Feelings of inadequacy are common amongst the population of people with IC. Perhaps inadequacies even more-so with women having IC. This issue may interrupt one's ability to handle social stresses that come their way leaving them more vulnerable to the ill effects of stress.

I was reminded speaking to someone this week what a huge issue this is. In my opinion, this stems back to childhood, and the relationship that a child has with her mother. A mother's job is to nurture her child and to help create her feelings of self worth. If that feeling of self worth is not established from a young age, it may impact that person's entire lifetime of emotional and even physical health.

I work with a very specific population of people so I do not know what percentage of people share this dynamic, but amongst those with IC, the issue is a common one. Part of the process of working on your health is working on your emotional health. I am not at saying that IC is a disease that is in one's head, but rather what is in our heads effects our bodies by slowly altering the normal physiological processes that occur on a daily basis.

This particular patient that spoke to me about her own feelings of stress surrounding a social work situation really struck me because she is a beautiful (inside and out) person with absolutely nothing to feel inadequate about. And, this stressor was really affecting her mind. What worried me is that if she did not recognize it, that it would lead to physical symptoms.

I am sure I pointed it out in time, and that will help her cope. And, I wanted to remind each of you to love yourselves and to fill the chasms that may be in your hearts from childhood with love from yourself. We don't know how to do that as children, but we can learn to do that as adults so that we may slowly repair what should have been built correctly in the first place.

Know that each of you are wonderful in your own special ways, and don't let others make you doubt yourselves!