thanks for your post dm. isn't it a shame that holidays and staying at friends' places becomes such a drag with this condition.

and crazy, like you say, that this should be all in our minds.

i'm back on antidepressants at the moment and i can testify that they certainly make the condition improve a lot for me (although they don't make it go away). i just find it's not so much of a problem going as it is when i'm off the happy pills. i'm starting to think that our condition has connections with seretonin levels in our bodies. did you know that 90% of the body's seretonin is in the gut? and seretonin is one of the substances that makes us feel happy. so if your seretonin levels are low in your gut (and your bowels and your ass are part of your digestive tract), it kind of makes sense that they won't be 'happy' and so won't want to play ball as easily.

anyway, what do you think triggered it with you? you mentioned being nine or ten when it started. any events that correlate with the condition appearing? was it a stressful time for you?