IBS: The Holistic Approach

It is estimated that up to one in four people in the UK suffers from IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome at some point in their lives.

This is an alarming figure when you consider that the medical profession are not sure of the causes of the condition and do not have any agreed programme for treating it.

Although classed by the NHS as non-serious - this on the basis that it is not life-threatening - it can have an extremely damaging impact on the quality of life of those who endure it.

Not only can it be very painful and have significant physical side-effects, the sheer persistence of it can gnaw away at a person’s feeling of well-being and confidence, affecting their ability to go about their life in a normal way.

The encouraging news is that research has shown that hypnotherapy can be very helpful in treating a large proportion of IBS sufferers, and this is being increasingly acknowledged by some in the medical profession (see our reference to Mike Mahoney, a hypnotherapist who works in a medical centre alongside GPs).

IBS can be experienced by people in a number of different ways and is basically diagnosed by a process of exclusion. In other words once other possible illnesses associated with the symptoms have been discounted, then an IBS diagnosis will be made.

Symptoms can include lower abdominal pain which is relieved by bowel movement, diarrhoea accompanied by frequent and urgent need to go to the toilet or abdominal bloating. In this latter case bowel function is often normal, but sufferers may feel very full after meals, or get a bloated feeling after eating very little.

Psychological Stress

Although the exact causes of IBS are unclear and probably varied it has come to be associated with psychological stress, emotional conflict and anxiety. Whether or not these actually cause the condition they can certainly exacerbate it.

It is also probable that sufferers have a more sensitive colon than usual, meaning it is more likely to be aggravated by factors which would not affect other people. A range of foods are therefore likely to stimulate an adverse reaction. These can include chocolate, milk products, alcohol and caffeine.

Hormonal Influences

Because more women are reported to suffer from IBS there is also a good chance that hormonal influences are a factor and it is often the case that symptoms will be affected by the menstrual cycle.

Hypnotherapy works on the basis that the mind and the body are integrally linked and that physical, mental and emotional well-being are all interdependent. This is one of the reasons it is so effective in treating IBS. Unlike traditional approaches hypnotherapy attends to the client’s mental and emotional state rather than just the physical symptoms of the condition.