# Just Wondering



## firstone (Jul 21, 2007)

How does CBT and Hypnotherapy involves in when it comes to IBS?. Does it deal with anxiety/depression/pain/stress or does it actually gives you the ability to get your body get in tune with your mind so you can get your digestion working right again?. Are these like excercises or more like life lessons?.Im kind of confused on how this actually works...


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Firestone, both methods are used successfully for IBS. But they work differently. They do work on the things mentioned, but the brain has a lot of control over digestion. In the case of HT for IBS stress and anxeity reduction are plus side effects basically and HT works on the physiology of IBS and how the body works. One thing they believe is it is helping to down regulate chemical the brain can activate in regards to pain in the gut. But it has other pluses like boosting the immune system, better sleep for most and other reasons.CBT works on a concious level using your brain and thought patterns to help prevent attacks. Gut directed or gut specific HT works on a subconcious level, where digestion takes place, you don't have to conciously think about digesting your foods.Barbara Bradley Bolen, [email protected] 5, 2002COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROMEThere is an old saying that if you give a child a fish, you feed that child for a day, but if you teach a child to fish, they are fed for a lifetime. In accordance with this old proverb, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that strives to actively teach people skills and strategies that they can use to help themselves feel better. A considerable amount of research indicates that CBT is effective in helping to reduce the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Many people wonder how psychotherapy can help IBS if IBS is a physical disorder. One of the major triggers that can set off or exacerbate IBS is stress. In addition, IBS is a very stressful disorder to live with. CBT provides an individual with tools for combating stress, reducing the anxiety response and thus calming the GI system.The cognitive therapy part of CBT helps individuals to identify, challenge and replace unhealthy thought patterns. When we are thinking clearly, we are able to deal with the world in a calm, rational manner. However, our thinking often gets distorted, due to our personalities, our past history, our emotional state or lack of information. When thinking gets distorted it can lead to excessive emotional reactions. For an individual with IBS, these thought distortions may lead to an anxiety response that can trigger symptoms. For example, if a person with IBS thinks "My stomach is rumbling. Uh, oh! I know I am going to be sick. What is I can't make it to the bathroom? This is terrible!", that person is going to experience anxiety and perhaps set off the very symptoms they are afraid of. If instead, the person thinks, "Just because my stomach is making some noise does not necessarily mean I am going to have symptoms. I will just focus on what I am doing and see what happens", that person will remain calm and be less likely to stimulate their digestive system.The behavioral aspect of CBT involves skill training. Relaxation techniques, including deep breathing skills and progressive muscle relaxation, help the individual to reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety. An anxiety reaction can be likened to a home security alarm. Relaxation techniques send the message to the body that there is no emergency and that the alarm can be shut off. CBT for IBS may also include skill training in assertion and anger management, as research has shown that IBS patients often have difficulty in these areas.IBS can wreak havoc on a person's quality of life. CBT helps IBS sufferers to regain a sense of control over their life. With the skills gained in CBT, one no longer needs to be a passive victim of this disruptive disorder, but can now actively use strategies which are effective in reducing the frequency, intensity and duration of IBS symptoms. Barbara Bradley Bolen, [email protected] of:Breaking the Bonds of Irritable Bowel SyndromeNew Harbinger Publications (2000)There's a lot more but this is all a good start.Here is some more infohttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...hl=hypnotherapyhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=78698http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=17437One good plus about these treatments is they are basically free of unpleasant side effects and are safe like meditation. If you have any other specific questions or concerns fire away. You might also want to read this site as well, he is a major IBS researcher as well from the UNC.Why Consider Hypnosis Treatment for IBS?by Olafur S. Palsson, Psy.D.Hypnosis is only one of several approaches to treating irritable bowel syndrome and may not be the most suitable option for all patients (click here for discussion of treatment options for IBS). However, hypnosis treatment has some advantages which makes it an attractive option for many IBS sufferers with chronic and severe symptoms:- It is one of the most successful treatment approaches for chronic IBS. The response rate to treatment is 80% and better in most published studies to date. - The treatment often helps individuals who have failed to get improvements with other methods (see for example: Whorwell et al., 1984, 1987; Palsson et al., 1997, 2000).- It is a uniquely comfortable form of treatment; relaxing, easy and generally enjoyable.- It utilizes the healing power of the person's own mind, and is generally completely without negative side effects. - The treatment sometimes results in improvement in other symptoms or problems such as migraine or tension headaches, along with the improvement in IBS symptoms.- The beneficial effects of the treatment last long after the end of the course of treatment. According to research, individuals who improve from hypnosis treatment for IBS can generally look forward to years of reduced bowel symptoms. http://www.ibshypnosis.com/whyhypnosis.htmlThis is also about successes with others.http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=5373


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

FYI"Hypnotherapeutic options. Hypnotherapy has been shown in randomized studies to improve IBS symptoms.[37] Simren and associates[38] evaluated 26 patients with refractory IBS; 13 were randomized to receive gut-directed hypnotherapy and 13 to receive supportive therapy. Colonic sensory thresholds were evaluated before and after lipid infusion. The study authors found that there were higher colonic baseline tones present in the hypnotherapy group compared with the control group at 3 months. Phasic motor events were similar in both groups, but hypnotherapy appeared to reduce colonic hypersensitivity to lipid infusion. Presumably, hypnotherapy alters colonic function via central mechanisms, but this remains to be ascertained. Gonsalkorale and colleagues[39] followed up with 239 patients who had undergone gut-directed hypnotherapy between 1 and 5 years previously. They found that 83% of patients reported that their symptoms had remained controlled since the end of hypnotherapy, and that only 17% had suffered some deterioration. Quality of life also remained improved, but these observations were uncontrolled. Therefore, gut-directed hypnotherapy should be considered an option for patients who have persistent symptoms despite standard therapy and who do not have significant psychologic comorbidity."http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/434526


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

> How does CBT and Hypnotherapy involves in when it comes to IBS?. Does it deal with anxiety/depression/pain/stress or does it actually gives you the ability to get your body get in tune with your mind so you can get your digestion working right again?. Are these like excercises or more like life lessons?.Im kind of confused on how this actually works...


Hi,Both methods deal with anxiety, depression, pain and stress and both methods can get your body in tune with your mind - but the CBT involves active thought and participation, the hypnotherapy does these things through the subconscious mind - you don't actively have to think about it, as with CBT. I guess you would be more apt to call the CBT "exercises" because you take the thoughts you have, and actively think of a replacement thought - so you are doing an excercise - which ultimately, can become "life lessons." With hypnotherapy, your subconscious mind sorts out the suggestions made -the exercises are given to you within a session but you don't actively act on them - your subsoncsious mind sorts it for you, until one day you realize you are feeling and thinking differently - reacting differently, your pain is less or gone, your IBS is less or gone, and you dont think about digestion, etc. as you once did - it sort of subtlly happens. CBT can do the same thing, but you have to go to a therapist, and find one that does this type of thing.For the hypnotherapy, if you do it in person, you have to find a therapist that does this type of IBS therapy - however, many on this BB including myself, have used the IBS Audio Program of clinical hypnotherapy, which is very effective and can possibly help you with all these issues in a simple way - no travel - and cost effective.Also read other threads on this forum about the success of both these treatments and what others have to say - and talk to your doctor as well - both methods are clinicall proven to be helpful - with hypnotherapy having a bit better track record, most likely because there is less effort involved - but both can be very helpful For more information about the two methods of treatment - You might want to take a peek at this thread - CBT and Hypnotherapy DefinedHere is an excerpt:The general difference between the two methods, put simply, is that cognitive behavioral therapy involves active direct thought on the part of the individual, and can include some elements of hypnotherapy, such as relaxation techniques, etc., whereas the use of clinical hypnotherapy works on the subconscious mind, and the patient does not have to actively do anything but listen to the sessions. Skills for coping with IBS symptoms, IBS thought patterns, worry of travel, and retraining the mind and thought processes are part of both methods.Hope this helped you a bit. Take care.


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## firstone (Jul 21, 2007)

Thanks for the info guys.... appreciate it...


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## Scorchedpath (Sep 17, 2007)

So is it a good idea to do both hypnotherapy (in my case, the IBS Audio Program) and CBT at the same time? Should I wait until I am done with the hypnosis before I try CBT? What is the best way to locate a good IBS trained CBT therapist? Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere here.


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## rhonalomey (Aug 15, 2005)

I did reply before but forgot to mention I had CBT at the same time. I live in South Africa so cant help you with therapist, but I am sure you have a clinical psychologist association and they should be able to give you the name of someone. I must add that the difference between hypnotherapy and tapes, (I know therapy is expensive ) is the hypnotherapy went back to trigger of my IBS which was something that happened in childhood, so it is not only symptoms that improve but the whole IBS problem and it will never go back to what it was before., there is some evidence that only dealing with symptoms may cause the symptoms to recur at a later stage, but I am sure then the tapes can be used again.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Scorchedpath said:


> So is it a good idea to do both hypnotherapy (in my case, the IBS Audio Program) and CBT at the same time? Should I wait until I am done with the hypnosis before I try CBT? What is the best way to locate a good IBS trained CBT therapist? Sorry if these questions are answered elsewhere here.


NO - it is not a good idea to do two different methods at the same time - this is because cognitive uses processes where you actively and mentally think through your thoughts, and hypno works with the subconscious mind.If you feel you have other issues that go beyond IBS specifically, then you should consult with a specialist - there is no best way to find one, other than look to see if those in your area are certified and ask if they have experience. The program does not address childhood trauma, etc.If you feel you have no other issues, then just do the IBS Audio Program - by itself - and you should be fine.If you want to discuss this - please call the support line at 877-898-2539 - leave your info and someone will get back to you.thanks.


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## Scorchedpath (Sep 17, 2007)

And if hypnosis does not work, do you recommend CBT for garden variety, albeit severe, IBS?


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

CBT has a good track record of helping folks, however, clinical hypnotherapy has a bit better one according to studies. The final decision is yours based on research, etc. For myself, having had very severe refractory IBS (even went to Mayo Clinic) and having taken every medication, every supplement, diet, etc. hypnotherapy - the IBS Audio Program was the one thing that finally did work for me - but since I had IBS for so long, and so severely, I did the program over three times - From what I have read here over the years I have been on this BB, I was one of the most severe - almost housebound - While it is true hypno does not work for everyone, I do know that if it worked for me, most likely it will help you. Hypnosis took away that automatic feeling of urgency every time I had to go out, just the thought of it, etc. - I am not cured, but I am way better than years ago.For now, you are setting up an expectation that hypnosis won't work, so you are already on to the next thing before you have even given the hypnotherapy a full shot - your mind set is one of failure so far - hypnotherapy breaks that mind-set. So you may want to keep in mind - one thing at a time.We did have one fellow, who did the IBS Program - he did it one time - and with it, he was able to fly to Europe - however, he felt that it wasnt enough for him, and then he did the cognitive. I only mention this to be fair. But I think if he would have just repeated the hypno program one more time, he would have nailed it better - but that is my opinion.The thing about the CBT is that if you are not near a hospital/university that is versed in the proper method, or near a therapist that is fully qualified to treat your IBS with CBT, then the therapy is only as good as the therapist .So for now, just stick with the hypno - my opinion - and give it a chance - try not to have any expectation of failure - of course, if this makes you feel any better - I did NOT believe in hypno when I first heard of it, and thought it was nuts - and here I am since 2000 - helping folks out here - so there you go...Hope that helped - Ultimately, it is your call - but that is my 2 cents for what it's worth.


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