Until very recently, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was considered a medical condition but recent developments have put it in the category of psychosomatic ailments. These are disorders where the mind plays a critical role in accentuating the level of disorder in the individual. IBS is normally associated with flare up in stomach, stomach pain, wind, diarrhea, and constipation.
Most often, in Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS, the brain misfires, interpreting normal sensations of the gut. Majorly the afflicted individuals over-worry about what they can eat (what is considered to safe to eat), and cannot eat. Eventually, they restrict themselves to such an extent that they start living in fear. Not only do they stop enjoy eating, but it also affects their mental health and social life.
To date, medical science has not really understood the syndrome. Conventional treatment mainly consists of treating the symptoms rather than the root cause. However, recent medical studies involving hypnotherapy, therapy that works with the mind have shown remarkable progress in individuals afflicted with IBS. With positive suggestion to the subconscious mind with hypnotherapy, most symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS are seen to subside substantially.
It is believed that if the individual is capable of self-manifesting an illness, then by utilizing the same brilliant mind positively enables the withdrawal of symptoms associated with IBS. Here the emphasis on unlearning what got “programmed” in the first place.
For further understanding of Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS, let’s look at a case study of my client afflicted with IBS and what
goes through her mind:
Mary has been suffering from multiple disorders, namely – IBS, binge eating disorder, and depression. Over the years, she has come to realize that each of her disorders is connected.
As a child, she lived with a controlling mum who was extremely restrictive about her eating habits, making her always conscious of what she can and cannot eat. In turn, she and her sister developed the habit of eating food items hiding from their mom. Most times, Mary felt that there was never enough food for her. And when there was enough of “permitted” food she would indulge and have more than necessary.
Now into her 30s, her mom still makes it a point to comment on her eating. Presently, living on her own, she still feels conscious of eating making her fat, contributing to her sickness and stomach flare ups. Her constant fear is “If I eat, I am going to get sick.” She feels entirely hopeless about breaking out of this negative eating pattern. Ironically, she believes her binge eating brings in a sense of safety, but afterwards she is filled with tremendous shame and loneliness.
She sees herself as a failure and never feels good about herself. Her negative core beliefs, only goes on to reinforces her unhealthy sense of self. The unhealthy eating pattern has also made her avoid social situations and it feels daunting to even step out and mingle with people.
Over the years, she has come across literature that describes the “gut-brain axis” where the gut is seen to play an active role in triggering symptoms associated with IBS. Slowly she has realized that her brain and the mind are playing tricks on her to make the IBS situation worse than what it actually is. Even her binge eating and depression are associated offshoots of the IBS.
Presently, she has concluded that the programming in her brain requires an “upgrade” and she needs to develop new coping mechanisms to control anxieties associated with food. She has made the start by watching YouTube videos on self-hypnosis for IBS and has made sincere efforts in unlearning her acquired behaviors. But, success was nowhere in sight working on her own.
She had been carrying a heavy load of “emotional baggage” and disorder for over 15 years. Somehow, she finally took the bold step to seek help and visit us at Make It Happen Hypnotherapy.
Having understood her situation, our lead Clinical Hypnotherapist – Sandy has come with the following steps that will allow Mary to come out of her present IBS situation:
People suffering from IBS have long felt “trapped” by the disorder with an innate sense of helplessness. With hypnotherapy for IBS, such individuals are getting empowered to take control of their situation.
After the stipulated number of sessions with our hypnotherapist, individuals like Mary can do their own self-hypnosis exercises to reinforce their new set of beliefs. In time, they are likely to become more loving and accepting about themselves and their body.
They become proficient at mastering their mind, replacing negative self-talk with positive ones. The overall result is less flare-up in the gut and a much better sense of self and well-being.
Master Your Mind, Master Your Life
Our Hypnotherapists are dedicated to help people to harness the power of the mind and
feelings, so that we can reach our true potential and be the best version of ourselves.
Benson House, Suite 1/2 Benson St Toowong, QLD 4066
2023 Make It Happen Hypnotherapy, Registered in Queensland, Australia
Registered Address: Suite 1, 2 Benson Street, Benson House, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, 4066 Australia
Our Clinical Hypnotherapists will guide you into a state of trance similar to daydreaming. By working with your subconscious mind, we will find out the underlying causes of your emotional suffering, and establish desired outcomes for you. To achieve this, we will use various techniques like Inner Child Therapy, Regression, Parts Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Rewind Technique, and more.
