Ibs no cure

It is quite depressing to read about ibs on the net. They keep on saying how there is no cure . It is very discouraging. When one repeatedly reads this one begins to believe it. Sorry for posting such a negative post but I have been feeling encouraged for some days but today I just happened to search the net ( I know I should not have but it is soooo addictive, wants you start you want more questions answered) and I feel so demoralized. Could anyone help me with this one?

 

There’s no “cure” because it’s not a sickness. It’s nothing more than a response to powerful emotions - this is the mind-body connection/TMS. That’s why IBS is often associated with words like idiopathic, stress, brain, etc.

Those forums are a total wasteland and echo chamber filled with people who are unfortunately in the throes of emotional crises that are being worsened by a gloomy prognosis which isn’t even true.

Same thing happened to me with stomach issues, Cymbalta withdrawal, panic attacks, and dozens upon dozens of other symptoms.

They’re wrong.

Focus on balancing your emotions, managing stress and anxiety, identifying what makes you feel happy and safe, and believing that you’re okay today. You don’t need to be “cured,” you simply need to let your mind and body both relax.

The people who remain “uncured” years later and never see improvement are missing this and only this.

 

Thank you soooo much Dorado ! I was doubting the no cure part but I am still not as confident as you are to negate it. Hearing this from you has comforted me quite a bit. It is horrible when doctors themselves say there is no cure to something that is not understood. It actually makes me mad bc we are sooooo vulnerable to professional advice. I think I must stop reading these forums but sometimes when I scroll through Facebook , it gives me back all topics relating to ibs as that is what I use to search several weeks ago. I wish facebook would stop sending me posts regarding health and ibs . Once again thkyou Dorado.

 

#1. Get out of Facebook, and fast.

#2. There is plenty of evidence that IBS is a mindbody problem.

#3. Read this instead:

https://www.amazon.com/Cure-Journey-into-Science-Mind-ebook/dp/B00WPQ98X2

It is a good book on mindbody issues in general, but in addition it dedicates quite a few pages to IBS. I will save the most delicious pages for you to discover on your own. Make sure you do not skip pp 26-27 (I am going by the print version of the book). If that does not convince you that IBS is a product of your brain, you may as well stop searching for a solution altogether and go back to Facebook to commiserate :=).

 

Just to echo @Dorado and @TG957, IBS is most definitely TMS. Take heart, you are in the right place and on the right path now!! I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis many years ago (before I read Dr. Sarno) and it was horrendous. Looking back on that time of my life, it's so obvious what was going on with me emotionally. It went away after 6 months, as mysteriously as it appeared, but I know now it's because my anxiety went down and I had shifted focus. Dr. Schubiner himself, suffered from IBS symptoms, and so did thousand of other people who got better. Don't buy into the doom and gloom out there online and in those toxic support groups. Many people have been medicalized (brainwashed) and cling to the victim narrative. Reject it. All you have is anxiety. I you absorb the knowledge and do the work, you will absolutely reverse this situation stemming from false alarm signals in your brain.

 

Thank you ! I find it difficult bc there is more negative than positive regarding ibs but it is wonderful to get any positive news regarding ibs . I will definitely search for that book . Please keep helping others

 

Hi @Nana,

Yes avoid FB and online articles like the plague...even the scientific/medical ones because those are equally useless in getting you better and have zero understanding of the brain and psychology I'm afraid. I took a course with Dr. Schubiner in the summer and he mentioned his IBS symptoms that he suffered form years ago, several times. His book "Unlearn Your Pain" is a MUST read. Stick with his book, Dr. Sarno 's work, and success stories and you will reclaim your life in no time.

 

Thank you Miffy!!!! You are an encouragement for me! I will take your advise. Have you also had Tms?

 

Oh yes! I was diagnosed with CRPS which is considered an incurable "suicide disease". I was told I would end up in a wheelchair. You can read my story in the Success thread. I'm totally better now and live a normal life.

 

Hi but in the book it also says the following and this scares me …..
“Whorwell, a world expert in irritable bowel syndrome, thinks the unexplained nature of these conditions probably reflects the inadequacy of medical tests, and that they will eventually be recognized as having a biological basis. But for now, he says, patients are often faced with physicians who use the term “functional” as a veiled insult, with the implication that they should just pull themselves together: “Often their doctor has told them it’s all in their head.”

Excerpt From
Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body
Jo Marchant
This material may be protected by copyright.

 

My physical therapist told me not to bring up Sarno because doctors would think it is "all in my head". I took it as a positive sign, because I can control what is in my head. And so I did recover completely. Like @miffybunny , I was told that my condition was incurable. Decide for yourself which way you want to go, the way of doubt or the way of healing.

 

Thank you for your reply. What I most worry is that this doctor believes there is a biological cause to ibs and he is a world known expert in ibs. If this is true than why have some people recovered from it using tms work? This is what I fear
“Whorwell, a world expert in irritable bowel syndrome, thinks the unexplained nature of these conditions probably reflects the inadequacy of medical tests, and that they will eventually be recognized as having a biological basis. “
When I read this I got soooooo discouraged bc I was hoping to read and hear how ibs is tms especially from an expert in it.

 

I think you are giving this "expert" waaayyyyy too much power first of all (he's not God), and second of all you are overthinking this much too much. All this searching and dissecting of every phrase and word is so futile and meaningless and irrelevant. It's just another distraction and just another way your brain is trying to bring you down. If you keep searching for things to disprove TMS, and to fit your negative narrative, believe me, you will have an endless supply and will stay firmly stuck. The real question is what do you want to believe??? It's up to you.

 

Thankyou for your reply. I get what you are telling me and I totally agree with you. You are right!! Sometimes I find a negative statement and I fixate on it because it scares me. I need others to reassure me that it is all right. My own reassurance is not sufficient. But you r totally right. Thank you for making me realize this. I needed to hear that. Thkyou Miffy .

 

This is the point where we all started: doubts and need for reassurances from outside. The more you work on dispelling your doubts, the more your confidence is going to come from inside. Once you confidence takes hold in your mind and you no longer need reassurances from others, you will start healing. Believe us, we have been there and made it through.

 

Thkyou TG for your reassurance.

 

Belly breathing works, focus on exhale, spasms will slow down and relax

 

Thkyou

 

Really inspiring thread this is. Thanks @Nana for bringing it up and for all the reactions!

I also have some form of IBS and I am discovering more and more the philosophy of actually not trying to fix it and letting it be how hard it sometimes is.

For me the dilemma sometimes only is: should I actively relax/work on relaxing my brain (like with hypnotherapy and much advertised as the method) or simply teaching my brain that nothing is going on by not caring at all if there is a sensation.

Curious to your experiences!

Kind regards Maxim - The Netherlands