IBS recovery,

Hi all,

I recently completed the SEP, and after 7+ years of chronic neck/back pain, my pain is about 85% gone. It flares up a few times a week, like in social settings, but I’m usually able to manage it and it goes away. I’m so incredibly grateful.

Now, I’d like to try to apply the principles I’ve learned to my IBS, which has dogged me for the past two dozen years. Rather than constipation, I experience frequent BM’s, with a clear uptick amid stressful situations.

I was wondering if anyone who has used these techniques to help overcome IBS symptoms could share any wisdom about how I could get better. For some reason, thinking “psychology, not physical” feels less tenable when it comes to matters of the gut, but I am very open to being proved wrong (yet again). Would re-doing the SEP, with a focus on my stomach, be a good idea?

Best,

 

I experience an uptick in matters of the stomach during stressful situations (same with bladder), totally get you. Once my brain calms down, everything regulates. Regarding the SEP, I don't see why not! If you found it helpful and it worked for you, then go for it.

 

When I went through the SEP I did not focus on any physical body part. I just did the work. If anything I focused on my anxiety and mindset. I think your issue with the thinking physical vs. psychological is pure TMS. Your obsessive attention is simply now turned to your gut. I think this is very common with folks who face multiple TMS symptoms. Work through the SEP and work on dropping any IBS "crutches" that you use like staying away from specific foods or any other habits you built to manage your symptoms unless you have very specific medical diagnoses that require you to adopt certain ways of eg. eating. Do exactly the same thing as you do with your neck symptoms: Notice where your triggers are, and then look withing the experience (like social anxiety) to see where your truths in that lay, and why you've developed this anxiety from past experience - what's underneath it all. Just like the neck pain, you'll find the triggers soften and don't mean so much to you - and neither will the symptoms.
I did the SEP twice, and Alan Gordon's free program on this website once. I found both offered valuable skills that compliment one another. Alan's program was helpful noticing and softening the fear around symptoms.

 

You should search for IBS-related posts on this forum, especially the Success Stories subforum. IBS was identified as TMS by Dr. Sarno, and it was proven to be true by many. Most importantly, you need to apply mindfulness when dealing with IBS symptoms. Bowel movements are muscle work. Muscles are controlled by the nervous system. Muscles tighten when people are stressed.