How does Hypnotherapy help I.B.S.?
Hypnotherapy has
been shown to be very effective in helping people with irritable
bowel syndrome (I.B.S.) for nearly 30 years. I.B.S. seems to be open to treatment with hypnosis because it is not
caused by any physical or structural damage to the gastrointestinal tract
but is thought to arise from alterations in gut movements and sensitivity. These
changes are susceptible to modulation by the mind.
In Hypnotherapy a
specially trained therapist induces hypnosis, which is a natural safe
state of mind, usually by talking to you gently. The feeling is of comfortable,
relaxed altered awareness, rather like day-dreaming. In this relaxed state
you are more able to accept and create positive suggestions to help your
well-being. During hypnosis you will be aware of where you are and what is going on and
usually hear every word the therapist says. The process is a long way from
stage hypnosis and you are treated with respect and compassion. Janet Tomlin is
an experienced Hypnotherapist who specialises in helping people with I.B.S., an
area where conventional medicine often struggles.
Hypnotherapy improves the misery of I.B.S. in a number of ways. Hypnosis promotes relaxation and reduces stress, which is usually very beneficial. Many people find their I.B.S. flares up when they feel tense or stressed and learning better coping mechanisms can help to ameliorate this. A number of studies have shown that hypnotherapy helps decrease both the sensitivity in the gut and the patterns of muscle contraction, and also alters the way gut pain is perceived by the brain. It can help people feel in control of their illness and find new ways to respond to their symptoms.
The medical field recognises that hypnotherapy for I.B.S. can be an effective way to treat and prevent pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, gas, and bloating.
Current N.I.C.E. Guidelines, which GPs use to help them decide the most appropriate treatments, state that “Hypnotherapy should be considered for patients with IBS diagnosed for more than 12 months duration.”
An audit of the first 250 patients treated in a specialist unit in Manchester was published in 2002. It found that a course of hypnosis improved bowel habit in 78% of people.
One particular advantage of hypnotherapy is that rather than relieving a single symptom, it has been shown that it relieves many features of the condition, including quality of life and psychological distress. Interestingly, it also relieves the additional symptoms from which so many people with IBS suffer such as nausea, lethargy, backache, and urinary problems. This is in sharp contrast to the medications currently available for I.B.S., which often help one or two symptoms if at all.
Janet Tomlin uses techniques based on those of the specialist Hypnotherapy Unit of the South Manchester University Hospital Functional Bowel Service.
Therapy involves a course of 4-6 one-hour sessions over 2-3 months. These may be followed by 'top-up' sessions at regular intervals to ensure continued relief.
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