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Observe Your Stresses

Reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it.

—Lily Tomlin, comedian

Stress. Everyone has it, everyone jokes about it, and everyone complains about it. But no one wants to be vulnerable to it, much less overwhelmed by it.

In real life, this means that no one wants to be told that their (physical) symptoms are likely worsened by their (emotional) stress. People may too easily misinterpret such a message as, “They think I'm crazy!” or “They think it's all in my head!” Especially for people with gut distress, like Marnie, stress itself is a very stressful subject.

Marnie Denounces Stress

Marnie was a thirty-year-old buyer at an upscale department store, and she suffered from chronic constipation, throbbing pain in her entire lower abdomen, gas, and indigestion. When she came to our clinic, we gave her an initial assessment for IBS problems. When we asked her what made her symptoms worse, she replied, “I'm not really sure. I guess maybe when I eat rich food or don't drink enough water.”