 [ Symptoms ] i have had ibs like symptoms for 4 months for past few days i have been uncomfortably constipated need help   i have been constipated on and off for several months now i think it could be ibs because i will have diarrhea gas and bloating as well a few days ago though i became so constipated that it hurts so badly right now i have used stool softeners many times but the only result is diarrhea then constipation all over again [ Disease ] luckylucas first have you had any traumatic experiences in the past few years you describe reliving these exeriences for days and in one case you mention this has been going on for years do you suffer from hypervigilence always looking over your shoulder to see if anything frightening is there do you see on tv in public hear conversations or noises that remind you of a traumatic event do you have startled responses to certain stimuli that remind you of traumatic issues is your sleep good or bad do you anger easily or isolate yourself if so you may want to see a psychologist or psychiatrist and have an evaluation for ptsd disorders like phobias panic attacks depression and obsessive compulsive behaviors are very much a part of the ptsd syndrome the key to your question is i cant make it go away which is a classic example of ptsd these are called intrusive thoughts you cannot get rid of ordinarily treatment for gad panic attack and ocd are very treatable with therapy and medication however ptsd is one of only two memory based disorders in dsm 5 the other is dementia or alzheimer is disease basically what i am saying is you cannot erase a memory is why ptsd is usually a life long disorder with no cure the best treatment is a combination of medications and management of your symptoms i hope this helps patrick4287 licensed psychologist