Don’t let your bowel keep you at home
It is only natural to be nervous about venturing out if you experience bowel issues. But it is important to get back to living life, and that includes going out and socialising with others.
TAI can support you in your journey and help you to regain confidence. With TAI, you have control over when you evacuate your bowel, giving you greater freedom to socialise when and where you choose!
The benefits of socialising outside your home
As tempting as it might be to stay in your comfort zone, it is possible that this backfires and makes you more nervous in the long run. Your comfort zone could shrink, leaving you feeling isolated.
Maintaining your social connections with friends and family will help to alleviate these feelings and can allow you to focus on the positives in life, rather than worrying about your bowel. Keeping your social ties active is as important as your irrigation. If you neglect your social life, this may lead to more anxiety and make you feel more isolated. Strong social connections are highly rewarding in the long run!
Making socialising easier
It may be daunting to socialise outside of the home at first. But with these simple tricks and tips, you can engage in an active social life and build your confidence over time.
Start small and build up
For anyone who is nervous about socialising after starting out with TAI, a “small-steps approach” is often a good idea. You may initially choose to simply meet a friend for a coffee, or take a short walk in your local area. Over time, you can extend these outings as your confidence grows.
Build flexibility into your plans
Try to stay open to different possibilities when socialising. Whilst some get-togethers like a trip to a theatre are very fixed, a lot of the time, the most important thing is the social contact itself. If you feel you have had a less successful irrigation one day, you may choose to visit a friend at their house, rather than trying the new restaurant in town, for example. This is completely OK, and it is most important that you maintain your social connections, not that you stick to a rigid plan!
Find common interests to explore
At first, you may be nervous to get out and about. Therefore, organising social activities that both you and your friends or family enjoy is an easy motivator. If your social group is excited to do something, this will rub off on you too and you will be less likely to cancel your plans. Starting with easy motivators is a great way to build confidence and get you out there living your best life.
Furthermore, by really embracing your interests, you have the power to create an identity that is separate from your bowel issues. Take the time to reflect on what really fires you up and find the people who have that same interest. Your shared passions will help you to develop a strong connection and provide you with easy conversation that doesn’t revolve around your condition.
Managing my irrigations around socialising
TAI gives you control over when you use the toilet, and there are different options out there to help you manage your bowel. As you get more accustomed to TAI, you will be able to personalise your routine so it gives you the support you need to enjoy your social life.
For some people, high-volume TAI can help them to stay continent for up to 2 days1, giving you greater freedom to socialise when and where you choose! If you have planned a day out for example, irrigating in the morning before heading off for the day may help you to relax, as you may then have more confidence in your bowel.
Low-volume TAI systems are also designed to fit in with daily life and often more portable, so if your plans change, you may be able to irrigate whilst away from home.
Supplement your routine with low-volume TAI
Discussing TAI with my friends and family
If you have avoided social gatherings for a while, your friends and family will be naturally excited to see you. If they know about your condition, they may even ask if something has recently changed.
You may therefore want to have a short explanation ready. Thinking about this in advance may help to put your mind at ease in case the question arises. For example, you may simply want to explain that you have a new bowel management routine, and this gives you more confidence to get out and about.
If you focus on the positive impact TAI has on your quality of life without being too technical about the irrigation itself, you can also reassure your friends and family about your situation without feeling you have overshared. It can be good to be open to questions, but you shouldn’t feel obliged to provide specific information about your routine and it is completely up to you if and when you choose to discuss this with them.
Open and honest conversations can help build confidence
Opening up and sharing your experience can be just as helpful to you as it is to your friends and family. Being honest and frank with the people close to you may give you peace of mind when venturing out. If someone close to you knows about your situation and you have had these conversations, you know you have already got the support around you to deal with any challenges that may come your way. And that can make all the difference when going somewhere new!
- Christensen P, Bazzocchi G, Coggrave M, et al. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Transanal Irrigation Versus Conservative Bowel Management in Spinal Cord-Injured Patients. Gastroenterology. 2006;131:738–747.
