Hi there,

Thought I'd share my anxieties concerning going back to work..

A year and a half ago, I left my job due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I've been on sick leave since the end of July and am seeing a doctor next week about getting an extension. However, it can only be a couple of months more, and I'm already stressed out about the thought of going back to work.

I'm scared I'll fail again. Failing would mean I had to leave my job again due to my stomach.. I left my last job because I was so ashamed of my symptoms. It's just no way to live, being ashamed of who you are!

I don't know how I could accept my symptoms as part of who I am.. Many doctors believe IBS isn't an illness but a characteristic you're just going to have to learn to live with. Having tried everything under the sun to ease my symptoms, I'd have to agree that they're not just going to go away. They just make me feel like such a disgusting person

I do believe much of this is due to fear that I wasn't able to feel as a child.. I've been trying to face scary situations with the help of a friend, but I'm worried I won't have enough time to get rid of my worst anxieties before I have to return to the working world, and I know that there are so many scary things when it comes to finding a job and starting in a new place that my stomach is going to be SHOT..