As you settle into a deeply relaxed state, you may hear, “Imagine the sun shining on your belly, warming your intestines, and feeling very relaxed.” You read it correctly! These calming suggestions are the basis of gut-directed hypnotherapy, a highly effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with proven long-term symptom relief.
Research results published in July 2020 Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology They compared IBS patients who received either standard treatment or a multidisciplinary approach that included gut-directed hypnotherapy. The researchers found that 83% of patients in the multidisciplinary group experienced symptom relief, compared with 63% of patients in the standard-of-care group. Patients in the multispecialty group were also much more likely to experience significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life than those who received standard care from a gastroenterologist alone.
In response to a growing body of evidence showing how effective gut-directed hypnotherapy is in relieving IBS symptoms and improving bowel function, the American College of Gastroenterology has published 2021 clinical guidelines. started to recommend this practice. And reviews published in January 2022. Department of Gastroenterology He noted that hypnotherapy is not only effective in helping with IBS, but it is also flexible and can be done individually or in groups, and can be done in person, virtually, or via an app.
Dr. Simone Peters, Australia’s leading gut-directed hypnotherapy researcher, recently created an app called Nerva that guides patients through a six-week hypnotherapy program.
In IBS, the brain malfunctions and interprets normal gut sensations as pain. However, through the power of hypnotic suggestion and the brain-gut connection, gut-directed hypnotherapy acts on the central nervous system and reduces the hypersensitivity of nerves in the gut.
“Patients who complete treatment often feel that this intervention helped them learn how to relax not only their gut, but also their mind,” says Megan Leal, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Michigan Medicine Gastroenterology Clinic in Ann Arbor. . Since 2012 he has been providing intestinal hypnotherapy services to IBS patients.
“This helps manage stress, which has a big impact on IBS. Patients also notice that as stress and IBS improve, they can improve other aspects of their health, such as mood, sleep, and muscle tone. I am happy to report that it also improves,” she added.
For example, people with IBS may feel stressed thinking about the possibility of a recurrence while trying to carry out daily activities, such as driving to work or going to school. Stressful thoughts themselves can activate the gastrointestinal tract. But with gut-based hypnotherapy, you might be taught to imagine your stomach feeling strong, smooth, calm, and protected while you’re driving.
“The gut becomes less responsive to strong emotions, which changes the way the brain processes information sent from the gut,” says Kathryn N. Tomasino, Ph.D., an expert in gastrointestinal behavioral health psychology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. says. In other words, gut-directed hypnotherapy prevents IBS patients from reacting negatively to symptoms and stressors, she says.
“People with IBS experience a communication breakdown between the brain and the gut,” says Dr. Leal. “Gut-directed hypnotherapy specifically targets the pathway from the gut to the brain in a way that no other treatment modality does. We have seen life-changing results for patients who have suffered from symptoms for decades. I can see it being achieved.”
“People who often say they struggle with relaxation find that things change with intervention. They can learn skills to relax their bodies and minds, which changes their experience with IBS. Patients’ Mood “Patients are empowered when they feel better and confident in their ability to manage what once controlled many aspects of their lives,” she added.
Transforming standardized thinking
During a 30-45 minute gut-driven hypnotherapy session, you will be induced into a hypnotic trance by closing your eyes. A trained hypnotherapist like Leal will lead you through deep body relaxation exercises to relax your hands, shoulders, stomach, and legs. Once you are deeply relaxed, your therapist will follow techniques such as the North Carolina Protocol. This is a standardized 7-session treatment script tested by Olafur Palsson, MD, professor of medicine and internationally recognized expert in the use of gastrointestinal hypnosis. disease at his UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Using this protocol, the therapist introduces suggestions using specific images (often metaphors from nature) that vary from session to session. For example, one week, imagine yourself at the beach listening to the waves crashing. For example, a therapist might say, “You no longer need to pay attention to unpleasant sensations in your digestive tract, like the sound of the waves you hear during a relaxing day at the beach.” In another session, you may be asked to imagine yourself sheltered in a cabin in the woods, imagining the smooth muscles of your digestive tract while you are deeply relaxed.
Customized treatment and homework
Hypnotherapy sessions can be customized to suit your symptoms and concerns. If you have problems with the way your abdominal muscles contract and relax, known as intestinal motility, your hypnotherapist may add suggestions that focus on the rhythm of digestion. “If you are experiencing pain, suggestions may emphasize the perception of pain and the sensitivity of the nerves in your gut,” says Dr. Tomasino.
In between your gut-directed therapy sessions, you may be asked to practice self-hypnosis at home four to five times a week. In these sessions, you will listen to recorded versions of guided hypnotherapy and short audio tracks to enhance your techniques for inducing a hypnotic state on your own.
What should I do if I can’t be hypnotized?
According to Tomasino, research shows that 85% of people can enter at least a mild trance, which is enough to confirm the effectiveness of hypnosis for IBS. Don’t be afraid. There is nothing mysterious about falling into an intuitive hypnotherapy trance. It is simply a state of internal absorption, concentration, and concentration. “A trance state is a state of concentration, similar to reading a good book,” Tomasino says. When you’re in the zone, the rest of the world is ignored, but you can hear someone calling your name and choose whether or not to respond. “Trance is an everyday phenomenon. We all go in and out of it every day,” she says.
Still, intuitive hypnotherapy is not suitable for everyone. “When you go into a deeply relaxed state with hypnosis, you may experience a relinquishing of control,” Tomasino says. “For people with a history of unresolved trauma, trance states can be a trigger.” People with IBS may be better off starting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to manage their symptoms. CBT teaches her how to modify her thinking and improve her emotional state, thereby reducing her IBS symptoms. According to a review article from January 2022, Department of GastroenterologyCognitive behavioral therapy “seeks to build and expand psychological flexibility and a repertoire of new behaviors that are consistent with the patient’s values.”
Overall, intuition-based hypnotherapy is worth a try. Results usually don’t come overnight, but they can happen. Riehl and Tomasino say most IBS patients notice benefits by session four. “Some patients have reduced their IBS medications or stopped them altogether,” Leal says. After seven sessions, positive results can last up to three years before a booster gut-driven hypnotherapy session is required.
To find a gut-driven hypnotherapist near you, visit the IBS Hypnosis website.
Additional reporter Jordan M. Davidson.
