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Psychotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS is not a prison sentence but a call to action. Put yourself on a healing journey towards inner peace and self-discovery, and you might just figure out what your gut is trying to tell you… Research has shown that effective treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) includes psychotherapy. It may be hard to believe that psychotherapy could actually help you if you have IBS, but it can. Without knowing the exact mechanics of how therapy works, we know that your digestive system and nervous system are integrally linked and that by shifting the way your nervous system functions, you can shift the way your digestive system functions. You Have a Brain in Your Gut Did you know that you have a “second brain” in your gut called the Enteric Nervous System (ENS)? The ENS is home to more nerve cells than you have in your spinal cord and all of the same neurotransmitters that are in your brain, explaining the powerful connection between brain and gut and giving new meaning to the phrase “gut feeling”. Your IBS symptoms are definitely not all in your head! The ENS is one component of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), also known as the visceral nervous system, which regulates functions that are mostly not within our conscious control such as heart rate, digestion, breathing, salivation, perspiration, pupil dilation, urination, and sexual arousal. While mostly not within our conscious control, these functions are not completely out of our control either; we have the ability to influence them by making certain conscious decisions. For example, by deliberately slowing down our breathing, we can slow down our heart rate. Work With, Not Against, the Nervous System Through a mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral approach, I will show you how to work with, not against, your nervous system to create beneficial, sustainable shifts that will lead to a reduction of digestive symptoms. The goal is inner peace. Why? Because if you seek making your symptoms stop, and your symptoms are mostly not within your conscious control, you will find yourself in a maddening, frustrating, stress-inducing situation. You will be at war with your symptoms, with your body, and as long as you are at war with yourself, you will never experience peace. Inner peace is attainable right now. It is not dependent on pleasure. You can find peace inside even while experiencing symptoms. Inner peace settles your nervous system, allowing it to relax. As your nervous system relaxes, your mind and body calm, and normal digestion resumes. By seeking inner peace, which is directly attainable, instead of the cessation of symptoms, which is not, you establish a clear conscious intent for your actions that indirectly promotes symptom reduction. The Healing Process Psychotherapy is not a last resort unless you wait to make your first appointment. It’s an important part of treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Reaching out for help from a psychologist is no indication of weakness or frailty. Rather, it’s a sign of strength, courage, and hope, a demonstration of your wish to heal. Change doesn’t happen when we continue doing the same things we’ve already been doing while expecting different results. Change occurs when we try something novel or different. Your healing begins the moment you decide you’re interested in exploring a new way of addressing your IBS symptoms. You may have tried therapy before, but if you’re reading this, you probably haven’t tried it with me. Psychotherapy for the first time = A New Experience Psychotherapy again + A Different Therapist = A New Experience What is Healing? One of the best definitions of healing I’ve ever read comes from a brilliant book called Healing into Life and Death written by Stephen Levine: Healing is the growth that each person seeks. Healing is what happens when we come to our edge, to the unexplored territory of mind and body, and take a single step beyond into the unknown, the space in which all growth occurs. Healing is discovery. (p. 4) Because it’s your body that’s experiencing symptoms, healing represents a personal journey for the primary purpose of learning about yourself. Learning leads to wiser decision making, and wiser decision-making leads to feeling better. Healing is an empowering process. You do not have to be a slave to your symptoms or victim of IBS. Dr. Franklin’s Personal Story of Healing I was personally diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome as a teenager and suffered greatly for several years. Through my personal journey, I became symptom-free and was inspired to offer others the kind of guidance that supports not only symptom management and reduction but also the kind of genuine healing that leads to a fully functioning life. My healing process began when I was referred by my gastroenterologist to a psychologist for weekly therapy. Though I resisted, I became so desperate for relief that I finally yielded to the idea that perhaps it would help. And it did. After just one year of weekly therapy with a psychologist, my symptoms were reduced by about half. Later, while training to become a psychologist, my exposure to a variety of approaches, modalities, and experiences led me to the realization that though I was better, I still hadn’t fully healed. I was still tolerating IBS symptoms and living in constant fear. By addressed these residual symptoms, I transitioned into a life free of symptoms and fear. My life didn’t just go back to the way things were before I developed IBS; it became even better than it ever had been!
This is a streaming radio broadcast of "Shrink Rap" where Dr. Franklin is being interviewed on the topic of IBS. (August 8, 2006) |
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