Backpacking with IBS: Unresolved Trauma in the Body Story

Before you dive into this article, I must warn you: backpacking with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) isn’t glamorous. However, with the right perspective, it can lead to some downright hilarious travel stories. This piece explains how unresolved trauma can impact your body—in this particular story, how it triggered my journey with IBS.

This article offers key tips for backpacking with IBS and explores how camaraderie can be the ultimate medicine. I hope that you’ll start recognising how your own body may be reacting to unresolved trauma. At the same time, I’d like to lighten the mood, as laughter has been one of my greatest tools for diffusing traumatic symptoms. If you suffer from IBS, I hope this story brings you a fresh perspective and a guaranteed giggle.

How can unresolved trauma trigger IBS?

 

You may be wondering why I am writing about IBS when my whole ‘MO’ is coaching about PTSD and recovering from surgical trauma. Well, surgical trauma doesn’t just leave physical scars; when unresolved, the trauma stays in your body. It wreaks havoc on your nervous system as your mind refuses to accept or release it. According to a review of studies from 2018, people living with PTSD are 2.8 times more likely to have IBS compared with people without PTSD.

Trauma can lead to changes in the way the body responds to stress, and IBS is often triggered by stress. In individuals with PTSD, the constant state of hyperarousal can lead to chronic gastrointestinal issues. The gut, often referred to as the “second brain,” is highly sensitive to emotional and psychological stressors. This sensitivity can cause the gut to become dysregulated, leading to the symptoms commonly associated with IBS such as bloating, pain, diarrhoea, constipation, gas, vomiting, and full-body fatigue. 

 

Backpacking, PTSD, IBS and ‘The Great Poo Off’

 

My IBS journey began at 18 when I left the UK to travel the world. Coincidentally, my best friend started her travels and IBS struggles at the same time. It wasn’t until years later, after discovering we both had PTSD, that we connected the dots between our IBS flare-ups, stress, and unresolved trauma.

IBS is not a subtle disease, it can surprise you in the night, come on explosively in the street, or start creeping through your body just as you embark on an all-day adventure. Needless to say, you need to be prepared at all times.

Defusing embarrasing situations

Our shared suffering became our greatest gift for managing our IBS and defusing the embarrassing stigma of the condition. Whether we were backpacking together or separately, we always knew there was someone else who was or had, experienced the exact same pain and embarrassment from IBS. So began our game, ‘The Great Poo Off.’ Every time we had an embarrassing IBS attack, we would call each other and try and outdo the other on the cringe factor.

We used to joke that you weren’t a real backpacker until you had at least one,’ shit yourself in the street story’. I can remember calling her after sneaking out of a boy’s room where I had left an unfortunate stain in the sheets, tossed my knickers in a bin, ran to my room, packed, and left town to avoid explaining myself. Thus began a long trend of comparing stories of how our bowels had traumatised and tested our relationships with ourselves and the opposite sex throughout our travels.

 

Backpacking with IBS: If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

 

One of my fondest memories of how our friendship and shared experience saved our sanity while traveling with IBS took place in Ghana.

My friend had been teaching in Ghana, so I joined her for a month during her school holidays to travel the country. Ghana offers incredible natural beauty and culture, but traveling as two women also brought its own stresses. A few dodgy street food vendors and boozy nights out made the perfect recipe for triggering IBS.

Dealing with Cultural Differences And Stress Triggers

 

We lived in a small local suburb of Accra, not far from my friend’s school. As the only expats in the area, it was fascinating to be immersed in a culture I knew little about. For the most part, people were friendly, curious, and courteous, and the area was safe.

Unfortunately, there were a few daily stressful interactions with local men that caused us to be in a constant state of hyperarousal. Most days this would entail being grabbed, chased, or followed while being told they wanted to have sex with us or marry us to get rich. This became such a norm that we were generally able to respond with sarcasm and conversation to defuse the situation.

However, this did leave us in a constant state of fight or flight. We had planned to be in Accra a week before leaving to travel the country, celebrating our joint birthdays with the expat community before setting off. However, our IBS had other plans. After planning a great night out, our travels, and living in a constant state of hyperarousal all week, the cycle of excitement and stress got the better of us. We ended up never making it out for our birthdays.

Instead, just as we were dressed up, and ready to go- we knocked back what was to be our first and only drink of the night. Within moments, we looked at each other and said, “I don’t feel that great.”

HELLO IBS ATTACK...

 

 

Happy Birthday to us…

 

We were lucky really that it started before we jumped in a taxi to town. As we took turns running to the toilet, we commiserated on what a rubbish way to spend our birthday this was.  Resigning to our fate, we decided to numb the pain and ride it out while watching back-to-back Sex and The City, the only DVD we had. Getting comfortable on the sofa we reflected on how much worse the situation could have been if the attack had started once we’d left the apartment. Running over worse-case scenarios and giggling about how shocked the taxi driver would have been or if we’d had to lock ourselves in a nightclub bathroom.

When you think it couldn’t get any worse…

When suddenly the lights went out, the ceiling fan slowed to a halt, and the suffocating 35°C humidity began to seep into the room. With the power outage came another cruel blow—the running water stopped. Our only shred of dignity had been the ability to flush the toilet, sparing each other from the horrors left behind by our IBS. Now, even that was gone. The relentless heat pressed in on us as we resorted to cooling ourselves with frozen water packs perched on our heads, wedged between our legs, or stuffed under our arms. The battery on the laptop dwindled with every passing minute, and neither of us had the strength to venture to the local well for water. Each trip to the now vile, unflushable bathroom came with a desperate shout: ‘Don’t look in the bowl!’ Our birthday was quickly becoming memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine

 

Through it all, our saving grace was our ability to find humour in the chaos. This wasn’t the first time—nor would it be the last—that IBS derailed our exciting plans. As we sat together on the sofa, our party outfits drenched in sweat and condensation, half-discarded to make room for cooling bags of ice, we couldn’t help but laugh. Our once flawless makeup, meant for a night of dancing, had melted down our cheeks, and we looked utterly ridiculous. But we were together, and that was all that mattered. We reminded each other, ‘This too shall pass,’ knowing that whatever happened, we’d get through it. Eventually, our stomachs calmed enough for us to pop a Valium and finally drift off to sleep.

Awkward Encounters The Morning After 

 

We woke the next day with a start. Two men were standing over us. In Ghana, privacy rules are pretty loose—neighbours often pop in to cook in your kitchen, say hello, or just check-in. This particular morning, the boys from downstairs had kindly brought up a large supply of water, but thanks to the exhaustion from IBS and the calming effect of Valium, we hadn’t heard them come in. I should also mention that lesbianism is illegal in Ghana. The sight of two half-clothed girls, looking like they’d had a wild night and sleeping together, was not the most advisable position to be caught in. We quickly scrambled to cover ourselves, thanked the men, and sent them on their way. Thank God, the worst of the IBS seemed to have passed. We cleared the incredibly backed-up toilet, grabbed our backpacks, and got out of there as fast as we could. We had no idea if the boys said anything to anyone, but getting arrested for being lesbians wasn’t exactly part of our travel plan.

 

Tips For Backpacking With IBS

 

This story is just one of many backpacking stories marred by our IBS. Over the years we became experts at anticipating and managing our symptoms. When you’re travelling it becomes a choice of I either stay in bed or I just go for it and prepare for the worst. Whenever someone we met complained about constipation, we would look at each other dreamily and think “O God, if only we could be constipated”.

Here are some of our Backpacking with IBS essentials:

A Mate

 

This one is the most important. As I hope this story shows having someone to share the experience can turn the tension, shame and embarrassment, into a tale you will be laughing over the phone about. When backpacking, friends can come and go fast, but the few you choose to travel with you should trust to be your allies. It took so much stress away from having IBS to have someone else in your corner. Allies can get medical supplies, electrolytes, doctors and deflecting awkward questions about where you were, why you weren’t coming out etc.

Banana Bread

 

Snacks for IBS are up to the sufferer, personally if I eat before it passes it will just start all over again. The longest I went without solid food was 10 days. However, Banana bread is amazing for giving a small sugar rush, replenishing vitamins like potassium and soaking up toxins in the gut gently, it is also found everywhere and is very comforting to the soul.

Electrolytes

Use the local ones, they are designed with the local environment, with viruses and parasites in mind.

A Life Straw

 

The LifeStraw is a portable water filtration device that allows you to safely drink water from natural sources like streams, rivers, and lakes. It uses advanced hollow-fibre membrane technology to remove 99.999% of bacteria, parasites, and microplastics, providing clean drinking water without the need for chemicals or bulky filters.

For backpacking, LifeStraw is a game-changer due to its lightweight and compact design, making it easy to carry on the go. It’s perfect for emergencies or remote adventures where access to safe drinking water might be limited. Its easy to use—simply sip directly from a water source or container—it eliminates the need for carrying heavy water supplies, allowing you to travel lighter and stay hydrated. You need to keep well hydrated as an IBS sufferer, even if you’re not experiencing symptoms. Having a Life Straw means you can get drinkable water into your system pretty much anywhere.

Local Knowledge

 

All cultures have their own cures for stomach issues, if your IBS was triggered by something local you ate, the locals will have a cure. In Belize they often serve lemongrass tea and in Columbia, coca tea was amazing at clearing symptoms within a few hours. So much so that I smuggled coca leaves back the UK for subsequent attacks.

Tissues

 

A must, all the time. Try to get the biodegradable ones for emergency outback moments.

Spare Knickers/underwear

 

Take a spare pair in a day bag, which means if you have to throw yours away you have a spare to wear. Going commando feels very unsafe and be very uncomfortable.

Beware a fart

 

If I have even the inkling that I may be experiencing the start of IBS I always make sure I am in a toilet or somewhere private before letting out a fart, you can never be too sure. Baggy pants can help in this scenario.

Conclusion

 

Backpacking with IBS can feel like a never-ending series of challenges, but it also brings unexpected lessons. Through shared laughter and mutual support, my friend and I turned our most humiliating moments into bonding experiences and stories we cherish.

After suffering from IBS for over a decade, both my friend and I are now IBS-free. This transformation happened when we did the inner work, faced and accepted our traumas, and allowed our bodies to release them. However, if we had help and guidance earlier in our lives, we may have saved years of suffering and mortifying moments.

Be aware, that unresolved trauma can manifest in surprising ways, like IBS, as the body and mind try to cope with stress. Backpacking is one of the best things you will ever do, but it comes with its own stresses and struggles which can exasperate symptoms in someone already dealing with unresolved trauma.

Like this article? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments.

Resources

 

PTSD UK. (n.d.). Unexpected physical symptoms of PTSD. https://www.ptsduk.org/. https://www.ptsduk.org/10-unexpected-physical-symptoms-of-ptsd/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIBDepleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHU1sUGalBb7wmH0GLGyFRymbd3rFtp-lhWXlmWUsKJLFQcmEoUMsbQKb6g_aem_OOQRZ8CCsS05dF2mmtKNpQ

Madsen, P. (2024, August 17). Can PTSD cause IBS? Exploring the connection between trauma and gut health. Sea Change Psychotherapy – Atlanta Counseling. https://seachangepsychotherapy.com/posts/can-ptsd-cause-ibs/

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