It's Only Monday
This song is actually an out reach for help, but also to serve as an example of what people with life altering conditions go through on a daily basis. I've suffered from IBS and mental illness most of my life and is the single reason why I am where I am in life - nowhere. The one thing you need to accomplish anything, is consistency. If you don't have it, you can't hold a job, a relationship, a hobby, skill or much of anything else. For many of us with conditions like this, the only thing in our lives that's consistent, is inconsistency.
I've been told by doctors that "it's just IBS" or "you're doing this to yourself"! There is nothing more harmful than to have a medical professional say something as ridiculous as this to someone with these conditions! If you have a loved one with a condition like this, please support them. Saying things like "shake it off", "you're not going to get anywhere with that attitude" or "you just have to relax", is harmful, not helpful, because statements like these make the person suffering from it, think it's a mind over matter situation, not a true medical condition. For many, including myself, it's life threatening in that, if untreated it can become worse and worse as time goes by. Eventually you just can't take it anymore and this is what leads to the taking of their own life. So please understand that just because you have no experience with a particular disease or condition, doesn't mean it's "all in their head". Many folks take a very casual, almost dismissive stance on anything they don't understand because they use their own experience (no experience) as a reference for what others are going through. Be careful. This ignorance can cause the people in your life with this condition to become worse because they start blaming the condition on themselves.
If you have family or friends that suffer from any life altering illness (IBS, Crones, clinical depression, chronic anxiety, and others) please understand that these conditions are very serious. The word "depressed" in casual conversation has some how taking on a meaning of "sad" or "bummed out". Depression is a chemical (serotonin and dopamine) issue in the brain that causes deep feelings of a lack of well being for some, for others it can be a complete disconnect with happiness. I've completely lost myself at times. Losing interest in everything. Including family, things you once had a passion for, suddenly mean nothing. All you want to do is crawl under a rock and fade away.
In cases like mine, IBS triggers depression and the anxiety of having an IBS flare up can commonly cause an IBS flare up which , again causes depression. The anxiety causes chronic sleeping issues as well, which makes everything far worse! IBS can happen at anytime, regardless of diet. You feel like you're living in a bubble. You can't do or go anywhere without the anxiety of having a problem. Very little is known about the cause of what triggers IBS but I know that how I'm living (both physically and mentally) is unsustainable. If this isn't bad enough, my living and work environments (which are the same) are a big part of my troubles. But the thing that hurts the most in this environment, is my love and trust for people has been reduced to near zero in the past several years.
This song is just a small part of what people suffer from, for days, weeks and more commonly, years when it comes to IBS and mental illness. Please be understanding and supportive to the loved ones in your life with these illnesses. It can make all the difference to them.