When the average person finds out they have to get a root canal, have an abnormal pap result, have elevated cholesterol, have a lump in their breast and need to get a mammogram, depending on the severity of the news the react accordingly and take steps to deal with it.

When a person with IC gets such news, however little or significant, the reaction can be very pronounced-likened to the PTSD reactions where one relives all of the physical and emotional experiences they had when the event that triggered it first took place. That even, could be the IC or any number of other disorders having come before or after it.

Once a condition gets set into motion that becomes chronic, the person having it assumes that everything coming next will also become chronic and nothing will be able to be done about that new problem. This is quite understandable for obvious reasons.

What I would recommend is taking a moment, breathing, breathing again, and then agreeing with yourself that before you panic, you will first find out all the facts and the options. Often there are many options to a problem that are not immediately understood without further research. For example, I will bring up the issue of root canals because it is a common one. It has been researched and determined that each tooth is related to a different organ system in the body in the world of alternative medicine. Interestingly, I have found over the years that often when the body is endeavoring to clear itself of excess toxins or microorganisms, it will come in the form of tooth pain. This pain can be quite severe. Over the years I have seen many people getting root canals during such times. However, as the years have passed, I have realized that if given the correct kinds of supplements, the need for the root canal may be diverted and the tooth pain completely eliminated.

I have experienced many such cases. More recently, I have learned that laser therapy may be used in such cases ( I am not certain if all things are equal and they are interchangeable) and may divert this need as well. This latest lesson was a surprise as I am not an advocate of laser therapy, often seeing where it can spur on problems with people pre IC or peri-IC. However, it does seem to have a significant place in the treatment of such conditions and as times passes, I am certain more will be learned regarding this subject.

but getting back to my point, the point is, one never knows what the facts, options, and alternatives are. IT is best to realize that one's nervous reactions are conditioned to over react due to having had so much bad news before, and it is expected to have overly pronounced reactions to all the things that life holds due to that previous experience. But, with time, one will begin to realize that things can change and improve and news does not always have to be grim and hopeless. There is hope, there is help, and there are options. As this realization occurs, less and less "PTSD" type reactions will happen. In the mean time, use your intellectual understanding of what is going on inside of yourself to exert control over these reactions so that you stay centered and calm. Being upset does nothing but upset the situation further. As you understand it, you can do it with lots of practice.

Dr.B