Irritable bowel syndrome affects up to one in five people in the UK over the course of their lifetime. Sufferers of IBS can find it debilitating, distressing and very uncomfortable. Symptoms can be worsened by anxiety or stress and worrying about IBS can prolong the symptoms with many people becoming anxious, depressed or socially isolated as a consequence. While its exact cause remains elusive, factors like stress, diet, and gut-brain interactions are believed to play pivotal roles.
What are the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Symptoms vary between individuals, but can include abdominal pain and discomfort, abdominal contractions, spasms or cramps, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, excessive wind, indigestion and nausea.
How can Solution Focused Hypnotherapy help with IBS?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help the symptoms of IBS by lowering your general levels of stress and anxiety, in turn helping lower the perception of pain and discomfort. Negative thought patterns, such as catastrophising or the fear of symptom recurrence, can exacerbate IBS symptoms. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy will help you to reframe your thoughts and develop a more positive outlook, empowering you to reclaim control over your life. After a solution focused discussion and identifying small steps to get you closer to your preferred future, we use guided relaxation at the end of every session to help consolidate these small steps and create new positive thinking patterns.
Since 2008, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which gives guidance to the NHS on effective treatments, has said there is good evidence to recommend hypnotherapy as a suitable intervention for IBS.
IBS is still regarded as a medical condition, so if you think you might have IBS then please visit your GP first to get their diagnosis and advice. Once you have established with the doctor that it is IBS and believe that hypnotherapy could help you then please click here to book a free initial chat and find out more.
Have a read of this testimonial from a client who specifically came to see me for IBS:
“I used Vicky after a flair up of IBS. I was reticent at first wondering what hypnosis is and what it would feel like. What I didn’t expect was an understanding of why I had issues that needed addressing and that they had been there all my life. I’m not talking deep trauma issues either thankfully, just the usual, busy life, stressful job, never learning how to relax and negative thoughts. Through some simple education and focussed hypnotherapy, which feels like the most relaxing calming softness both in body and mind I started to break the vicious cycle and started to improve. I started to look forward to things again long term and realised the simple things I was doing were making a difference. The audio tapes for self hypnotherapy are a treat I regularly play now when I want time out to recover from normal life and a little private relaxation. It has worked for me.
Vicky is approachable, well trained, friendly, non judgemental and keen to help. Her therapy office at the bottom of her garden is both private and quiet and has a toilet!!
I would definitely recommend her for what ever issue you may be struggling with.
Finally hypnotherapy doesn’t require you to remember lots of tools. It all happens subconsciously. Which is great if you don’t feel you have the band width to add more information and effort into your life and self help rules etc. you just have to turn up….
DRH, Wiltshire“