Stomach Issues on Vacation

Hello team:

This is a weird TMS habit that I've developed recently. For whatever reason I have a tendency to get Upper GI stomach issues always either right before vacation or while I'm on vacation. I'm 1000% sure that it's TMS, because I literally start fearing the stomach issues when vacations start coming up (self fulfilling prophecy).

I'm leaving for Mexico for vacation on Sunday, and of course I've developed some kind of stomach ulcer or something that's pretty uncomfortable this week. My usual plan of action is to just try not to think about it and continue my daily routines without changing (eat whatever I want, drink whatever I want, etc).

I'm trying to meditate and visualize me having a great vacation with no sickness or unpleasant experiences. Usually that has worked pretty well for me in the past, but for whatever reason this one has been really bothering me the last couple of days.

Anyone have any suggestions or ever experienced anything similar? I'd rather not do any kind of physical treatment if I can avoid it, because I feel like that distracts from the root cause (TMS).

 

“I’ve developed a stomach ulcer or something”? Is this diagnosed or catastrophizing? Did you develop stomach problems once and now always expect them before traveling? Have you thought about your feelings and anxieties around travel, what internal issues could be contributing.
It’s great you continue to eat without change, but what about your mindset, your self talk. The symptoms are a distraction but refusing to “ think about it” .. the symptoms or is it the internal cause of symptoms you are avoiding. Our minds can be so tricky, and it is a fine balance to not giving in to symptoms but exploring the genesis of the symptoms. Perhaps there is some stress around traveling you have suppressed?

 

Yeah I had really particular traumatizing bad time at the Grand Canyon (Vegas trip) several years ago where I couldn't keep any food or water down and ended up going to the ER when I got home and they told me it was gastritis from too much alcohol and just lay off the booze, spicy foods, caffeine, all the usual stuff doctors say.

Ever since then I have developed a fear of this happening again on vacations and usually the fear causes my stomach to flare up. I have zero issues with this 99 percent of the time is the laughable part, really only when I take vacation lol.

This a tough one to bore into. Maybe just a convenient distraction since I've turned it into a habit for my brain at this point. I think this is similar to my foot injury I had a few weeks ago that I obsessed about 24/7 because I had a really important race to run and after I finished the race it magically went away for good.

For self talk, I do meditation and visualize me being happy and healthy and not worrying about bad things happening on vacation. I do this probably 5-6 times a day. This is what helped me with the foot, so my hope is to apply this here as well. Ultimately, on the surface I think it is just a case of getting caught up in the "What If"s and worrying about bad things happening and ruining something I've really been looking forward to. There is probably something deeper there under the surface that my mind wants me distracted from, but I have yet to get completely to the bottom of it yet.

 

Sorry for your trouble.

I get IBS like symptoms but only my days off work. I’ll be in the bathroom 3-4 times before noon.

Very seldom experience this on days I am in the office. What’s hilarious about this shit is that I hate my job. I guess things must not be so great at home either huh.

TMS…so darkly comical. I wish I could laugh or cry but I just ruminate on my demise. Damn it all.

 

Maybe your job that you hate is a good enough of a distraction when you at work lol.

I try to take the Steve O approach and laugh at the comical patterns of TMS. It's funny because I travel for work every month and I actually enjoy it. I only get these flare ups if I'm taking a personal trip somewhere.

Oh well, mind over matter. Our bodies are not slaves to our minds, we are stronger than that. I'm gonna enjoy my life no matter what TMS throws my way

 

So the night before we leave the stomach issues reached their peak comically. My stomach started turning loops like I was on a roller coaster (deep gut quesey feeling) to the point where I started having a panic attack. My girlfriend had to get a wet towel for my forehead and a Benadryl so I could fall asleep.

This kinda felt like it came out of left field and was completely unexpected. No idea why I have this much anxiety coming up to the surface, but if I had any doubts about TMS I would say there is 1000 percent some kind of underlying issue here...

 

Has anyone ever experienced this one before beacuse it's new to me. We just got to Mexico today to the resort and I just have this weird feeling in my stomach of butterflies or like I'm on a roller coaster constantly. I'm trying to just get my mind off it, but it really has taken me off guard since I've never experienced it. It gets especially uncomfortable when I eat, almost like I am just super sensitive to all the nerves in my stomach. Very annoying and strange

 

Sounds a lot like fear and anxiety. Odd that the only time you get the symptoms is when you travel yo relax. Is it the only time you travel with family?
Steve O certainly laughed at the pain, but he did do the soul searching work to find out why he needed the pain..

 

Yeah as weird as that sounds. And it comes and goes. As strange as it is, I will go to sleep and then wake up feeling like a million bucks with an appetite and everything. But as I become more awake the quesy feeling in my gut starts to creep in. I may benefit from rereading Claire Weekes "Help and Hope for Your Nerves". To me it seems like a situation where I just need to surrender and let it be and let the true feelings of fear surface. Maybe it just is as simple as I am afraid that I will not enjoy myself away from home or my body is mad that I am leaving my comfort zone of home

 

Afraid of leaving home comforts or not enjoying self.. but you have no problem with this when you travel for work alone, right?
How about looking into expectations, people pleasing etc of your travel partners. Worried you have to do what they want, feel the need to do what they want even if you are subconsciously angry about it.. remember this is not about stuff you are immediately aware of, it’s about stuff that makes you uncomfortable to think about or even admit.

 

I would say that is along the right track. I'm putting a lot pressure on myself to make sure everyone has a good time since I planned this trip. I don't want to let everyone down, and I don't want to get sick and not be any fun to be around (aka be a Debbie Downer).

I'm sure I can look deeper than that, but I think we are on the right track at least...

The TMS is most definitely "on the run" it seems. At one point I can be really sick to my stomach and need to lay down and the next minute feel the uncomfortable feeling move somewhere else like my lower back to my upper chest to my lower gut and even my groin area. It is wild how you notice these things once you learn about TMS lol.

I would say also my childlike self is more comfortable traveling solo because I can do whatever I want and don't worry about planning or keeping other people happy so the sick stomach is my bodies way of coping out.

 

We I basically just made the conscious decision to be more "selfish" and focus more on what I want to do and when I'm angry or mad about something not going my way and I have felt SO much better. I have not necessarily been acting like a narcissist on this trip lol, but I am at least acknowledging to myself when I want to throw a temper tantrum and the symptoms are much less.

Like I said I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to be the fun guy on this trip with all the answers since this is my girlfriend's first time out of the country and I wanted to make sure I took care of her and showed her a good time. Also my best friend from college is here and I put pressure on myself to be a good time around him since I don't see him as often anymore.

I was completely neglecting the ID and it started to overflow with anxiety to get my attention I think.

In the grand picture of things this is going to make me stronger I think. I have been able to finally overcome the fear of getting sick on vacation when I have had this fear for so many years since the Grand Canyon incident.

Thanks for the support guys!