Who do you think you are? This is your sense of identity.

The powerful psychological effect of ‘I am…’ can really serve you well, so long as your sense of identity is a helpful one. This is because our identity, together with our beliefs and values are three of the key reference points our mind uses in order to interpret the plethora of information it’s receiving from the environment moment by moment. And our actions are driven by that interpretation. So, holding the sense of identity – “I am a highly resilient and optimistic person”, would be highly likely to serve you well in relation to coping with your IBS symptoms.

Unfortunately being diagnosed with IBS by a doctor or medical specialist can lead some people into taking on an unhelpful identity, that of IBS sufferer. By assuming the identity of “IBS sufferer” an individual can start to believe that IBS is a fixed and permanent part of who they are, leading to them arriving at the conclusion that the best they can do is live with the symptoms or treat them with medicine.

The fact is you are not your IBS.

IBS is something you experience - something your body does. And because it’s something your body does you have the ability to change how your body does it. And this ability allows you to significantly reduce, and even eliminate, the IBS symptoms and their impact (mentally, emotionally and physically) on you. The outcome is a greatly improved quality of your life. Research tells us that the most effective way to change the way our body is behaving in relation to IBS is gut directed hypnotherapy.

And remember you are not your IBS.

So when you catch yourself thinking/saying “I’m an IBS sufferer” or “I have IBS,” correct yourself by thinking/saying:- “At the moment my gut isn’t behaving the way it should and I’m taking steps to get it working normally again. I am a highly resilient and optimistic person and I believe I can do this.”