Is it possible to heal your IBS symptoms naturally? The traditional treatment approaches for managing IBS symptoms are either medications or restrictive diets such as the low FODMAP diet.
And while they can reduce symptoms, they often provide short-term relief or fail altogether. Many IBS sufferers also get tired of medication side effects and the stress of restrictive diets.
So if you’re in this place now and are looking for an alternative approach, this post is for you.
(To explore more videos on IBS and digestive health, head on over to The Calm and Happy Gut YouTube channel).
First, understand what’s causing your symptoms
To find long-term relief and heal IBS naturally, you must understand its root cause first.
Because otherwise you’re just treating the symptoms, which is exactly what the drugs and diets are doing.
So whether you are experiencing a sluggish slow moving bowel with constipation, pain, bloating and gas, or a very fast moving bowel with diarrohea, urgency and stomach cramps – the underlying issue is the same.
And it all has to with the way your brain and your gut are communicating with each other.
IBS is a Disorder of the Gut Brain Interaction (DGBI)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI), where symptoms result from disrupted communication between gut and brain. In an ideal world, your gut-brain connection maintains your body’s steady functioning, known as homeostasis.
For example, the brain sends signals to the digestive system to help it function correctly, and the digestive system in turn sends signals back to the brain so that the brain can control things like appetite, mood, and your sleep.
When gut-brain communication breaks down, it can lead to sending incorrect messages between them. And it’s this faulty communication that can affect the ability for your gut to function properly. This results in IBS symptoms including stomach pain and irregular bowel habits.
Now If you’d like to learn more about the role of the gut-brain connection in your IBS symptoms, then you can check out this post: Is a Faulty Gut Brain Connection Causing Your IBS?
A psychological approach to managing IBS
Understanding that miscommunication between your brain and gut causes IBS symptoms is powerful. Because it opens up the door to a whole new approach to getting long term relief from symptoms.
And this is a psychological approach.
Now let me be clear. I am not saying that your IBS symptoms are all in your head. But what I am saying is the solution may well be. Because knowing that your brain and your gut talk to each other, allows us to target this very same connection. And we do that using psychological therapies such as gut directed hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
And whilst this approach may be brand new to you, these therapies have been around for almost 40 years. There are also many research studies supporting their use in managing IBS. You can read some of these studies here.
On average gut directed hypnotherapy has been shown to reduce the symptoms of IBS by over 70%. I see results inside of The Calm Gut IBS Program far exceed this on a regular basis.
Both CBT and hypnotherapy for IBS are so effective because they work in two specific ways:
- Firstly, they address the factors maintaining your IBS symptoms. These include the ways in which you think and feel about your gut issues, and the changes in behaviour that you have made to manage your IBS. All these things can aggravate your symptoms.
- And secondly, they work on the level of your nervous system by changing the nerve communications that run between your gut and your brain. This means that they can positively influence the speed at which food moves through your intestines, the hypersensitivity of the nerves which are currently reacting to pain and discomfort. They can also help to normalise how your brain processes pain.
A non diet or drug approach is recommended for even severe IBS symptoms
What’s more this approach to managing IBS is recommended by both NICE (The National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence) in the UK and is endorsed by the American College of Gastroenterology.
And unlike medication, hypnotherapy and CBT can improve the array of IBS symptoms. This includes non-gut symptoms such as fatigue, back pain and anxiety.
The results also rival the low FODMAP diet, with a 2016 study showing gut-directed hypnotherapy as effective, improving symptoms for 70%. These improvements were also shown to be maintained 6 months after treatment.
Could this approach for IBS really work for you?
If you’re excited but sceptical about this approach, I understand. Past clients often hesitated to feel hopeful due to past disappointments with various treatments. It almost felt easier to just not get their hopes up.
If this is you, then make sure you read this next post where I share more about the research and some incredible success stories: Does Gut Directed Hypnotherapy Work for IBS?
Here’s how I can help you with your IBS:
1. The Calm Gut Program
Work with me 1:1 online and finally take back control of your IBS using gut directed hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Working together over 6 sessions I’ll help you restore regular gut function, relieve pain and discomfort, and you enjoy life again. With a personalised, supportive and caring approach, The Calm Gut Program is evidence based and backed by science. Learn more here.
2. The Calm Gut App
Get instant access to an evidence-based audio ‘toolkit’ to help reduce the symptoms of IBS. Fix the miscommunication between your brain and your gut. Access gut directed hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques & breathing exercises at your fingertips. Try 7 days for FREE here.
3. Download Your Free Ultimate Guide to IBS Guide
Discover what’s really causing your IBS flare ups, and how to calm your gut naturally. (Chances are that not even your doctor has told you about these). Get your FREE copy here.
