Stress is the number one cause of IBS. When we're clear as to what stress is and how we come to experience it, we're better placed to acquire the skills and tools we need to prevent and to manage it.
You are not your IBS
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.”
Why understanding your gut and IBS is important
IBS Hypnosis is as effective for children with IBS as it is for adults
Children as well as adults can suffer with IBS and when they do, it significantly reduces the quality of life in their lives. Fortunately, hypnotherapy can help children as well as adults gain relief from their IBS symptoms – and there is research to prove it.
A ground breaking piece of research (1) conducted in 2007 by a team at Amsterdam Children's Hospital opened the door for hypnosis to become a standard treatment for children with IBS.
The research team designed an elegant research project to see whether hypnosis and hypnotherapy were as effective in children (ages 8 - 18) with IBS as in adults. They began with 53 children diagnosed with severe long-term Functional Abdominal Pain (FAP) or FAP with IBS, and divided them randomly into two groups.
Both groups received treatment with fibre and medicines as required. Both groups were given reassurance, and educated about the role of stress in causing FAP and IBS. Both groups had discussions about the emotional and other triggers of IBS. The only difference is that the experimental group received six, half-hour sessions of what the authors called "gut-directed hypnotherapy" while the control group received six, half-hour sessions of supportive counselling over 3 months.
The results of this experiment were astounding. Both groups of children got significantly better. But, the hypnotherapy group did considerably better than the standard treatment group in every single category.
At the end of a twelve month period physicians evaluated the medical condition of the children in each group. 96% of the hypnotherapy group were assessed as either totally improved or symptom free compared to 54% for the control group.
Thanks to this pioneering study by the team at the Amsterdam Children's Hospital, we know that "gut directed hypnotherapy" is a highly effective treatment for FAP/IBS in children that can lead to rapid and complete resolution or amelioration of the symptoms.
Note: It’s absolutely essential to look at hypnosis as a tool to be used ONLY after a child has a full medical evaluation because, the symptoms of IBS can also be caused by a number of serious medical conditions such as infections and cancers.
1. Research study: Vlieger AM, Menko-Frankenhuis C, Wolfkamp SC, et al. Hypnotherapy for children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology 2007;133(3):1430-143 Idoi:10.1053/j .gastro.2007.08.072.
Source for this blog: Hypnosis for Children with IBS and Tummy , Chapter 3, Scientific Research on Hypnosis and IBS (2016) by Robert Hughes
If you want to know more about how I can help you manage your Irritable Bowel Syndrome using hypnosis and other psychological techniques, please do get in touch today!