I did something like this a while ago and it seemed to really help a few people so I thought I'd update, basically here are my essentials for coping with IBS (I have IBS-C but a lot of these will help sufferers of D too)
- Peppermint tea
- Ginger tea (for nausea), I particularly recommend the Ginger and Manuka Honey tea by Pukka
- meditation, can sound weird at first but its helped me a lot, you can download an app called "Headspace" which is a good introduction thats friendly and down-to-earth, not pretentious at all and only takes 10 minutes a day (and its free!)
- music, when im particularly ill, i can spend anything up to a fortnight in bed listening to focus music, it helps me concentrate on staying calm and balanced (go on youtube and search focus music, there's tonnes that are all similar)
- listening to your body. Okay i know that so far im sounding like a right hippy but these things have really helped me, by listening to my body and just letting it do what it needs to do without trying to stop it or panicking, it actually helped my symptoms quite a lot as 90%
of my IBS is caused by anxieties and stress
- anti-depressants. Not for everyone, but certainly does me a few favours
- belief system, When things get particularly bad I turn to my beliefs. I myself am not religious but if you are then it may help to put your worries in the hands of your God/s. or fate, or whatever you might believe in. if you dont have a belief system, then work or believing in/trysting yourself. Your body knows what its doing, even if it seems a little crazy its just trying to keep you alive
- It's also helpful to come up with a "happy place" in your head. For example mine is a quiet, secluded beach at sunset where i can lay on the sand and listen to the waves. Yours might be a forest or a house or a specific memory, it just takes you away for a little while to help calm your nerves on a particularly bad day. There's tonnes of sound effects online that'll help you create that place too
- Linseed, have it on my breakfast every morning, keeps ya regular
- Glycerin suppositories, for emergency constipation, hugely preferable to laxatives!
If you have any things that help you then please write them below!! Mine are mostly about training your mind to accept that you're having a crappy day (no pun intended) but that may not work for everyone so yeah, comment below!!!