Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a difficult subject to talk about, as it is often causing embarrassment and shame for those suffering. This means that many people are suffering in silence, trying to lead a ‘normal’ life but with the added stress of when the next IBS attack is going to strike.

I have seen many clients who’s daily routine is based around how and when they can access a toilet. During a working day this can be very stressful.

If you are working in a trade or another job that leads you to be out of the house a lot, then trying to find a toilet can be a challenge. This all adds to the anxiety of this condition.

Social gatherings, work events, family outings all have an extra level of stress that a non IBS sufferer will not have to consider. Family life can be restricted if the length of time a parent feels they can be out of the house is short, just in case of an attack.

Many IBS sufferers have noticed that diet can have an impact on their symptoms and also stress. However, often sufferers will say that they don’t feel they are stressed and write this off as an issue.

The answer is yes and it often results in physical symptoms such as IBS.

Many of us are carrying low level stress on a daily basis without noticing, over a long period of time this stress affects out nervous system. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) comprises of two parts, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. When we are comfortable, calm and relaxed then our nervous system engages the parasympathetic part which allows for us to rest, digest and repair the body. The digest part of this function is key for our body to be able to digest food correctly and pass the food through to the bowel in regulated way.

When we are under stress, even low level stress, the ANS engages the sympathetic part of the nervous system to release addrenaline, cortisol and other stress hormones to give us the energy and focus to manage the threat stress. If we have an ongoing level of stress then the body responds and keeps the sympathetic part of the nervous system engaged. This means the body is not getting sufficient time to rest and digest, which is so important for the stomach, intestine and bowel to function correctly without inflammation or discomfort.

The anxiety that comes with IBS can perpetuate this stress cycle. Often clients will describe worries they have, focused on whether their stomach will ‘behave’ that day. The primitive part of the brain then kicks in a the negative thoughts are perpetuated and continue the stress cycle.

The good news is there are treatments that can help an IBS sufferer experience less pain and reduce anxiety so that they feel free to get on with life, without this condition holding them back.

Often clients will come to see me after they have been referred to a consultant and all treatments have been explored. The consultants themselves have suggested hypnotherapy as a next step. NICE guidelines recommend hypnotherapy as a method of treatment for IBS.

Studies have also shown the evidence of the effectiveness of this treatment pathway for IBS.

A Meta-analysis was carried out (Schaefert, Kolose, Moser, Hauser, 2014) of 8 randomised controlled trials with a total of 464 patients having a median of 8.5 hypnosis sessions over a median of 12 weeks.  At the end of therapy, hypnosis was found to be superior to control conditions in producing adequate symptom relief.  This meta-analysis demonstrated that hypnosis was safe and provided long-term adequate symptom relief in 54% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Hypnotherapy works to reduce stress in the nervous system, thereby allowing the rest and digest mode of the nervous system to come back online more often. The psychotherapy element of sessions help reduce the anxiety and provide tools and strategies to manage the negative thought spirals that can develop. Both of these approaches leave the client feeling more in control of their body and free of pain.

Book a FREE initial consultation with me if you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help you.