IBS and Your Work

If you have to be at work everyday, you may find complications in being able to concentrate on your work.  You may also discover you have to take several sick days to recover from flares from your IBS. 

In consequence, this may be affecting others in the work relationship they have with you, so deciding how to deal with IBS while at work can help you feel more comfortable with where you are working and give you more options with dealing with the syndrome. 

One of the factors to consider about IBS in your work area is whether you should tell anyone that you have IBS.  This is an important decision and may affect other options in your work area. 

You may have feelings of being discriminated against or that others may look at you differently if you tell them about your problem. 

You also may not want it to affect your work life by causing you embarrassment or complications with others.  However, if your IBS is affecting your work, it could be important to decide to whether you should let others know so they realise the complications you suffer with.

There are certain types of people who will be more comfortable with the idea of IBS and will be understanding when you explain the problem to them.  From here, they will be able to provide you support to help eliminate the problem. 

If your work environment carries different types of personalities it may not be advisable to talk about your condition. However you should realise many people will not understand what IBS is, and it may cause a negative atmosphere.

If you decide to tell others about your condition, you may get several benefits.  For example, if you need to take sick time, others will understand why you are gone and will give you the proper time off. Other times, you may find you are not alone in your work area with this condition, making it easier to cope. 

However, if you are in the wrong environment, deciding on what to do with your IBS will cause problems instead of benefits.  If your supervisor does not understand the condition, there will be pressures on you to function like others do, despite you telling them your condition. 

If there are office politics, this may also cause complications, as your employer may use the IBS as an excuse to not give you the same considerations as everyone else.

Knowing when to tell people in your work place about IBS is important. It is also important to know how others will respond to the situation. You have to guage it carefully.

It can be expected some employees will understand your condition, while others may have a problem understanding what it is and why it is affecting your work. 

Deciding on who to tell and whether to bring your chronic condition to the work place should be considered from several aspects before deciding who to confide in. Be careful!