Why your brain could be the key to managing IBS symptoms:
Many people have heard of the ‘gut brain axis’ and it is a vital part of understanding IBS. Sometimes the link is really obvious like when you’re rushing to the toilet before a big exam or getting ‘butterflies’ when you’re nervous. The gut receives messages from the brain about how it’s feeling and also sends them back! Some people are more sensitive to the gut effects of negative emotions like stress, anxiety and low mood. Chemicals from your brain can directly impact how you feel gut pain/discomfort and how fast/slow your gut moves food through. Gut symptoms like pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea etc, feed back to the brain to cause more negative feelings and lead to a vicious cycle of symptoms. But there’s good news! There are proven ways to help break this cycle by changing how we think, feel and act. These include:
– Cognitive behavioural therapy delivered by a trained psychologist. I encourage most of my IBS patients to include a psychologist as part of their team when preparing their care plan.
– Gut based hypnotherapy- Yes, I was sceptical when I first heard this too but the evidence base is growing to support this. Just be ware that hypnotherapy is a relatively unregulated industry. Your GP can help you find a licensed therapist with experience in treating IBS.
– Other techniques to help you de-stress like mindfulness/meditation
If stress is an issue for you, your GP is a great first point of contact to discuss strategies that might help.