What About Friends and Dating ?
Some teens with functional abdominal pain or a Disorder of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) are concerned that their situation will impact their relationships. As far as who and what to tell about your pain, it is up to you. You can tell whomever you want, as much as you want. You can tell people what you want them to know, no more and no less.
It may be a good idea to have a trusted friend with whom you can confide when you are feeling down. If you spend a significant amount of time with a friend, they will probably notice that you are struggling with pain, either by your words or nonverbal cues. It can also be helpful to have a signal to let your trusted friend know that your pain is really bothering you and you need help exiting the social event.
As far as dating, if you are just casually dating, you may not want to tell the person you have functional abdominal pain. If the relationship becomes more long-term, you may want to let them know. It’s really up to you. There may be situations where an activity would have to be cut short so informing the person you are dating of that possibility may give you assurance.
It’s important to remember that your chronic abdominal pain does not define you as a person. Maintaining a positive attitude will help you manage any social situation. It’s ok to be sad, frustrated or even angry about your chronic pain. But you don’t want to take it out on the people in your circle.
