In our Byfleet, Kew, Guildford and Harley Street practices Hypnosis and Hypnoanalysis are used very successfully to help any problems arising from psychological or emotional issues. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand for Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy in the successful treatment for such things as: IBS,Comfortable Birthing, Stop Smoking, weight loss and Control and Stress management etc due to the huge success rates. Contact us at Byfleet, Kew, Guildford and Harley Street. For yourFREE initial hypnotherapy consultation or to book and appointment CLICK HERE
How can Hypnotherapy help?
IBS is usually treated over six to ten sessions of Pure Hypnoanalysis thus releasing the cause, however beginning with instant results from session one where you will learn self hypnosis techniques to use to alleviate and control the symptoms together with suggestion therapy, you will also be given a self hypnosis CD to use to help master this mind power solution.
Hypnotherapy has been proven to be highly effective in alleviating IBS symptoms. Over 15 years of solid scientific research has demonstrated hypnotherapy as an effective, safe and inexpensive choice for IBS symptom alleviation.. However there are two types of hypnotherapy Suggestion Therapy and Analytical Hypnotherapy:
Suggestion Therapy can be used to manage the symptoms and will have a profound and instant effect. It can be used to reduce stress and help the individual to manage the painful affects of IBS. This method only requires one or two sessions and the individual will be given positively phrased suggestions that are adopted by the subconscious to help the individual to control the symptoms and help them in their everyday life.
Alternatively, Analytical Hypnotherapy seeks to not only to control the symptoms, but to root out the underlying cause of the problem. In essence, relieving the individual from the adverse symptoms of IBS once and for all. Psychoanalytic theory has increased our understanding of the causes of anxiety. Generally speaking stress related conditions can have their origins traced back to conflicts, feelings, and attitudes that often arise in a person’s younger years when the adult personality is still forming. When unconscious conflicts are not resolved, they can continue to affect us, producing adverse effects including real physical symptoms. Analytical Hypnotherapy seeks out the original conflict and resolves it completely.
It is well-established that hypnosis reduces the effects of stress. Your state of mind can have a direct impact on your physical well-being, even when you're in the best of health. If you're struggling with IBS, the tension, anxiety, and depression that comes from living with an incurable illness can actually undermine your immune system and further compromise your health.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an illness that interferes with the normal function of the colon (large intestine) characterised by recurrent abdominal pain and discomfort accompanied by alterations in bowel function, diarrhoea, constipation or a combination of both, typically over months or years It is a common disorder It affects people of all ages. Although healthy people commonly experience these same symptoms occasionally, in IBS these symptoms are more severe or are experienced more frequently. Women represent over 70% of IBS sufferers. Symptoms range in severity from an occasional mild episode to debilitating, life-altering illness which prevents the individual form working or from functioning normally. (IBS) affects approximately 10–20% of the general population. It is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists (doctors who specialize in medical treatment of disorders of the stomach and intestines) and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians. Sometimes irritable bowel syndrome is referred to as spastic colon, mucous colitis, spastic colitis, nervous stomach, or irritable colon.
Testimonial
Before I consulted Kathleen I was almost suicidal with constant diarrhoea, stomach pain and completely lethargic. The worst thing was I had to travel Into the city every day by tube and would constantly look for the loo, it was so stressful that I would get off the tube two or even three times on my way to and from work, just to feel safe that their would be a toilet at the station, it had begun to take over my life. From being an outgoing person who loved to travel I had almost become house bound and it had started to affect my work, my home life and my social life, in fact my social life was none existent. I felt helpless and hopeless
After just one session I felt more comfortable on my journey to work and for the first time didn’t look on the tube to find a toilet just in case I needed to go, after the second session I was even comfortable eating breakfast for the first time in three years and even went out for a meal with my wife. I have to say that the course of Pure Hypnoanalysis was certainly an emotional journey but one that was truly liberating and I feel great and haven’t had any of the old signs and know that I never will, I feel totally cured and truly thankful.
Tim Lawson
Surrey’
Tim has completely RESOLVED the unconscious conflicts that were
causing his stress and anxiety, which were in turn causing his IBS and social phobia.
Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D., chair of the National Women's Health Network in Washington, D.C., was quoted as saying that hypnosis should be the treatment of choice for IBS sufferers.
The duration of therapy will vary, but it usually takes between 6-10 sessions. On doing this the individual usually observes an improvement in other areas of life such as a general reduction in stress levels, a more relaxed approach to life, an inner calmness, and a general feeling of being more in control.
What causes irritable bowel syndrome?
We don't know what causes IBS.
· About half of people with IBS date the start of their symptoms to a major life event such as change of house or job, or bereavement. This suggests that there may be a psychological trigger for IBS.
· About 10 to 20 per cent of people will date the start of their symptoms to an acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach that causes vomiting and diarrhoea).
In the remainder of cases, the trigger factor remains unidentified.
Abnormalities in peristalsis can often be seen in close relatives of people with IBS, although without symptoms. This suggests a trigger sets off the condition in people. Nerve-signalling chemicals, particularly serotonin, appear to have an important role.
What are the symptoms of IBS?
* Abdominal pain and spasm
* Diarrhoea
* Constipation
* Bloated stomach
* Rumbling noises and wind
* Urgency - a need to rush and open the bowels
* Incomplete emptying of the bowels
* Incontinence if a toilet is not nearby
* A sharp pain felt low down inside the rectum
* Nausea, belching and vomiting
In certain cases people complain of a variety of symptoms which are not related to the gut. These include lethargy, backache, urinary symptoms, gynaecological symptoms, nausea, joint pains (fibromyalgia) and pain and clicking in the jaw joint and pain in the muscles while chewing (tempro-mandibular joint dysfunction).
IBS is not a disease rather; it is a problem of abnormal function. Although the symptoms of IBS may be severe and cause a great deal of emotional distress to the sufferer, the disorder itself is not life threatening
IBS symptoms can start at any age, but are most common in late teenage years or early adulthood.
You may experience problems in only one part of the gut or in several, and symptoms can change over time. Your symptoms will depend on which parts of the gut are involved.
Other symptoms
* Headaches.
* In women, left-sided abdominal pain, pain during sex.
* Passing urine more often.
Treatment
Medical treatment of IBS is restricted towards treating the symptoms causing the most discomfort or inconvenience to the sufferer. This can mean the avoidance of certain trigger foods or the administration of medications that help the colon by relaxing the muscles in the wall of the colon, thereby reducing the bowel pressure.
However, as stress and anxiety are at the route of these symptoms it is as important that the individual reduces the levels of stress, in order to control the body's response to stress.
Research
Medics at The University of Manchester have discovered a way to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) using hypnotherapy.
Up to eight million people in Britain suffer from IBS, with symptoms including diarrhea, pain and bloating. The condition can seriously affect sufferers' quality of life and finding treatment can be difficult, leading many doctors to feel they can do little to help.
Research by Peter Whorwell, Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology in the University's Medical School and Director of the South Manchester Functional Bowel Service, has been researching the use of gut-directed hypnosis for over 20 years. Most recently, two hundred and fifty patients who have suffered from IBS for over two years were given twelve one-hour sessions, during which they were given an explanation of how the gut works and what causes their symptoms.
"IBS is ideal for treatment with hypnosis, as there is no structural damage to the body," explained Professor Whorwell. "During the hypnotherapy, sufferers learn how to influence and gain control of their gut function, and then seem to be able to change the way the brain modulates their gut activity. "With a success-rate of about 70% Professor Whorwell believes that, although labour-intensive, hypnotherapy could be an extremely effective treatment for the condition; and a less expensive alternative to new, costly drugs coming onto the market.
"We've found it to help all the symptoms, whereas some of the drugs available reduce only a few," he said. "As IBS can be a life-long condition it could clearly be a very valuable option for patients; however it is not suitable for everyone and women tend to respond better than men."
Professor Whorwell has founded a dedicated unit at Wythenshawe Hospital which treats patients from all over the UK, as the treatment can only be carried out by a practitioner trained in gut-directed hypnotherapy and is not yet widely available on the NHS.
Former patient Sonia Pinnock said, "I suffered from IBS and was on medication for nearly 20 years, but could get little relief from my symptoms. Since visiting the clinic for 12 hypnotherapy sessions last year however they've disappeared completely "the difference it's made to my quality of life is indescribable."
Another happy patient Christine Walsh continued, "After my hysterectomy I suffered from IBS for about five years, and it totally ruined my quality of life. I couldn't plan holidays or leisure activities and at work I was often doubled-up in pain. But since having weekly hypnotherapy sessions for three months I've now been free from IBS for five and a half years - the treatment has totally changed my life."
Professor Whorwell concludes, "The term hypnosis was coined by a Manchester surgeon, James Braid, early in the nineteenth century, and it's been in and out of fashion ever since. I'd like to think that our Unit has brought hypnotherapy back to Manchester, and helped improve its legitimacy."
Neurological Dysfunction and Brain-Gut Interaction
A major development in the study of IBS and other gastrointestinal diseases in recent years has been the growing knowledge of the importance of the nervous system in the gut. The intestines are now known to have the highest concentration of nerve cells in the body, besides the brain. There is constant back and forth communication between the brain and gut, particularly through nerve cells using serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is also very important in the brain in the regulation of mood.