As Socrates said “There is no illness of the body except for the mind.”
That may not be entirely true but according to Bruce Lipton who wrote The Biology of Belief, 99% of illnesses are not caused by viruses or bacteria, but by ourselves.
This understanding was a major turning point in my health journey as it enabled me to understand that the way I was experiencing my health problems was greatly exacerbating the symptoms but also the impact it was having on my life in general.
When it comes to the function of our digestive system, I think we have all experienced the power our mind has over bowel activity and vice versa whether from exam nerves or excitement about a date. Added to that an upset stomach will make you nervous about going too far from a toilet and being nervous of being too far from a toilet will create an upset stomach.
This is down to the interaction between your mind, nervous systems and gut response.
Mind/body
When you are anxious the body goes into sympathetic nervous system activation (SNS) otherwise known as fight and flight, with that many changes occur in the body. The significant one on digestion is that the blood is diverted away from the digestive system as the need in your muscles is far greater, the clue to why is in the name: fighting or fleeing the situation. Consequently it naturally off loads whatever is in the system so it is one less process for the body to do.
Each time you get stressed there is a level of this activity going on, that can cause interrupted movements and spasms as the intestines are basically on a constant stop go cycle.
This in turn can set up all sorts of over activity in the nerves in response to the discomfort that is caused and can contribute to other gut disorders like SIBO.
When you are relaxed and calm you are in your Parasympathetic Nervous system (PNS) otherwise known as rest and digest, so probably no explanation needed as to why that would benefit any gut disorder.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is being in a state of relaxation, being in your PNS but also tapping into the language of your unconscious mind: your breath, your body and your imagination. Add to this that in a state of relaxation we enter a Theta brainwave state, a state where we can learn through suggestion, which is why positive suggestions are used in hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy as a treatment has been very well researched by the medical world and in particular at Manchester University hospital, its findings being that hypnotherapy is up to 80% effective in treating the disorder and the results last at least 5 years.
Better than any medication!
Both education and understanding about the gut and how hypnotherapy will make the real physiological changes to improve gut function, both during and after the session is as important as the hypnosis and the continued practice.
Gaining an understanding and changing the beliefs, habits and triggers relating to bowel habits, that will have undoubtedly embedded themselves in your daily life, is another way that hypnotherapy can achieve life changing results for IDS and managing other disorders of the gut.
Getting Help
I am a specialist in hypnotherapy for health disorder including pain and managing any chronic health issue. I offer 1 – 1 sessions and group programmes both online and in my Healthful Mind Clinic in Wimborne Dorset.
If you would like to know more then please call me Alexa Warner on 0333 772 6233 or book a complimentary consultation.