Stress, anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome

It is not known what the relationship is between stress, anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or which of them appears first. But research shows that they occur simultaneously.

“When a specialist talks to people who suffer from an eating disorder, they find that about 60% of them suffer from mental disorders,” says Edward Blanchard, PhD, professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany.

The most common psychiatric disorder in IBS patients is GAD, the doctor says. He believes that about 60 percent of people with irritable bowel syndrome and psychiatric illness suffer from this type of anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder). Another 20 percent suffer from depression, and the rest have other types of disorders.

In this case, regardless of whether they have IBS, people with GAD tend to worry a lot about their health, finances, or career. Anxiety disorder can also cause other symptoms, including gastrointestinal disorders, limb tremors, muscle pain, insomnia, dizziness, and excessive irritability. Also, CHD and anxiety usually go hand in hand, as heart disease can be associated with various mental disorders.

There are a number of theories that suggest a link between IBS, stress, and anxiety:

1. Although mental health problems, such as anxiety disorder, are not the cause of digestive disorders, people with irritable bowel syndrome may be more sensitive to various emotional problems.
2. The presence of strong emotions, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, begin to trigger chemicals in the human brain that activate pain signals in the gastrointestinal tract, which causes a certain reaction in the colon.
3. Stress and anxiety can cause the human mind to experience more spasms in the colon.
4. IBS can be associated with problems with the immune system under the influence of stress.

In addition, ibs and anxiety can be one of the problems caused by mental disorders.

How to calm anxiety syndrome - ways to deal with it

There are several ways to soothe anxiety syndrome to prevent or alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The human intestines have what is known as a “brain of their own”. It's called the enteric nervous system, which is responsible for making a person's stomach “flutter” when they are nervous. This additional brain controls the digestive system. It also constantly interacts with the human brain. This connection helps to cope with the problem of irritable bowel syndrome.

What can you do on your own?

You can relieve tension yourself by cheering yourself up in some way, for example, by talking to your best friend, listening to good music, going shopping, etc. You can also try the following activities:

1. Exercise. Different types of active activities (running, swimming, fitness, and other sports) can help reduce stress and depression. They also help normal bowel movements, not too intense ones.
2. Various practices. You can try meditation, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises, and other types of practices that will help relax the body and calm the mind.
3. Exercises to reduce stress based on mindfulness and meditation. You can find special courses offered by various groups online or offline. They teach you how to cope with stress by radically changing your mindset and consciousness. You can also meditate online or learn practices from books.
4. Relaxation classes. There are various relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, that can help relieve stress and restore a calm state. You can also try visualization techniques, imagining a peaceful scene from your life.

In addition, with IBS, it is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle - to sleep normally and eat a healthy diet. Healthy sleep helps you to have a good rest, regain strength, and feel more confident and calm. There are special self-help groups where people with different types of disorders, including IBS and other digestive system problems, gather. Sometimes coronary heart disease and stress also lead to gastrointestinal disorders, so special attention should be paid to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. All these conditions can be worsened by alcohol, so it’s best to avoid it entirely during treatment or diagnosis.

When therapy is needed

If you are constantly experiencing tension and anxiety, you need to seek help from a specialist. Make sure you are prescribed the correct treatment for constipation or diarrhea. After that, talk to your doctor to see if talk therapy can help.

According to Dr. Blanchard, people with IBS should start their journey with their doctor. He will advise on all issues, prescribe an examination, and then, based on the results, make an appropriate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. After that, it is necessary to move on to psychological help, but only if the first stage does not give positive results.

The professor says that approximately 2/3 of people with irritable bowel syndrome recover through healthy eating and medication. Another 1/3 of people are patients with more severe symptoms, so they need professional psychological help. Without it, they cannot overcome the problem.

A specialist will teach you how to break the mind-body chain that aggravates IBS symptoms. The doctor will also help you develop strategies for dealing with your triggers and different methods of dealing with difficult situations. Studies show that in some cases, therapy is effective in helping to manage the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, although it may not relieve constipation or eliminate abdominal pain.

When treating IBS with therapy, the focus is mainly on behavior. There are several types of therapy:

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is a conversational type of therapy, during which you work through standard situations with your doctor that cause symptoms and learn to cope with them in different ways. For example, if the thought of going to a restaurant makes you feel anxious, CBT helps you recognize your thought patterns and patterns, and then teaches you how to find and change them.
2. Psychodynamic. This type of talk therapy helps you see how your emotions affect your digestion. The specialist usually focuses on relaxation techniques and stress management methods.
3. Hypnotherapy. Specialists use hypnosis to help people relax. In this way, they become more open to hearing positive methods of dealing with stress and behavior modification. The person is conscious, so he or she cannot be forced to do anything he or she does not want to do.
4. Relaxation training. There are many ways to calm the nervous system and reduce stress levels. One of them is progressive relaxation. It helps you work through your body by tensing and relaxing your muscles. Over time, you will learn to distinguish between tension and relaxation. In the future, you will be able to use this technique to calm yourself down.
5. Biofeedback. In this therapy, your doctor connects you to a machine that gives you information about what is happening in your body. You then use it to make the necessary changes. For example, it can help you better control the muscles that control your bowels.

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