Hypnosis For Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

If you are looking for help using hypnosis for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms then the information on this page may well be of great comfort and relief to you.

Many people who find relief in their IBS through hypnosis and hypnotherapy have already tried and exhausted most other treatments for it. Hypnosis is extremely effective at helping with IBS and has been the subject of long term trials to show the long term benefits of treating IBS with Hypnotherapy.

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a combination of pain in your abdomen area and other associated symptoms and it's very common. Of course the fact that it is a common ailment doesn't make it feel any less uncomfortable or painful and for many people it can wreak havoc in their life.

As an IBS suffer, your system goes into overdrive, stress makes your stomach and bowels more sensitive and you can have spasms causing cramp, excessive wind and a very painful extended stomach; some people have associated back pain and there are a great many symptoms.

It's not uncommon for a sufferer of IBS to find themselves constantly worrying and dreading the thought of going outside. They will almost always need to know where the nearest toilet is at all times and have a full and bloated stomach that feels like they are carrying a lead ball around with them, even after eating just a small meal.

IBS can take over a persons life. I know from talking to clients that have felt utterly miserable and stress is a major contributing factor to IBS. What can often complicate the issue is the underlying stress may be causing it, however the extra stress of the symptoms cause a cycle. The stress causes the IBS, the symptoms of the IBS cause more stress... and so on. As an Ericksonian Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist it is my job to understand the stresses in your life and to help you break that cycle.

Symptoms of IBS

The symptoms of IBS are varied, and figures suggest that as many as 13% of women and 5% of men suffer from it (source: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/irritablecolon.htm) If you think of this in terms of the UK's population, then that's a lot of people.

There is not a single test that can diagnose IBS, however the most common symptoms include:

Constipation/ Diarrhoea or a combination of both
Abdominal Pain
Bloating, it can ease overnight but returns the following day
Headaches
Going to the toilet more frequently passing urine
Tiredness and lethargy
Problems getting to sleep and sleep disturbance
Nausea (feeling sick)
Depression, (stress and depression can make IBS worse)
Anxiety, if you are feeling stressed your gut and bowel will be moresensitive and make symptoms worse.

Many IBS sufferers never go to a doctor for fear of embarrassment and there are many people who are struggling to cope alone. If you have been having any of the symptoms of IBS then it is vitally important to visit your GP and get a diagnosis, even if it is simply in order to rule out anything more serious.

If you have been diagnosed and you are still not finding the current treatments are working for you then hypnotherapy has been found to help greatly. I only work with people who have IBS after a referral has been made via their GP to rule out any contraindications.

A recent study by W M Gonsalkorale, V Miller, A Afzal, PJ Whorwell (source: http://gut.bmj.com/content/52/11/1623.full.pdf) from the first ever NHS Hypnotherapy Unit in the UK in Manchester, conducted and reported in the British Medical Journal “Gut” had conclusive findings that IBS can be greatly helped with Hypnotherapy.

It's Findings in the study were:

204 patients were treated initially and checked every year for 5 years after the hypnosis treatment ended.
71% found it greatly reduced their symptoms and continued in the next 6 years after treatment.
Of these 81 % maintained their improvement overtime, while the remaining 19% still said that the deterioration of their symptoms had only been slight.
The majority of of patients found that they were needing a lot less hospital and GP visits after having the hypnotherapy.

How Hypnotherapy can Help with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Many clients have said to me that IBS is often passed of by many as “psychosomatic” and belittled; it is important to remember that psycho (mind) and soma (body) are totally interconnected and therefore it doesn't mean that a psychosomatic issue is not real. It is, in fact very real. The pain and discomfort caused by a mind / body connection is as real as any other type of pain and discomfort.

As a highly qualified and experienced Ericksonian Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, I work with you as an individual; I don't work with a “one size fits all” approach. We will look at when you first started having symptoms and I will treat your mind and body as one, we will work together to combat your symptoms of IBS.

You don't have to live with IBS, Ericksonian Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy is extremely effective and can help to reduce your symptoms and in a great many cases clients have no symptoms at all after treatment.

For more information or to book an appointment click here.

* Please be aware that if you contact us with certain symptoms we may request a referal from a G.P. before we can work with you. Many therapists do not do this and we consider it highly unethical as some physical symptoms can be related to issues other than stress.