had been pushed out of balance.
I didn’t need that much outside help to get the ball rolling.
After that I could see what I needed to do. I went on to learn and get certified in Reiki and NLP. From there I could sort myself out.
With the help of a few good new habits to support it, over time my body was able to rebalance and heal. We have a natural capacity to do that.
With IBS you have more power than you think
I don’t think I’m special. I decided I was going to beat IBS, put my all into that – and to my great surprise I have.
The key was understanding that it might be possible – and that I might actually have the power to do that.
Maybe you have that power too… [I believe you do!] You are important, and you matter.
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