# Has anyone tried the Nerva app by Mindset Health?



## FinallyFree (Aug 23, 2014)

Good day,

I was thinking of trying Nerva: IBS Self-Guided Hypnotherapy by Mindset Health.

https://www.mindsethealth.com/nerva

Has anyone else here tried it?

Thanks,


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## GJMody (May 11, 2019)

I have listened to Michael Mahoney IBSaudio100 CDs. It's origin is in UK. It's gut directed hypnotherapy. It does work but didn't work for me in the long run. You may Google it to get details.


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## aries_wmn (Apr 28, 2019)

I was looking at this last night. I was considering it, which is how I know I'm a bit desperate since I am suspicious of hypnosis as a legit therapy. If you try it, please report back!


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## aries_wmn (Apr 28, 2019)

After doing some more reading I decided to try the free trial of this, because they seem to have a high success rate.

I have used the app for six days now. I have seen a small but consistent improvement. Before beginning, I was taking a stimulant laxative and a large dose of Mag Ox every night + using fleet enemas multiple times a week.. Since starting, I have not needed to use enemas. ( I am still taking the laxatives.) I have a lot of hypervisceral pain in the rectum and abdomen, which I think has decreased about ten percent. So not a huge improvement, but noticeable and consistent.

I am planning to continue using the app, but I'm also starting Amitza today. My IBS-C is pretty severe, and has been really interfering with my life (and sleep!) for quite awhile, so at this point I think going at it from multiple angles is a good idea.

Basically you listen to a twenty minute hypnosis session daily. I like the visualizations, but sometimes the dramatic hypnosis voice seems a bit ridiculous when talking about IBS symptoms, LOL. But, I figure, since it does help somewhat, I can keep at it. 20 minutes a day is not a huge time commitment. There are also readings with info about IBS, which aren't really that insightful, but may be useful to people who haven't had IBS as long as I have.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for the update. that's good that you've had at least a little improvement.

good luck with amitiza. hope it works for you.

i forget--have you tried motegrity or zelnorm yet?

i sure do understand what you mean abour ibs-c interfering with one's life....good luck!


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## aries_wmn (Apr 28, 2019)

I tried motegrity and had a partial response, but it stopped working. I tried Zelnorm briefly way back when I was first diagnosed (14yrs ago), before I knew anything about the need to take a laxative everyday. So it's possible another trial of Zelnorm would be an option.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

that's too bad that motegrity stopped working. i've heard others say the same thing.

yes, do give zelnorm a try. it worked well for me although if i took it every day it would stop working so i tried taking it every other day or every second day and then it worked fine. it seems like my body built up a tolerance to it very quickly if i took it every day. but that's me. hopefully it will work well for you. good luck!


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## aries_wmn (Apr 28, 2019)

Wanted to post an update about the Nerva app, after using it for a bit longer.)

The day after after posting about not needing to use an enema...I had to use an enema. Otherwise, I would say the benefit has remained the same---about 10 percent. I do notice a bit of a pain reduction after listening to the sessions. One thing I really don't like about the app is that the readings and hypnosis really focus on anxiety and stress as an IBS trigger, and encourage people to pay less attention to their symptoms. To an extent that it seems like blaming patients for having IBS. I honestly feel I've lived my life at the opposite extreme, trying to ignore my symptoms as much as possible, which isn't great either. I know stress is a trigger for some people, but it's not the case for everyone. So this may be a better option for those who feel stress is their trigger.

Another "reading" on the app states that "there is no known cause of IBS," which I really feel is overstating it. It's just that the cause of IBS is complicated.

Things remained the same for me while using the app until I started a higher dose of Amitza+a new probiotic, although it's too early to know if this will work out for me long term. I'm still trying to stick with the app because any reduction in symptoms is beneficial.


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## FinallyFree (Aug 23, 2014)

aries_wmn, thank you for your insight, very informative


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## aries_wmn (Apr 28, 2019)

So I'm just going to keep using this thread as I continue to use the app.

Here's an excerpt from one of the readings:

"Resilience is the ability to adapt positively to stress in people with irritable bowel syndrome, we understand that they also have decreased resilience, particularly the ability to bounce back from adversity compared to people without irritable bowel syndrome." It goes on to describe ways to "build resilience."

This reading bothered me a lot, as it argues that IBS patients are more neurotic than the rest of the population. Nice! Helpful! Not at all like the stereotype that "IBS is all in your head!" Not at all like blaming symptoms on hysteria!

Anyways, I did some research, and apparently *all *GI conditions are associated with decreased resilience, and the more severe your symptoms are, the more likely you are to be labeled someone with "decreased resilience." I've posted a link below that states that decreased resilience is associated with more severe symptoms. It seems obvious to me that severe symptoms are likely to make one feel less resilient, rather than the other way around. IMO people with decreased "resilience" are people without access to a successful treatment.

It's important to note that this approach is used for a lot of chronic pain conditions. There's a focus on getting the patient view the experience of disease differently, and respond to it differently. The app also mentions "hypervigilance," and urges patients to pay less attention to symptoms, which is another technique often used for other forms of chronic pain.

However, I think the primary focus should be on treating the disease effectively, not convincing patients to view the disease differently.

Link to research on IBS and resilience:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1542356520311526

" Conclusions: Resilience is lower compared to the general U.S. population but does not appear to be specific to IBS as it is comparable to other chronic GI conditions. Low resilience negatively affects symptom severity and mental health and thus, may serve as a novel therapeutic target."


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