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Thread: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

  1. #11
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    Aug 2013
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by rainbow View Post
    I think the only choice I have is to go to my gp and ask for a colonoscopy
    If you're due for one then fine but still, that's just paid reassurance and as Clarity said, it won't last long and/or you'll jump to something else. This has been an issue for 10+ years. If something were seriously amiss, you would have known long before now.

    No, the real issue is in your mind. That's what really needs to be addressed. Your thinking patterns are heavily skewed and negative and you have to take action in real life with professional help IMO. I gave you a perfectly reasonable way to address this but from what I've read of your post history, I don't feel you're in a place mentally to help yourself :(

    Good luck and as always...

    Positive thoughts
    __________________
    "Eat. Drink. Enjoy the work you do. Be thankful for the blessings God gives you in this life. Live, love and seek out the things that bring your heart joy. The rest is meaningless... Like chasing the wind." King Solomon

    The best help is the help you give yourself! http://cbt4panic.org/

  2. #12
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    Oct 2004
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by Fishmanpa View Post
    If you're due for one then fine but still, that's just paid reassurance and as Clarity said, it won't last long and/or you'll jump to something else. This has been an issue for 10+ years. If something were seriously amiss, you would have known long before now.

    No, the real issue is in your mind. That's what really needs to be addressed. Your thinking patterns are heavily skewed and negative and you have to take action in real life with professional help IMO. I gave you a perfectly reasonable way to address this but from what I've read of your post history, I don't feel you're in a place mentally to help yourself :(

    Good luck and as always...

    Positive thoughts
    We don't get routine colonoscopies here, only the bowel screening with the fobt which tbh aren't really that accurate as I have read of people who have done this test every two years and have still been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

    I didn't find my last cbt therapist to be at all helpful, infact she made me more anxious than ever so I decided not to continue. I agree that I am not in a good place mentally. I'm a complete mess.

  3. #13
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    Jun 2014
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    What red flag symptoms do you have, rainbow? Symptoms enough to merit a colonoscopy which is an invasive procedure?

  4. #14
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    Mar 2018
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    845

    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by rainbow View Post
    You're probably right about me worrying about something else IF it comes back clear but you can't be sure that it will come back clear. I'm 52 years old and the likelihood of me getting cancer is higher year by year.
    By your 50s you should probably have a colonoscopy anyway (here it’s every 10 years).

  5. #15
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    Jun 2014
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Over here we don't have screening colonoscopies automatically in your 50s.

  6. #16
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    Mar 2018
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by pulisa View Post
    Over here we don't have screening colonoscopies automatically in your 50s.
    Oh I gotcha. I didn’t realize! Here it’s every 10 years starting 45-50.
    In that case op should just follow the recommended guidelines!

    Thanks for the info

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Rainbow, the way that you stop obsessing is by making small changes - Fish made a very good point. Of course if you flush before looking you will be worried about missing some, but the point is to do it anyway. Keep doing it. Even if it is only once a day to start with. It will get easier the more you do it.

    I would make an appointment with a GP to explore your anxiety.
    I hope you can find the strength to face this. Xx

  8. #18
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by pulisa View Post
    What red flag symptoms do you have, rainbow? Symptoms enough to merit a colonoscopy which is an invasive procedure?
    My symptoms are occasional diarrhea, maybe twice a month, sometime going up to three times a day, different shaped stools, mucus when my stools are harder, sometimes the mucus looks a dark orange colour which at first glance can look a reddish colour but when I wipe it, it looks more yellow. My mind won't let me think i'm ok.

  9. #19

    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    I have similar symptoms and I also had lots of anxiety over going to the bathroom. My doctor ordered a colonoscopy and since it came back clear I don't have as much of this anxiety anymore. If you suffer of health anxiety in general though, chances are it will simply switch to something else, which is what happened to me. But maybe it's worth a try. We are supposed to have colonoscopies every 10 years anyway.

  10. #20
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    Re: How can I stop obsessing over my bowels?

    Quote Originally Posted by EmmerLooeez View Post
    Rainbow, the way that you stop obsessing is by making small changes - Fish made a very good point. Of course if you flush before looking you will be worried about missing some, but the point is to do it anyway. Keep doing it. Even if it is only once a day to start with. It will get easier the more you do it.

    I would make an appointment with a GP to explore your anxiety.
    I hope you can find the strength to face this. Xx
    I honestly want to stop looking but the urge is so strong that it's very difficult not to.

    I'm stressing today as I don't have much of an urge to pass a stool and have only managed to pass some very small pieces. I'm worried about what is causing this. Tbh my stools have been smaller this last couple of weeks as i've been eating very little due to the high anxiety. I just want to pass a "normal stool"

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