I believe my IBS is from anxiety, however, once the body starts the IBS movements and your on a road trip, how do you calm down when the body wants to remove the problem? It feels like a cycle - your head your bowels your head. It is hard to be positive and calm down when the bowels want to move.

Have you read 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the MindSpiritBody Connection'? I thought it was a pretty good book. For me there is sometimes only one way. Find a bathroom. Other times I can calm my gut by using the breathing exercises in the program and positive thinking. The more I take good care of myself the better my ibs is.
Reena

Hi als, I have suffered with IBS for a long time, and thanks to a lot of effort and learning, I've reached probably the healthiest point in my life right now. Treating IBS requires a pro-active approach. You're right, when it hits, there's really only one thing to do - find the bathroom. You have to fix the problem before it starts. Here's some suggestions (which you may or may not have already heard, but here it is anyway):
Exercise (even just 15 minutes a day of doing push-ups is good).
Lots of fibre, and lots of water (most people overlook the need for water when eating a lot of fibre. Water is just as crucial for flushing out toxins in your body, and moving things along in your bowels).
No refined sugar (refined white and brown sugar, which is found in mostly every sweet thing you buy, literally causes damage to the cells in your bowels as your body tries to absorb it. Fruits and honey should be the only "sweets" you eat.)
Avoid alcohol and caffeine (these irritate the lining of your bowel).
No laxatives (if you're taking in enough fibre, you shouldn't need laxatives. A laxative works by purposely irritating your bowel so that the bowel then tries to flush it out. Not a pleasant thing to do to your body).
Try to avoid white bread (this doesn't have to be forever, but refined wheat - which is found in white bread, can also sometimes irritate the lining of your bowels). Whole wheat is much healthier for you.
Vitamins and Minerals (The "Nutrition Almanac" is a fantastic book which tells you exactly what your daily dietary intake should be for vitamins and minerals. You'll probably find that your not taking in enough of a particluar vitamin (or vice versa, which can be equally bad).
There is a supplement that you can buy in certain Health stores which actually replenishes your bowels with "healthy" bacteria. This was a significant factor in my recovery.

Once your physical body is healthy, you'll find that your mind will also feel healthy. You'll feel confident, and strong, and IBS won't even cross your mind. This then breaks the vicious cycle between your brain and bowels. I really hope this helps. Don't give up als, this problem can be dealt with. Cheers!

thanks for the reply goliath I appreciate it. You're right I have experienced non-symptoms when I maintain a high fiber/water/excercise/vitamin lifestyle, already been doing that and I know it helps. I will keep it up and not lose faith. (See how positive I'm being, good job, me.)