About 8 years ago I took a Gut Directed Hypnotherapy course for the relief of the symptoms of IBS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or N.I.C.E, recommended hypnotherapy as the most effective approach for dealing with the symptoms of IBS. The long term relief of the symptoms of IBS (over 5 years) was, in fact over 80%! That was about 30 years ago but most approaches to IBS issues are still through changes in diet.
Because IBS is a syndrome symptom’s can vary from diarrhoea to constipation, feeling bloated or in pain, so there are many, many varied diets. Problem is they are bit hit and miss. There are also medications but the body is very finely tuned to chemical imbalances and they can cause changes in symptoms. Medical practitioners may also suggest that you change your life style to reduce stress, which is really good advice, but often the hardest to take.
Here’s the rub! Most of the stress that IBS sufferers feel is in situations where there is no logical reason for them to feel anxious. They feel stressed doing every day things, like talking to people at work and worrying about if there’s a toilet nearby when they go out. They imagine embarrassing themselves and talk the self out of family get togethers etc etc.
The problem is is that because the symptoms are physiological the general public believe the answers are to found in diet and, or medication. IBS manifests itself with physical symptoms but the cause is psychological which is why hypnotherapy is the most effective approach and why N.I.C.E recommends it.
I’ve incorporated the Gut Directed Hypnotherapy approach successfully in my practice and it does work. So if you are still suffering from IBS and you’ve tried the diets and medication maybe it’s time you started to look to your mind for the answers?