# Talk therapy, IBS, and anxiety



## rockingirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Anyone else had issues with talk therapy for anxiety? A while ago I went to a therapist to get help for the anxiety attacks I was having due to IBS. All the stuff she would say and the books I've read tell you to talk to yourself and point out that the anxiety fear is irrational. But for us IBSers, isn't the fear rational? I have this vicious cycle of anxiety, where my stomach hurts and I think, wait is this because I'm anxious about something, or is it acting up? Then I'm anxious that I'm going to get an upset stomach, which could very well happen. Not at all irrational. So then you're supposed to think, OK, that's the worst case scenario, what will you do then? Um, hopefully find a bathroom? But there might not be one! I can just keep rationalizing it.I had the most awful spell of anxiety in a job interview today. I felt sick in the morning, then I had a full on anxiety attack as it started (blood draining from my face, stomach cramps, sweating, heart racing), which waned, but then amped back up later as the interview wore on. I've had a really awful week as there was an illness then death in the family, so I told the people about that and that it was making me sick to my stomach. They seemed understanding...I hope...and I didn't leave to use the bathroom, even though I was certain I was going to have to. However, this and anticipating the funeral I have to go to this week, has made me wish I could figure out a way to stop this anxiety! I'm curious if anyone has had success from talk therapy? At one point I had a Xanax prescription, but that didn't seem to do much at all. I also take Cymbalta which helps my stomach but hasn't done anything for the anxiety attacks. Maybe I just was seeing an unhelpful therapist?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I did Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for IBS. Did me a world of good, but it isn't always what people call "talk therapy" which can include a lot of other styles of therapy.Even if thoughts have some basis in reality (and most phobias and anxieties have some kernel of truth in them) it is the building of the problem bigger and bigger so the thoughts an anxiety and worry cause more problems than the actual physical problem that makes it worse than it would be.A healthy fear of poisonous snakes so you don't get bit is normal and well healthy. A fear of snakes to the point you can't function, while there are some snakes that can kill you, is something that needs to be worked on, and some of it the irrational isn't that the whole thing in every single bit of it is completely irrational but when you do the "worst case scenario" or making something no one else would notice or care about the biggest catastrophe ever, etc. that is the irrational part. It doesn't have to be completely and totally irrational (fear of tiny purple elephants crawling in your ear and tickling your brain, for example) but the building up of something to where the anxiety about the problem is worse than the problem.Some people do need medication as well as the appropriate therapy (and sometimes it takes going through a couple of therapists to find one that actually works for you). Usually a combination is more effective in the studies than either one by itself, but it can take some work with a doctor to find the right medications, and so they have to be told how well something is working to really be able to help find the right drug or combination of drugs for a given patient (or combination of drugs and other treatments)


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## KarenMcP (Mar 29, 2011)

I've read quite a lot lately about how certain probiotics can help relieve things like anxiety and depression. Here is a link to one article I came across:http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201012/keen-cuisine-the-pros-probioticsI think CBT is very helpful but I have long felt that the anxiety that I have had to deal with along with my GI issues started from inside. I've been unwell for 7+ years and have been told repeatedly that it's all in my head but I've had so much therapy I could be a therapist. I think I'm pretty 'normal', and that a lot of my anxiety does originate in my gut. I'm willing to try anything natural; I've had bad experiences with conventional western medications including anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication.


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