Irritable
Bowel Syndrome and Hypnosis
By
Melissa J. Roth, Cht, DCH(c)
Irritable
Bowel Syndrome, also known as spastic colon, colitis, or nervous
stomach, is a baffling and complex set of gastrointestinal symptoms
that affects 15% to 20% of the population (approximately 20
million people). It is characterized by intermittent abdominal
cramping, constipation, diarrhea, a combination of both constipation
and diarrhea, pain and bloating. Some IBS patients report having
both constipation and diarrhea in the same day. Two thirds of
the patients are women. It is the second most cited reason
for missed work days. It accounts for approximately half
of all visits to gastroenterologists.
 The
causes of IBS are unknown. A diagnosis of IBS is actually a
diagnosis of exclusion--you rule out everything else. Since
IBS symptoms overlap a number of other, potentially life-threatening
conditions, it is imperative that the person see his/her physician
or a gastroenterologist, to receive a proper diagnosis. While
it is not clear what causes it, we know that people with IBS
have changes in the way sensations are perceived in the colon.
There are some anatomical changes in the lining of the colon
and to the nervous system of the colon. What causes these changes
is unknown. Symptoms range in severity from an occasional mild
episode to a debilitating, life-altering illness which prevents
the individual from working or from functioning normally. The
symptoms are exacerbated by stress, changes in diet and changes
in daily routine, among many other things. Some people are so
sensitive they must eat virtually the same foods, in the same
proportions, at the same times each day or suffer the consequences.
Until recently, IBS was thought to be simply a "nervous" disorder
and was not taken as seriously as it deserved. While IBS will
not kill you, it is far more than just a nuisance.
Traditional
treatment consists of fiber therapy, antispasmodic medications
and antidepressants. Fiber is added to the diet both through
the use of bulking type laxatives and a high fiber diet. These
are just as important for those people whose chief complaint
is diarrhea as it is for constipation. Antispasmodic medications,
such as Bentyl, reduce the spasms in the gut. Antidepressants,
in this case, actually function on the nervous system of the
gut to reduce its sensitivity to pain and other sensations rather
than acting as emotional antidepressants. However, anyone who
has suffered from the symptoms of IBS for any length of time
justifiably presents with some degree of depressions. It is
important to note that only 25% of the people who suffer with
IBS symptoms respond to traditional treatments. That means that
75% do not seem to improve with traditional treatments or do
not improve enough to actually feel better.
However,
the evidence is overwhelming that IBS symptoms do respond to
hypnosis. Not only do they respond, but they respond dramatically!
The research evidence to support this is so dramatic and so
overwhelming that Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, chair of the National
Women’s Health Network in Washington, D.C., says that
hypnosis should be the treatment of choice for severe cases
of IBS. In my practice, so far, 100% of the clients I have treated
with hypnosis have shown marked improvement in their symptoms.
Seven of the first eight clients (the number in the first phase
of a three-stage research project) became symptom free during
the six sessions. While the eighth subject did not become symptom
free in the standard six session regimen, his symptoms did improve
significantly in the number of symptoms, duration and sever Irritable
Bowel Syndrome And Hypnosis
By
Melissa J. Roth, Cht, DCH(c)
Irritable
Bowel Syndrome, also known as spastic colon, colitis, or nervous
stomach, is a baffling and complex set of gastrointestinal symptoms
that affects 15% to 20% of the population (approximately 20
million people). It is characterized by intermittent abdominal
cramping, constipation, diarrhea, a combination of both constipation
and diarrhea, pain and bloating. Some IBS patients report having
both constipation and diarrhea in the same day. Two thirds of
the patients are women. It is the second most cited reason
for missed work days. It accounts for approximately half
of all visits to gastroenterologists.
The
causes of IBS are unknown. A diagnosis of IBS is actually a
diagnosis of exclusion--you rule out everything else. Since
IBS symptoms overlap a number of other, potentially life-threatening
conditions, it is imperative that the person see his/her physician
or a gastroenterologist, to receive a proper diagnosis. While
it is not clear what causes it, we know that people with IBS
have changes in the way sensations are perceived in the colon.
There are some anatomical changes in the lining of the colon
and to the nervous system of the colon. What causes these changes
is unknown. Symptoms range in severity from an occasional mild
episode to a debilitating, life-altering illness which prevents
the individual from working or from functioning normally. The
symptoms are exacerbated by stress, changes in diet and changes
in daily routine, among many other things. Some people are so
sensitive they must eat virtually the same foods, in the same
proportions, at the same times each day or suffer the consequences.
Until recently, IBS was thought to be simply a "nervous" disorder
and was not taken as seriously as it deserved. While IBS will
not kill you, it is far more than just a nuisance.
 Traditional
treatment consists of fiber therapy, antispasmodic medications
and antidepressants. Fiber is added to the diet both through
the use of bulking type laxatives and a high fiber diet. These
are just as important for those people whose chief complaint
is diarrhea as it is for constipation. Antispasmodic medications,
such as Bentyl, reduce the spasms in the gut. Antidepressants,
in this case, actually function on the nervous system of the
gut to reduce its sensitivity to pain and other sensations rather
than acting as emotional antidepressants. However, anyone who
has suffered from the symptoms of IBS for any length of time
justifiably presents with some degree of depressions. It is
important to note that only 25% of the people who suffer with
IBS symptoms respond to traditional treatments. That means that
75% do not seem to improve with traditional treatments or do
not improve enough to actually feel better.
However,
the evidence is overwhelming that IBS symptoms do respond to
hypnosis. Not only do they respond, but they respond dramatically!
The research evidence to support this is so dramatic and so
overwhelming that Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, chair of the National
Women’s Health Network in Washington, D.C., says that
hypnosis should be the treatment of choice for severe cases
of IBS. In my practice, so far, 100% of the clients I have treated
with hypnosis have shown marked improvement in their symptoms.
Seven of the first eight clients (the number in the first phase
of a three-stage research project) became symptom free during
the six sessions. While the eighth subject did not become symptom
free in the standard six session regimen, his symptoms did improve
significantly in the number of symptoms, duration and severity.
He has continued his sessions to gain even greater relief. All
of these clients had refractory (meaning that had not responded
to drug and diet therapy) IBS symptoms for greater than four
years. Most reported that the symptoms had started in childhood.
Clients ranged in age from 35 to 50 years old. Although all
of them were on multiple medications, including steroids, bulking
laxatives and on special diets, none of them had gained relief
from their symptoms.
For
instance, Melinda is a 35 year old special education teacher.
When Melinda first came to my office, she had recently been
released from the hospital for a particularly severe episode
of uncontrolled diarrhea. She was on high dosages of multiple
medications. She reported that the medications had too many
side effects, and that in spite of them, she had not seen much
improvement in her symptoms. While she was no longer experiencing
fecal incontinence, she still had watery stools several times
a day. When asked to rank her symptoms on a scale of zero to
ten, with ten being the worst and zero indicating the absence
of symptoms, she ranked them as follows: diarrhea 5; abdominal
pain 7; bloating 8; fatigue 8. At the beginning of the sixth
and final sessions she ranked the same symptoms as follows:
diarrhea 0; abdominal pain 0; bloating "maybe 2"; fatigue 0.
She reported these results in symptom improvement in spite of
higher levels of stress caused by the unexpected deaths of two
close friends. Working in conjunction with her physician, Melinda
is now off medications for her IBS symptoms.
Jackie
characterized her symptoms as a "panic attack of the bowels."
After only two sessions, she reported that her symptoms had
improved so much that she "actually got out with (her) family
and went a few places" for the first time in over four years.
She cannot remember when she did not have IBS symptoms. Now,
she reports that she "feels better upon awakening than I have
in years." She no longer has abdominal pain upon awakening.
Even though she had one period of diarrhea in a time of unduly
high stress, she still had no pain associated with it. Working
in conjunction with her physician, Jackie has come off all the
drugs she was on prior to starting the program and has not had
a return of her symptoms even though her stress levels remain
high.
Susan,
a financial specialist, during her first visit characterized
her symptoms as: pain 10; gas 7; bloating 10; constipation 10;
and diarrhea 2. By the middle of the program, she reported her
symptoms as follows: pain 0; gas 1; bloating 0; constipation
0-1; diarrhea 0. By the end of the program, she reported zeros
in all categories.
 The
common thread among these people is that they had unabated IBS
symptoms which interfered with their daily living. None of them
actually believed hypnosis would work to alleviate their symptoms.
However, they were so desperate for relief they were willing
to try anything. They were desperate for hope, for an alternative
to learning to live with debilitating symptoms. Now, due to
hypnotherapy treatment for their symptoms, they have been able
to return to a much more normal lifestyle.
The
hypnotherapy program I used with this people was modified from
the research done by gastroenterologist P. J. Whorwell, MD,
in Manchester, England, and Dr. Olafur Palsson's research done
at Eastern Virginia Medical Center. The clients came for six
to eight sessions spaced two weeks apart. The hypnosis portion
of their session was tape recorded and they were instructed
to play the tape for themselves daily until the next session.
All suggestions and imagery was "gut specific" and incorporated
information on how a normal gastrointestinal system functions.
Suggestions were made about the intestines being coated with
a special protective coating to insulate it from irritants,
etc. At the last session, subjects were taught self hypnosis
techniques and given instructions on how to formulate their
own self hypnotic suggestions.
There
is no doubt in the world literature that hypnosis is a highly
effective treatment for IBS symptoms. In today's climate of
managed care, hypnosis represents a brief therapy which is benign,
inexpensive and non-invasive. Since IBS symptoms fluctuate,
you have to evaluate the results over a long period of time.
What Dr. Whorwell, Dr. Palsson and I all found to be true is
that the greater number of sessions, the longer lasting relief
the client gets. While many clients will report symptom relief
after one to two sessions, unless they come for multiple sessions
spaced over a period of three to four months, they will notice
a gradual "creeping back" of their symptoms. Clients following
the multi-session approach have maintained their symptom improvements
for up to three years after the sessions ended - so far.
In
today's insurance climate of managed care, hypnotherapy for
IBS symptoms is being enthusiastically embraced. It is imperative
however, that you work closely with the client's personal physical
and that you not accept clients who have not gotten a definite
diagnosis of IBS.
Melissa
J. Roth, Alabama Hypnotherapy Center,
or
, (205) 933-5705
Melissa
J. Roth is a Certified Hypnotherapist and a Doctor of Clinical
Hypnotherapy candidate through the American Institute of Hypnotherapy.
Ms.
Roth is the President of the Alabama Hypnotherapy Center located
in Birmingham, Alabama.For more information on hypnotherapy
and Ms. Roth's services, please contact her at 205-933-5705
or via e-mail at
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