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10. Avoid Negative Coping Skills
Negative coping skills are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. They look safe and promising but are actually quite threatening. Some people seek the comfort of alcohol and other drugs when stress is high. Over time, these coping skills become their only coping skills. They become essential and irreplaceable.
Other negative coping skills include shopping excessively, spending too much time online and playing video games without end. All of these are fine in moderation, but people with high levels of stress often over use these in the name of self-medication. They always create more problems than they solve.
Read more about the way stress and anxiety impact IBS over at NewLifeOutlook.
It can be tough to know how best to proceed during an IBS flare-up, but these methods can help calm your stomach, and make the pain much more manageable.