Hypnotherapy and Ibs

Introduction to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS (as it’s commonly known as), comprises a range of conditions linked to a disturbance of the large bowel (colon) that can lead to various unexplained symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. The diagnosis of IBS depends mainly on the patient discussing their symptoms with the doctor. And only after exhaustive blood, urine and faecal tests are done to exclude other conditions. An endoscopy or barium enema may also be done to exclude any other serious illness. There is no definitive test for IBS, and the diagnosis is only made after all medical tests have proved negative. There are at present no tests that confirm IBS, because it is a result of a disturbance in the bowel rather than any abnormality of the bowel. So it is a condition in which abdominal pain occurs over quite a long period and is associated with an irregular bowel habit. Because these symptoms occur with no discernible cause it is called irritable bowel ‘syndrome’
It is often a chronic condition, though there may be spells where the symptoms completely disappear, only to return at a later time. The symptoms can also change.
Whilst IBS is not life threatening, it can severely disrupt daily life. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, some people only suffer occasional problems, whilst others experience symptoms that are so severe that they are regularly absent from work and even a simple shopping trip can be a nightmare.
In the past, many doctors believed that IBS was psychosomatic, i.e. caused by psychological upsets that lead to symptoms in the gut. This was because no signs of the condition could be found in the bowel that might account for the pain. There are undoubtedly psychological factors involved. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks and agorophobia are all fairly common in IBS patients. Some of these factors may have been responsible for the onset of
IBS, but they can also be the...