Spending your life in the bathroom?

Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Bowel pain, bloating, food intolerances, sudden attacks of diarrhoea or chronic constipation? Embarrassed by flatulence? Frightened of humiliating "accidents"?

Unable to plan as you never know when you will get a flare-up of symptoms? Living your life, feeling the need to be always close to a bathroom?

Declining invitations or restricting your activity outside your home?

Self diagnosis is dangerous

See your GP! it is important to be thoroughly checked to eliminate Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease of the bowel and bowel cancer which share many of the symptoms.

Self-diagnosis here is dangerous. But if inflammatory bowel disease has been ruled out by thorough investigations what then?

Medications

There are some medicines which can help to control symptoms:-

Isphagula husk to bulk the stool and ease constipation,

Imodium (loperamide) to control diarrhoea,

Buscopan to ease bloating and flatulence.

Antidepressants may be prescribed.

The GP may refer the sufferer to an NHS dietician who will suggest a low FODMAP diet, eliminating certain fruits and vegetables, milk, dairy products, wheat, and sometimes other grains.

A low FODMAP diet may help, but it is very restrictive and stressful to follow.

A debilitating, humiliating, chronic condition

IBS is a debilitating chronic condition, humiliating and embarrassing.

If diet and drugs do not ease the symptoms after 12 miserable months then the National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) guidelines suggest a psychological intervention.

Research has shown hypnotherapy is the psychological treatment that has the best track record for alleviating symptoms.

So how does hypnotherapy work to treat IBS?

It is all to do with the vagus nerve which comes from the brainstem and connects the gut to the brain.

When we are chronically stressed, we produce excessive cortisol which interferes with our gut movements, causing persistent pain, cramping and diarrhoea or constipation.

Relaxing the gut

To relax the gut and to keep it working properly we need to unwind and relax, and to bring down our cortisol levels in the blood. The key component of the “rest and digest” function are the branches of the vagus nerve.

This plays a key role in the working of our gastrointestinal system, the gut. Specifically, it affects peristaltic movements which move faeces along the gut, slowing it down, or stopping movements all together or increasing contractions resulting in cramping and diarrhoea.

The key to managing IBS is to reduce stress, lower cortisol and keep the vagus nerve active.

Self-Help Measures

There are self-help measures we can take to improve the function of the vagus nerve – and reduce symptoms of IBS

1. Breathing techniques.

Deep breathing - with the out-breath – the exhale – being longer than the inhale. Those familiar with pilates and yoga, and singers, will be familiar with abdominal breathing. The intake of breath starts by expanding the abdomen, raising the ribs and finally the upper chest – counting to five to seven seconds and then exhaling by lowering chest, then ribs and finally abdomen, making sure this outbreath is prolonged. This will directly stimulate the “rest and digest” function of the parasympathetic nervous system, activating the vagus nerve.

2. Meditation and mindfulness

Quietening the mind by developing focus – perhaps by listening to music, concentrating on an object, image, or landscape, watching wildlife, lying in a warm bath, swimming, or focusing on a activity, anything that absorbs us and keeps our busy minds stilled. This will help to stimulate the vagus nerve.

3. Cold water immersion

Those that take part in the sport of Wild Swimming claim great health benefits for cold water immersion. It produces a physiological reaction in the body and many find a cold swim to be a powerful stress buster. A cold shower, an ice pack or running cold water over the wrists may produce a similar (and safer!) effect. Cold water stimulates the vagus nerve, and may reduce IBS symptoms as well as lowering blood pressure and decreasing heart rate.

4. Exercise

Exercise reduces the “fight or flight” activity in the sympathetic nervous system and regular exercise will reduce blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and symptoms of IBS.

5. Singing

Join a choir! Singing is known to reduce anxiety and depression, but it also stimulates the vagus nerve, and may help reduce cortisol, and stress, and that in turn, will help to control IBS.

Severe IBS - a hidden disability

For those with severe IBS that is limiting their activity outside the home, the idea of swimming, or joining a choir, a shopping trip, a concert, or even going for a walk with a dog, is out of the question because of the fear of a flare-up of symptoms.

Your hypnotherapist can help you.

A course of hypnotherapy will provide gut-directed hypnosis, which will specifically address the symptoms.

You will also practice, with your therapist, good breathing patterns and mindfulness techniques. Generally six sessions are advised.

(I promise no cold water immersion!)

Face to face hypnotherapy at the London Road Clinic in Milborne Port in Somerset UK. Ring Claire on 01963 251860.

On-line sessions can be provided. Contact Margaret at info@sansomehilltherapy.com or leave a message on 07445 555 445 if you want to know more.