Using hypnotherapy to beat IBS by:Sophie Lee

Hypnotherapy is one of the best known and most widely used treatments for IBS

, and can offer sufferers a drug-free solution to their symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain and bloating.

There are now many hundreds of hypnotherapists who offer what is called "gut-directed hypnotherapy" for IBS, which takes the general techniques of hypnotherapy and applies them directly to the abdominal pain and digestive symptoms which IBS sufferers struggle with. This type of hypnotherapy has been clinically tested and found to be very helpful to many IBS patients.

One of the first studies of hypnotherapy for IBS was conducted by Dr Peter Whorwell, a leading expert on IBS and hypnotherapy in the UK. A trial he conducted in the 1980s found that a group of IBS sufferers who had failed to respond to other treatments showed dramatic improvements when treated with gut-directed hypnotherapy. Since then, other therapists have shown similar results.

What hypnotherapy involves

Hypnotherapy in a medical setting bears no relation to the kind of stage hypnosis where volunteers are made to do ridiculous things in the name of entertainment. In fact, patients remain entirely in control of their own actions, and are simply coaxed into a kind of deep relaxation state.

While the patients is in this state the therapist will talk to you and make positive suggestions - one typical method for IBS is to ask you to place your hand over your abdomen and imagine that a healing warmth is flowing from your hand to your stomach.

Some hypnotherapists will record each session for you so that you can listen to them again between your appointments, and therefore increase the effectiveness of the therapy.

Self-hypnosis

If you don't have the time or the resources to visit a qualified hypnotherapist, you might find some relief in one of the self-hypnosis CDs available, which can be listened to in the comfort of your own home.

While you will not get an individual treatment program from a ready-made CD, you will be able to benefit from the general hypnosis approach, and you can choose to listen to the CDs whenever you have the time.

The IBS Audio Program, developed by the UK hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney, is the most widely used program for IBS sufferers, and is available on audio CD and cassette. The program is designed to be used over 100 days, and includes four CDs and a program booklet. The makers claim that around 80% of listeners experience a significant reduction of pain and bowel dysfunction.

The program consists of three therapeutic session CDs, with an introduction and five different hypnotherapy sessions. It also includes a bonus fourth CD (the IBS Companion), which explains IBS to non-sufferers.

About the author

Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS for more than 15 years. She runs IBS Tales http://www.ibstales.com where you can read hundreds of personal stories from IBS sufferers and self-help tips.

sophie@ibstales.com

POST COMMENT

How Bad Breath Affects Your Self-Esteem by:Ted Kushner Benefits of Garlic by:AyurvedicCure.com Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by:edbishop Elderberry Can Boost The Immune System In The Winter by:Darrell Miller The Good Thing about High Blood Pressure-You Can Naturally Treat Hypertension by:Joe Barton Boost your Immune System by:Alfred Jones Stem Cell Research by:Gerald Armstrong Basic Weight Management by:Richard Rigor Plan To Manage Holiday Stress by:ADD Coach Jennifer Koretsky Try The Patch Not The Pill by:George M Noceti DO YOU HAVE ACHY JOINTS? by:Jane Kriese Double Whammy: Prevent Cancer and Lose Weight in One Fell Swoop! by:Laura Turner The MACS Lift… how it differs from Conventional Facelifts by:Mr A RICHARDS MSc FRCS (Plas)