IBS Chat: Real Life Stories and Solutions (Paperback)

by Barbara Bradley Bolen (Author), Jeffrey D. Roberts (Author)
Key Phrases: chat topic, irritable bowel syndrome, quad pain, New Member, Regular Member, Chronic Constipation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
IBS Chat: Real Life Stories and Solutions is a compilation of the best postings by members of the Internet-based Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help and Support Group, www.ibsgroup.org. In an organized and easily accessible manner, authors Jeffrey D. Roberts, M.S.Ed., a lifelong IBS sufferer, and Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D., present practical strategies for managing symptoms, information about a wide variety of treatment options, and insight into the effect that this devastating disorder can have on a person’s life. Most importantly, you’ll find reassurance that IBS is a treatable medical condition.

“Jeffrey Roberts and Dr. Barbara Bolen have done a remarkable job of compiling key comments, from all over the world, about IBS and the functional GI disorders. The information is well-organized, readable, and informative. I believe this book also helps to provide emotional support: the reader learns that he or she is “not alone” during those times when the symptoms are distressing or difficult to manage.”
—Douglas A. Drossman, MD
Medical Director, UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders

“This book provides very valuable insights from IBS sufferers that would be informative to other affected individuals and health care providers. I was most impressed by the communication between participants, who ranged from those wanting a better understanding about IBS and their symptoms, to those from very knowledgeable individuals. This level of social support between IBS sufferers can be very helpful in managing the symptoms of IBS.”
—Lin Chang, MD
UCLA Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women’s Health
CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center
UCLA Department of Medicine - Division of Digestive Diseases

About the Author
Jeffrey D. Roberts, MS, is the founder and president of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help and Support Group, the world’s premier online community for people with IBS. He is known world wide as a patient advocate, working closely with sufferers, health care professionals, the media, regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies.

Barbara Bradley Bolen, PhD, author of Breaking the Bonds of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Psychological Approach to Regaining Control of Your Life, is a clinical psychologist with more than twenty years of experience. She has a private practice in Farmingdale, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 546 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (January 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595398278
• ISBN-13: 978-0595398270
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #843,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a lifesaver!, April 15, 2007

By	Kay Bee Oh - See all my reviews

I wish I had found this book 15 years ago. My husband has suffered
from IBS and it has had a very negative impact on our social life. He is
also the type who would never read a book to get help. IBS Chat has been a lifesaver! The chapters are broken up in such a way that I could
easily point to the sections that would be most helpful to him. The
easy-to-read style and the fact that these were real people offering advice made him open up to try new ways of dealing with his IBS. He and I have been struggling with this on our own for so long, it is great to feel that we can finally make some progress.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book!, April 21, 2007

By	Cheri (United States) - See all my reviews

This is truly a wonderful book! Being relatively new to both IBS and to the IBS Bulletin Board, I have found it to be an extremely valuable source of information and comfort.

At first glance one may wonder why one needs to read this book when the Bulletin Board (ibsgroup.org) is already right there. However -- as soon as I read into the first chapter, I immediately realized that it can be an indispensable companion to navigating the enormous repertoire of collective knowledge and wisdom accumulated throughout the years on this site.

Like many newcomers I was timid about posting my questions at first. And when I did post, I often found later on that there were already a number of previous posts asking the same question -- even now, it is still a little difficult for me to find the most relevant information on this huge website where so many members are posting multiple messages on a daily basis. This book has organized the selected postings in a very thoughtful way and answered so many of my questions and concerns.

It covers a wide range of topics, from if it is indeed IBS, to how to treat and live with IBS, to how to deal with related health and social problems. It has chosen and presented the best of the best. The invaluable experiences of, coping strategies by, and advice from fellow sufferers have been such a wealth of resource and enlightenment.

My personal favorite is the chapter on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Hypnotherapy. I was especially touched by the conversations in the CBT section where irrational thoughts were confronted with numerous helpful thoughts. So many of those irrational ideas are mine, too. And I really appreciate those who posted alternative and better ways of thinking.

I am also truly appreciative of the great sense of emotional support that I found from reading this book. There are so many times when I feel such empathy with those who have shared their experiences and such strong connections to their real life stories. These heartfelt posts have given me so much courage and hope. They have also represented us as living, feeling, and thinking fellow human beings who are much more than merely the sum of the lists of our symptoms.

In addition, I also find the signatures at the end of the book irresistible -- they remind me of the honor of meeting with so many amazing people on this site from all over the world.

Thank you so, so much for putting this book together -- and --

Blessed is the influence of so many true, loving human souls on so many others...

4.0 out of 5 stars IBS Chart: Real Life Stores and Solutions, February 25, 2008

By	Suzy-Q - See all my reviews

Although I am still on my search for a cure -- not just treating the symptoms, this book reminded me that I'm not alone. It also re-enforces the need to get to the heart and cause of this curse. Twenty percent of the total population is entirely too many souls to ignore.