Out of all the treatments available for IBS, perhaps the most consistently successful treatment in terms of clinical trials is hypnotherapy. There have been at least 10 trials which show that hypnotherapy can be a useful treatment for IBS, and I’ve heard many personal stories from people who have been helped by this treatment.
This, of course, is great news – the only problem with it is that it does occasionally contribute to the “IBS is in your mind” argument (well, argument is a bit of a strong word for it – assumption would be more appropriate).
When people who don’t know much about IBS hear that hypnotherapy can be successful, they tend to assume that it’s because the hypno reduces stress, and that what is really doing the work is some airy-fairy “go to your happy place” kind of talk which calms the over-worked minds of us poor, anxiety-ridden sufferers.
The reality, in fact, is that no-one really knows why hypnotherapy works. There have been various studies to try to find out exactly how it affects the brain, but this work is still at an early stage. What we do know, however, is that it is a far more powerful treatment than just a stress-buster.
And how do we know this? Well, I don’t about you, but I wouldn’t want to undergo surgery with only hypnotherapy for anesthesia, but a program recently shown in the UK proved that this was entirely possible, with the patient feeling no pain at all, and indeed hypnosis is widely used in surgery in some countries (eg: Belgium).
Clearly, hypnotherapy is capable of deeply affecting our perception of pain, and maybe this is one of the key reasons why it helps with IBS. Whatever the reason behind it, don’t let people tell you that the efficacy of hypnosis for IBS patients is down to basic stress-relief – it’s far more complex than that.
I was trying to explain to my doctor that my anxiety attacks came AFTER the ibs.. I was telling him that before ibs I had a normal life.. the symptoms came.. it wore me down and only THEN did I get anxiety. I do know that now anxiety contributes to my symptoms, but I get so frustrated when people say its the anxiety that started my symptoms in the first place.. I made damn sure my doctor knew which way round it happened.. So now if he wants to deal with anxeity to help me – fine.. but if anyone says to me that curing the anxiety will cure ibs – then they are in great danger of having there head bitten off Lol..
Good point Emma. I went through a traumatic colon cleanse of about 10 days in which I began to feel dizzy and the dizziness,anxiety has never left. I kept a journal of the 10 days that I was on the colon cleanse and by day 3 I was starting to get dizzy from the cleanse. I didn’t get off of it because they said it was normal. On day 7 I got the panic attack. Now I’m in this drug like fog 24/7. That was nearly 3 weeks ago.
According to Dr. Pimintel, the fog is because of excessive bacteria overgrowth which multiplies if it’s threatened. See the thread below this one. I’m seeing a new GI doctor and I’m hoping he’s atleast heard of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth but I doubt it.
I’ll keep you updated on how it goes tomorrow with the new doctor. I”m starting to believe that the only way to cure IBS is through a detox type program that from what I’ve experienced to date is a living hell. Hopefully it won’t be as bad with antibiotics but I’ve heard some horror stories with antibiotics. Needless to say I’m getting concerned.
It’s possible that the drug like fog I’m in is due to the panic attack I had as well and not from the bacteria spreading. From what I know of panic attack/anxiety though I don’t think people like that is in a fog 24/7. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Hi Sophie, there are several major factors in hypnotherapy’ effectiveness in treating IBS. One is that sensations of pain depend on the spinal cord. A pain in the lower abdomen, legs, feet or lower back will send mesages up the nerves to the spinal cord. These meet the brain, and natural opiates and bodily painkillers are sent back down again. Its similar to a dual carriageway, or motorway with two lanes going in opopsite directions. Pain goes up, painkiller comes down.
To turn the pain feeling off, imagine closing some of the lanes on the ‘pain’ side. Fewer can get through to the top, and if they do, its much slower. Then imagine opening those closed ‘pain lanes’ down the spine, and allowing painkillers down that side AS WELL…. and that’s what happens in the spine to ‘close the gate’. In all psychosomatic pain control, this occurs in the spinal cord.
Some suggestions the hypnotist or hypnotherapist uses will allow you to reconsider your awareness of internal sensations, including the bowel and intestines, without conscious control and also without discomfort. As such, your body;s self-regulatory functions re-awaken… often what is most needed in the IBS scenario. When its unconscious again, it seems to work naturally, and all by itself.
This is not, as you rightly point out, a matter of just anxiety. Right brain activity (art, imagining, creativity, dreaming, daydreaming, remembering, hypnosis)controls pain and takes your attention elsewhere than just the body and present tense reality. Your body responds to what’s in your mind: real or unreal. Left brain activity: maths, rules, should/shouldn’ts, relates to conscious choices made by that person.
Typically right-brain people might be lefthanded… and are statistically likelier to be dyslexic and experience organic (not caught) autoimmune problems such as psoriasis and exzema. Left-brain people (notice whichever eye you predominantly focus out of) are likelier to experience IBS, muscle cramps, lower back pain and arthritis. If hypnosis takes the brain on a dreamy journey reactivating the ‘right-brain’ part of the nervous and immune system, activity registering in that side of the brain is consistent with the transition to more ‘auto-immunity’ and less ‘muscle stress’.
So there is science behind it. Hope that helps, and let me know by PM if you would like pain control advice. Warmest regards, Jenny (UK hynotherapist)
PS… panic attacks are also incredibly easy to unlock with hypnosis. They do stop completely with hypnosis from a good hypnotherapist. Find one, ask them for testimonials from panic attack success clients and/or get a recommendation.
A bacterial threat is a nonsense, sorry. The notion of a threat is a conscious one, and your body can decide such things. If unhealthy bacteria are growing etc etc, normal immune function will restore this unless your diet is nutritionally inadequte and allows them to thrive (see a nutritionist) or, good bacteria that kill them off are wiped out by germkilling pesticides in your cleaning products that indiscriminately kill of everything in your gut.
Good bacteria then have to be replaced, as they wouldn’t naturally be killed off like this. Any leftover unhealthy mouldy bacteria, expect to be attacked, and will ‘fill in the gaps’. Get plenty of probiotic bacteria from unpasteurised ORGANIC dairy products or fruit, and cut out any cleaning product (washing up or surfaces) that clims to kill all bacteria it touches. Replace it where you can with an organic alternative that does the same job without harming you.
Thanks for your comments Jenny, interesting stuff, and welcome to the site! As I said there have been a number of studies which seek to explain the mechanism by which hynotherapy works for IBS sufferers, but this is still not fully understood. However, there’s no doubt that it’s a very good treatment option for most IBS patients.
I’m not sure what IBS sufferer meant about a “bacterial threat”, but Dr Pimentel’s theory of bacterial overgrowth has shown some very good results in clinical trials. There’s also clinical evidence to show that IBS often starts after a course of antibiotics or after gastroenteritis, both of which can wipe out the friendly bacteria, and I would suggest that these things are far more intrinsically involved with the development of IBS and bacterial imbalance than cleaning products or poor diet.
I would also suggest that probiotics are best taken in simple capsule form, as the best of these products tend to have higher concentrations of bugs in them and don’t have added dairy etc which can exacerbate IBS symptoms in some people.
That’s a very interesting and informative post Jenny. It’s interesting that you talk about the spinal cord because I believe that I damaged some nerves in my spinal cord during those 10 days or as a direct result of the panic attack. I still have the 24/7 “brain fog” that won’t seem to leave although the anxiety/panic attacks and fatigue have completely left(Thank God).
I’ve practiced hypnosis for quite a few years off and on but over the last month since the colon cleanse I’ve been able to really go into a deep hypnotic state. I’m dreaming a ton at night also and the dreams are very vivid. Do you think it’s possible that I can get rid of this “brain fog” with doing hypnosis more often? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! – Jon