# Questions about Mike's CDs



## 20004 (Feb 27, 2007)

Hi I have been reading the forum for about 5 weeks. Purchased Mike's CDs and am on day 17 also began taking Calcium 4 weeks ago. I have had IBS D for 20 plus years. I controlled it with CBT and immodium until about 12 years ago when the urgency became worse after a difficult birth and then the increasing cycle of anxiety. The calcium and continued immodium (for when I need to go out) is making me quite constipated, a feeling I initially enjoyed but now I am not going for days on end and today have some constipation pain.I have a couple of questions. When visualising during the tapes I am obviously thinking of slowing down my gut for the diarrhoea. Now I am constipated should I visualise speeding up?? The thought of doing this is making me anxious because I have never been in a position to want to hurry a BM. Or should I pull back on the calcium and continue to visualise slowing down? Hope that makes sense.I think I have just lost any sense of what normality should be over the years.Generally I am feeling less anxious, am sleeping better and thinking less of my bowels. This may be partly that I have also stepped back from life and am keeping at home as much as possible because I had come to such a crisis point.Secondly I often fall asleep and sometimes wake as he counts to 10 but I have also woken up during what must be session 3. Does this matter?I would appreciate any advice.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi Kikicat and welcome to the forum,Firstly, please do read all the entire booklet that came with your program, as many questions are answered there, as well as the FAQ thread on this forum, and on www.ibscds.com - many of your questions are addressed there.Firstly, as far as the individual sessions and your visualization, you do not need to actively do anything one way or the other - that is why the two options are given in that session - your subconscious mind will automatically apply what is needed, you don't have to "actively" think about which one to do, just listen passively to the suggestions, and your own subconscious mind will provide the balance that is needed for you.As far as taking calcium and Imodium, you may want to cut the Imodium out - espeically if you are keeping at home. Sufferers once "dependant" on it were able to cut back dramatically and most even quit taking it altogether as they progressed with the sessions, so something to consider. As far as the calcium, you can cut back your doseage if needed, tho it is good to take it for health reasons - the Imodium should be the one to cut back on, or eliminate if you are constipated. Do not be concerned about how this will affect the visualizations - but do know, that some people, not all, but some will vascillate back and forth a bit for a small time as their body finds just the right balance - if this happens, do not be discouraged by it, and just keep on - you will be fine. And too, remember that even folks without IBS have days where the bowel motility changes, due to many factors, which is actually normal, and not IBS - so assure yourself of these things, and it will make you feel better.The fact that you are less anxious and sleeping better and thinking less of your bowels is great - and these are the very things usually reported by individuals early on in the program - so this is a very excellent indicator that the program will most likely be helpful to you for your IBS symptoms.Falling asleep is perfectly fine - this is outlined in the introduction and in the booklet - however, you may need to program your CD player so that it does not play another session - the order in which the sessions are listened to according to the schedule is a big part of the therapy itself, in how we learn and take on new thought patterns - so do not listen ahead - even if you are "sleeping" through it - it still "gets in" - so take a peek at the above website on the FAQ for info on how to set your CD player to play only one track at a time. If your session is track 2, your player should shut off automatically - it is only when your scheduled session is on track 1 that you need to have it stop after that track has played.I too lost a sense of normality over the years - the program helped me get my life back - and I am sure it will help you too...All the best to you in your journey to feeling better, and hope this helped you out a bit...Take care..


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## 20004 (Feb 27, 2007)

Thanks Marilyn, your advice makes perfect sense.I shall continue with the calcium, half a tablet three times a day as it is making things firmer. The problem with the Immodium is that I am so used to taking it to get through events and I take it as a precaution because I often have no warning. I shall try to take it only if necessary.I think the hardest part, as you mentioned, is to unlearn behaviour. I really cant remember a time where a normal BM every morning ever happened and I am so used to pushing away thoughts of going because even a normal BM is often followed by 6 or 7 urgent diarrhoea episodes.I am hoping that over the course of the tapes my mind and body will sort this out and I shall try not to actively preempt it. It is hard when it feels like small changes are happening not to want to rush ahead but I will take your advice and let it do its work! After all I have had this for so many years! Many thanks.


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