Hypnotherapy and NLP's Role in Helping
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
Authored by Peter Hayward-Brewer

About IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Many people in our society today are being diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and often it is considered to be an irritating complaint that people just have to live with. But for anyone actually suffering with this condition, the reality is that it is a painful, uncomfortable condition that is debilitating and at times embarrassing.

What is IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)?
Likewise IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease ) is another long term chronic condition that radically affects people’s quality of life. IBD – usually diagnosed as Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis, are very painful diseases which can affect men and women , usually between the ages of 10 and 40. There are 80,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The symptoms are painful, non-stop diarrhoea, pain in the gut, weight loss, constant fatigue and nausea. Once diagnosed the treatment is either to receive medication for life or to undergo radical invasive surgery.

IBS or IBD and Stress
Although there is no clear proof , one of the suspected outstanding causes is thought to be stress for both IBD and IBS. With this in mind complimentary therapy such as hypnosis and NLP can be used to great effect.

Because both conditions feature the use of the bowels, many people find it difficult to discuss their symptoms and many fear the lack of control they have.

Helping IBS and IBD Sufferers
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) can therefore be used to great effect here, enabling people to get themselves in to stronger more confident mental spaces. This can include using visualisation to help their healing process (both the physical and the mental side of things.)

My experience of working in this area shows that very little emotional support is given, or even offered, and clients have even shared with me the serious consideration of suicide. These conditions have to be managed as they are incurable and so often people’s life paths are restricted or need to be changed. NLP can help people re-evaluate and set new realistic goals for themselves.

Self Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Helps IBS - IBD
Hypnotherapy helps not only with giving good quality relaxation, but again can aid with healing and the sense of well-being. Continued use of self hypnosis, working in conjunction with a skilled therapist enables the client to feel empowered, back in control and therefore healthier and even enjoying a relatively symptom free existence for long periods of time..

Hypno- analysis has also proved effective with a number of clients, enabling them to find the historical causes of their stress and improving their physical well–being in the present. This enables them to feel so much more in control as opposed to having their life controlled by a disease.

The medical profession is mixed on the use of complimentary therapy in this field. The response ranges from, ‘if it helps – great – but don’t stop taking the tablets’, to ‘ it’s all mumbo jumbo’! I believe it is important that to work with the Medical Profession, and they will eventually see the positive contribution hypnotherapy, hypno-analysis and NLP can make.

Hope for IBS and IBD Sufferers
One individual I know was faced with surgery (or would die) spent a night using NLP and self hypnosis and visualisation. By the morning they had improved enough to not need the surgery. In my opinion it is down to the power of the mind/body connection and especially the power of belief.