If you have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), it is very likely you also suffer from anxiety and/or depression. You may not have been diagnosed but often feel bloated with stomach cramps and have many of the symptoms of IBS. You probably feel your life is limited to what you can do and when. You might have already tried a number of things to help your condition, including the low FODMAP diet recommended by many doctors to soothe your condition, but nothing appears to work.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends the use of hypnotherapy in the treatment of IBS, particularly if symptoms persist after 12 months. Hypnotherapy has been shown to be very effective for people with IBS. It has also been shown to help people with the pain associated with the condition. With hypnotherapy, you experience a sense of relaxation and calm during the hypnosis. You might find that the sensation of pain reduces along with any bloating.
Most hypnotherapy sessions are split into two distinct parts: ‘the talky bit’ and hypnosis. The talking bit, which could be either counselling or psychotherapy, depending on the approach chosen, will help you to why you feel as you do and to understand what can be done about it. The length of your hypnotherapy session could vary from 30 – 90 minutes. An initial consultation will generally be held, prior to your hypnotherapy sessions starting. This is to agree the aims and goals of your treatment, to discuss your symptoms and to give you a guide as to the number of sessions required. This will vary from client to client, due to the severity of symptoms and the length of time you have suffered with anxiety. As a rough guide, for long term results, most IBS conditions will be alleviated with around 8 hypnotherapy sessions.
If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome then there may have been times when you thought it was caused by food intolerances. However, you’ve probably realised that it seems to get worse when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. This is because when you are stressed your body goes into flight or fight mode and the body will focus completely on your survival. Secondary tasks like digestion get put on hold, so instead of digesting our food smoothly, some areas of our digestive system speed up, while others slow down. This can cause you to experience a range of uncomfortable sensations, from constipation or diarrhoea to heartburn and acid reflux. This can make it very difficult for you to plan ahead, as you never know when you might have an IBS flareup.
If your anxiety or stress levels are high you might experience a lot of painful IBS symptoms and find it extremely difficult just to get through the day.
IBS is very common and consists of a range of symptoms centred around the digestive tract. More women than men are known to suffer from it. If you have IBS, it’s likely that your symptoms will come and go. It’s this unpredictability that can cause the most disturbance in your life as you’ll find it difficult to plan your time.
When you eat, gentle contractions move the food slowly through your digestive system. When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, these contractions can become too fast or too slow. The disturbance to the smooth operation of your digestive system creates uncomfortable and even painful symptoms. You don’t need to experience all the symptoms associated with IBS to be diagnosed with the condition. If you regularly experience bloating and wind pain, acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, tiredness, constipation or diarrhoea then it would be wise to see your GP. They will probably run a range of tests to rule out more serious conditions and if they don’t find anything else you will probably be diagnosed with IBS.
Common symptoms:
Hypnotherapy can help with IBS by relaxing you so you can let go of any tension. Gut-directed hypnotherapy in particular has been found to be effective in reducing the symptoms of IBS. Different brain waves become more prevalent and it is likely you will be able to problem-solve more easily. The change in brain waves will also make it easier for you to take on new ideas and new ways of thinking. Most hypnotherapists use an element of talking therapy these days and this supports the trance session by helping you to evaluate your current behaviour and the way you think.
It is always important to contact your GP about your IBS before seeing a hypnotherapist. This is because sometimes the IBS might be masking another more serious medical condition.
The number of sessions needed will vary from person to person. The questions your hypnotherapist will ask to help them calculate the number of sessions might include: “How long have you had the condition or symptoms?” or “How severe are the symptoms?” Another factor to consider is the level of your commitment. You might be expected to listen to an MP3 download every night or to perform some other task in between sessions. You will see results much more quickly if you do the things your hypnotherapist suggests.
The cost of hypnotherapy for anxiety can vary from one therapist to another. This will depend on your location and the qualifications and experience your hypnotherapist has. To give you a rough guide prices can vary from £40- £150 per hour.
Hypnotherapy is able to help children with their anxiety, which can contribute to IBS symptoms. Children often find it much easier to go into a trance state than their adult counterparts. This is thought to be because children are more open about trying new things than many adults.
Even before lockdown many hypnotherapists were running online hypnotherapy sessions for anxiety. The good news is that there is now evidence to support the effectiveness of online hypnotherapy sessions for IBS. All you need to take part in an online hypnotherapy session is a laptop, tablet or smartphone, access to the internet and somewhere quiet where you can relax.
Hypnotherapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment for IBS. It was also found that hypnosis was more effective when combined with a psychological element than just hypnosis alone.
You can expect to see some slight improvement in your IBS symptoms after the first hypnotherapy session. However, everyone is different and much will depend on the severity of your symptoms and your commitment to the hypnotherapy process. You might feel more relaxed and have more energy. Your sleep pattern might improve a little, particularly if listening to an MP3 download every night. However, you’ll probably need a few sessions before your friends and family start to notice any changes. After around 8 sessions, you should see a consistent change in symptoms, feeling calmer and more relaxed. You will probably notice a significant reduction in IBS symptoms.
A number of research studies have shown hypnotherapy to be effective for significantly reducing IBS symptoms. As hypnotherapy is considered to be a complementary therapy in the UK, we are not allowed to publish success rates for IBS. However, your commitment to the hypnotherapy process is very important. If you engage with your hypnotherapist and follow their advice, such as listening to an MP3 download every night, then your treatment will be more effective than if you don’t.
Unfortunately, you will probably be unable to access hypnotherapy for IBS through the NHS. This is despite the British Medical Association’s assertion, in their submission of evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on science and technology in the year 2000, that ‘Hypnotherapy and Counselling may be considered as orthodox treatments’. However, your GP might suggest hypnotherapy as an option for IBS, but it will be up to you to source and fund your treatment.
Self-hypnosis can help with IBS as all hypnosis is technically self-hypnosis. This is because it is your brain doing the work, with the hypnotherapist as the facilitator. However, it can be difficult to achieve on your own and therefore finding a qualified hypnotherapist to help you initially can be the best solution. Once you have experienced going into a trance state a few times with their help, you will find it much easier to go into that same state on your own. It is worth pointing out that the counselling or psychotherapy element of the hypnotherapy session would be missing from any self-help approach and research has suggested that hypnosis is more effective alongside it.
The side effects from hypnotherapy are generally positive. The deep relaxation you will experience during a hypnotherapy session can sometimes mean you feel dozy immediately afterwards. This is because the trance state is a natural state that we all go into everyday whenever we are focusing on something. Hypnosis can cause us to be temporarily less aware of the outside world. However, a walk in the fresh air will soon bring you back to normal.
Start out with the basics, Search for “hypnotherapy for IBS” in Google or Bing. The results will contain a map with local hypnotherapy businesses. Start looking through their reviews either in the search engine or on their social (Facebook) pages.
The best hypnotherapists will be registered with a professional association and with organisations that are accredited by the professional standards authority. There are only two in the UK and they are the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and the National Hypnotherapy Society.
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