# Are there people doing the tapes right now that are new to them?



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

How are people getting along?


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## prplatt (Feb 1, 2003)

Eric,Thanks for asking. I am doing the tapes and am on day 41.I haven't noticed a big difference in symptoms but am trying to be patient as I know some people did not notice an improvement until the tapes were completely finished.I was very hopeful in the beginning but I think I may have reached that point where Mike talks about feeling that things aren't moving along quickly enough.Lately I'm feeling a little discouraged and beginning to doubt anything will help.I do enjoy the quiet time I spend listening and I think the messages are very soothing and relaxing.I just went on a 4 day trip to Pittsburgh and still had anxious moments on the plane and in the car.Bowel symptoms too, which I'm sure the anxiety brought on.I am also currently on Lexapro and use Xanax as needed(very rarely and only used twice on the trip).I hesitated about posting a reply here because I don't want to discourage anyone else.I'd really like to hear how others are doing so I hope you get more replies.Paula


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Paula, I am glad you posted. Don't worry about it.








Give it time, its very gradual and it just may take you longer personally, but don't give up hope and doing them, some get betterr a month after their done and so forth, so hang in there and just enjoy them like you are. Also read the compliation thread again for the info.What are the symptoms you have?


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## HipJan (Apr 9, 1999)

I will be doing some new stress management tapes soon, when I receive them. I got a set of three, plus a booklet, for ~$36. They have to do with relaxing the nervous system.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2003)

I am not new at this now, Eric, as you know.... but I wanted to post that even though I've finished the program, I still need to listen to the CD's almost every evening. If I don't, I tend to get depressed and anxious again. And it's time for me to order the TIP set whether I can afford them or not....







Michael Mahoney should receive an award for his contributions to healing.Evie


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## prplatt (Feb 1, 2003)

Eric...You asked what my symptoms are.I am an alternator.I'll go 4-5 days with no BM then the flood gates let loose and I go and go and go.It's like my bowels have 2 modes...not working at all or not being able to turn off.I also have the anxiety issue which brings on the D.Even though I have not had much D lately, I can't get the fear of it happening out of my mind and it is a constant worry of mine(being in a place where bathroom access is unavailable or conspicuous).I have tried Metamucil in the past in an attempt to be more regular but when I take even a 1 tbsp dose once a day I go too much and too loosely(sorry to be graphic but that's par for the course in here right?).I am retrying it again now and starting at 1 tsp a day.I also take Calcium for osteoporosis which probably contributes to the 4-5 day stretches of not going at all.I have some food triggers(really creamy or high fat dishes which I tend to avoid)but often my diet seems to make no difference.I also was just put on Lipitor for high cholesterol(even though I buy lo-fat and fat free everything I can)so I am trying to increase my fruit and vegetable intake so we'll see what that does.Any others tips or suggestions you have would be greatly welcome.I am so ready to work on this and get on with my life!Paula


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Paula, sorry it has taken a bit.How are you doing with the tapes at the moment?From the sounds of your evacuation mode I would say your on the c side, usally alternators go back and forth more freqently then what your experiencing.On the worry and d they feed each other the worry can cause the d and the d can cause the worry.I know your on the tapes and wait until your done to see how its going from there, but CBT can also help the concious worry part as the HT works on the subconcious worry part.Have you red DR Bolens Book?If you haven't I highly suggest you read the book and work through it also, the tapes and the book will not effect each other and are fine to do together. http://www.irritablebowel.net/ Be careful with the fruits and vegies, they can be problematic, especially certain fruits and vegies.Have you seen Heather's book on foods.She wrote an article also for my website you should read. http://www.ibshealth.com/ibsfoodsinfo.htm It can take a couple months for fiber to work and not be problematic, its good to start slow and build up the dose.Here is some fiber info for you. http://www.parkviewpub.com/fiber.html I hope your doing okay and sorry it took me a bit to reply, I hope this helps and let me know.Also this is worth reading on D for the info. http://www.aboutibs.org/Publications/chronicdiarrhea.html


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## kac123 (Aug 2, 2002)

Hi Paula - I don't want to jump in on this since i'm not planning on talking purely hypno - but your post caught my eye. I"m an alternater too and metamucil was horrible for me - i was only on 1/3 the normal dose and i was horribly bloated and things were way "too loose". I switched from metamucil over to citrucel (tried some of the others but citrucel worked the best) and increased my water intake significantly and got good results. Also for alternaters -- a lot of people say that if you are taking calcium you should take magnesium supplements as well to counter the constipating effects a little bit -- there are a few posts on this right now on the main board. I think its a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium that they recommend - its next on my list o' things to try







. I read Heather's book which Eric mentions -- i found the recipes to not work well for me and think that they have more of a benefit for people that were more consistently D prone. Thats just my two cents on that - but the book is very well written and brings to light a lot of facts about foods and IBS that i wouldn't know/realize otherwise. Also - the tapes were/are the best things i ever did for myself and my IBS! It took a while for them to kick in for me too, but when they did i was amazed. It was the first time my boyfriend and i got to go out and just walk around the mall in months without worrying about my stomach. Hope you are feeling well today! -Kac


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## prplatt (Feb 1, 2003)

Eric...Thanks for all the info. I'm going to check out the links you provided. I do have Heather's book but have not done much more than skimmed it at this point.I also bought a few books on dealing with anxiety ("The Anxiety Cure" and "Triumph Over Fear").I've worked thru a liitle of them.If I don't respond for awhile or am sporadic it's because I'm having computer problems and can't always connect.







For 3 out of the last 4 days I've had a normal formed BM in the morning.....hooray!I wish I could just forget about my bowels after that and get on with my day but I still worry, so hopefully the tapes will help with that eventually.Kac...thanks for the info and suggestions.I've never tried Citricel but maybe it would work better for me too.I am also really happy to hear that the tapes worked for you.It gives me more hope.







I'll keep you posted.Paula


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## nmwinter (May 31, 2001)

paula - another alternator here







I've donethe tapes and had succes with them. I'm going back through them now after about a year since I've had some problems lately with D. i think it was tied up with anxiety of taking a trip (the flying part gets to me with problems with access to restrooms). I will say that it helped tremendously. If anything though, the hypno can tend to make me C. But the good news is that I can work through it better nwo than before - like you, my cure for C was usually explosive and unpredictable D (which mentally threw me far more than the C).I also recommend trying citrucel - I find it a better fiber than metamucail. You can get pills now - just make sure to drink plenty of water. also, add magnesium with the calcium. you can get supplements with various amounts. I'm one of those people who finds 2:1 ratio good for maintenance..most of all, don't get discouraged. hypno isn't a quick fix but it does help a lot. it's given me more relief and hope than anything else in the past 20 years.nancy


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