Some of us, more than others, are familiar with the dreadful feeling of butterflies in our stomachs, not literally but figuratively. Have you ever wondered what’s up with that? Yes, the feeling is accompanied by nervousness, but what does your gut have to do with your nervous system?
Why do you feel the sudden urge to pee or use the bathroom when you face a stressful situation like waiting for important results or when you have to give a big presentation?
For the short answer, your mind can change what happens in your gut. Suppose you’re someone dealing with gastrointestinal conditions like SIBO and IBS. In that case, you might have experienced an intensified manifestation of the signs when you let your mental health symptoms, especially anxiety get out of control.
Living with (gastrointestinal) GI disorders can cause stress and anxiety because the symptoms come and go in unpredictable waves. The anxiety, in turn, worsens your gut issues, making this condition a vicious cycle.
That’s why learning about other treatment methods, like hypnotherapy, is vital to patients. Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a science-backed new technology that has shown promising results in treating IBS and SIBO.
In fact, a study has shown that 70% of patients dealing with irritable bowel syndrome showed significant improvement after gut-directed hypnotherapy.
Maybe you’re familiar with hypnotherapy— often referred to as a deep relaxation or focused state that opens the subconscious mind to suggestions. But what exactly is gut-directed hypnotherapy, and how does it work?
Read on to get answers to the above-asked question. This article will also detail SIBO, the medical complications it can cause, and how to treat it using conventional or gut-directed hypnotherapy. We’ll also look at the science of this type of therapy and answer some questions you might have.
Let’s dive in!
Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy and the Gut-Brain Connection
Gut-directed hypnosis for SIBO includes hypnotic suggestions intended to “encourage” your brain to better communicate with your nerves to reduce GI disorder symptoms.
This works so well because of how the digestive system and the brain are connected. Essentially there is a two-way connection between the brain and the bowels called the gut-brain axis. The two organs communicate with each other through a superhighway of nerve fibres. In our digestive system, a group of nerve endings send signals to our brain.
Those nerve endings in patients with GI disorders tend to be more sensitive, disrupting brain-gut communication. Sensitive nerve endings can be occasioned by prolonged mental health issues like stress and anxiety or an infection that changes the microbiome of your small intestine.
When this communication malfunctions, the nerve ending in our gut that sends signals to the brain becomes more sensitive, a condition called visceral hypersensitivity.
Visceral hypersensitivity can cause your gut to misinterpret brain signals, send the wrong alerts, and lower your pain threshold. Patients then begin to feel abdominal pain, reflux, nausea, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
With this direct communication between your gut and your brain, it becomes possible to understand how hypnotherapy can improve bidirectional communication to manage SIBO better.
What Is SIBO
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a medical condition characterized by an increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine.
What Causes SIBO
The following may trigger SIBO symptoms.
- Post infectious IBS related to food poisoning
- Connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos
- Medical Conditions that slow the movement of food and waste in the digestive tract such as diabetes and hypothyroidism
- Anatomic problems in your small intestines such as obstructions, adhesions, and strictures Abdominal surgery complications such as appendectomy, gastrectomy, and cholecystectomy
- Injuries such as traumatic brain injury, sports injury, or car accident
- Medications such as opiates and antibiotics
Signs of SIBO
- Abdominal pain, especially after eating
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Lack of appetite
- Gas
- Regularly feeling full
- Bloating
- Reflux
- Nausea
Does SIBO Cause IBS?
An irritable bowel syndrome is a group of GI disorder symptoms that usually occur together and can include bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. IBS may be related to increased sensitivity to the immune system or colon.
SIBO, stress, and anxiety can trigger IBS symptoms. Usually, bacterial growth in the small intestine produces gasses like methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulfide. Gas production is associated with symptoms of IBS.
Other factors that trigger IBS symptoms include maldigestion and large bowel dysbiosis.
Signs and Symptoms of IBS
According to a review done in 2018, for a healthcare professional to diagnose IBS, the patient must have experienced the following symptoms three days per month for three months.
- Diarrhea
- Gas and bloating
- Cramping
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
Medical Complications Caused by IBS and SIBO
Though IBS and SIBO symptoms may occur in most people, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the conditions. Always consult your medical care provider if you experience any worrying symptoms.
With that said, some groups of people are at a higher risk of developing IBS and SIBO. This group includes:
- People under the age of 50
- People with underlying mental health issues (anxiety and depression)
- Women
- People with a genetic predisposition to IBS and SIBO
SIBO is associated with conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial cystitis, and restless leg syndrome.
Additionally, SIBO and IBS can lead to poor quality of life and mood disorders manifesting as anxiety and depression.
How to Treat SIBO With Medication and Diet
If you experience any severe SIBO or IBS symptoms, you should see your doctor for a complete evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.
There are usually three ways of managing SIBO: dietary changes, antibiotics, and herbal antimicrobials.
Dietary Changes
Most patients with GI disorders have reported significant improvements after implementing dietary changes or removing certain foods from their diet.
The dietary changes can include eating small meals more frequently. Make sure your meal is nutritious and balanced. If you have celiac disease, avoid gluten foods.
Some nutritionists may recommend starting a low FODMAP diet, primarily if your GI symptoms manifest as IBS. A FODMAP is a type of carbohydrate that is not adequately absorbed in the small intestine. The carbohydrate then ferments in the colon leading to GI disorders.
Antibiotics
- Rifaximin (Xifaxan)
- Metronidazole (Flagyl)
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Herbal Antimicrobials
- Oregano oil
- Neem
- Berberine
- Allicin
How Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy Can Help With SIBO?
If your SIBO symptoms have not responded well to traditional medication, thanks to science, there are alternative treatments you can give a go. One such treatment is gut-directed hypnotherapy.
This therapy is intended to decrease the brain’s awareness of that visceral hypersensitivity in the gut. The brain can also be hyper-alert with manifestations of mild symptoms like a little bit of gas or the awareness that the symptoms may occur.
Essentially, the more we think about these dreadful symptoms, the more our system is triggered, and those nerves that connect the gut to the brain begin to flare up. These flare-ups then start the manifestation of SIBO symptoms.
With gut-directed hypnotherapy, your subconscious becomes open to suggestions on communicating better with your gut after entering a more relaxed state of mind.
What a Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy Session Is Like
Sessions will usually last for about 30 minutes to an hour every other week.
Your therapist may also provide or recommend audio recordings you can use to practice the hypnosis on your own.
The session with your hypnotherapist will feature three main stages:
- Hypnotic induction
- Visualization exercise
- Introduction of helpful suggestions
The hypnotic induction is meant to lead you to a calm and relaxed state that allows you to direct your focus inside, thus reducing your awareness of the real world leaving you entirely focused on your therapist’s voice.
Usually, your hypnotherapist will have sit in a comfortable position with your eyes shut. They will then guide you through a series of relaxation instructions leading you to a focused state of inward attention.
During the visualization exercise, your therapist will use imaginative images to help you focus on your gut. They might tell you to picture your gut as a river you can control or a peaceful beach or forest you want to be in.
Finally, your therapist will make suggestions to your subconscious using statements such as, “Your gut health is getting better every day” or,” You no longer have abdominal pain, bloating, or constipation.”
The focused state you enter during the gut-directed hypnosis helps the suggestions sink better into your subconscious mind. Your mind and body then work together to correct whatever triggers SIBO symptoms.If you’re wondering how long it would take to see results with this type of treatment, a study has shown that you should expect to see reduced symptoms after six weeks of gut-directed hypnosis sessions.
The Scientific Evidence Behind Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy
Gut-directed hypnotherapy boasts a lot of anecdotal and science-backed evidence. There have been a lot of scientific studies that back the efficacy of this treatment method. The American College of Gastroenterology recommended it as a treatment for IBS.
In a 2018 clinical trial, the control group received education on IBS, and the experimental group received hypnotherapy treatment. The experimental group reported a 50% reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms. The control group reported a 23% improvement.
In another study to determine the efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy, 374 patients were monitored for changes in abdominal pain scores. The results were significant improvement in the first three months. Patients reported up to 95% improvements.A 2016 study showed that gut-directed hypnotherapy could be as effective as a low FODMAP diet. In this study, they used 15-minute hypnotherapy sessions.
Other Psychological Therapies for SIBO
Managing SIBO using hypnosis comes down to unlearning many maladaptive ways of dealing with stress or anxiety. Other psychological treatments can help us change our behavior patterns, adapt better to stress and control cognitive patterns. These methods work on the gut-brain axis to improve communication between the two organs.
Breathwork
Have you ever wondered why infants look so peaceful when they sleep? Their tiny bellies gently rise and fall with every breath they take. Unlike adults, infants breathe from their stomachs, a diaphragmatic technique.
We’re born diaphragmatic breathers, but as we grow, take on an upright position, and start to move and run, we shift our breathing to the chest.
Diaphragmatic or belly breathing chiefly slows down breathing, activating a relaxation response. This relaxation response can help with bowel movements, so you feel a psychological change in your system.
This is how you implement belly breathing: Whenever you feel your stress level rising because you’re running late for something or waiting for big news, take a deep breath through your nose. Keep breathing in for about four seconds as you feel your belly rise. You can then exhale through your mouth for about six seconds as you feel your stomach fall.
Unlike chest breathing which clenches muscles in your body, belly breathing activates your diaphragm, which in turn massages your colon and intestines.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based psychological therapy demonstrated to be effective for various medical conditions, including anxiety, depression, drug use, and eating disorders.
As a treatment option, CBT helps patients recognize problematic behavior patterns and unhealthy thoughts. From there, the patients can explore how these behaviors affect their actions and thoughts.
Once these patterns are visible to patients, they can then work on strategies to implement necessary changes.
Core Principles of CBT
The main idea behind CBT is that your actions are connected to your thoughts and emotions. So the way you feel or think about something can influence the action that you will take.
CBT also believes that you can change behavior patterns.
Here are other core principles of CBT according to the American Psychological Association:
- Psychological issues may be caused by unhelpful thinking
- Learning patterns of unhelpful behaviors may cause psychological problems
- Understanding better-coping ways can help patients relieve symptoms associated with psychological issues.
CBT Strategies to Change Thinking Patterns
There are a lot of CBT strategies and techniques used in therapy. However, your therapist will evaluate you to find what best suits your condition.
Some strategies they may use include helping you recognize how negative thinking can worsen a problem and guiding you in learning better problem-solving skills.
Your therapist may also use calming techniques and role play to help you better manage challenging situations. Once you learn how to face these challenges, you can better understand yourself and gain confidence and self-worth.
CBT in SIBO treatment
When CBT is incorporated into SIBO treatment, patients are educated about the gut-brain connection and the importance of relaxation and self-care.
CBT will also help patients learn new ways of thinking about GI disorders and how their thoughts and behavior can worsen them.
A technique called guided questioning and discovery will help patients identify the negative thought patterns they may have about their symptoms. The therapist can guide them into creating new viewpoints.
With self-talk, your therapist will guide you into replacing negative self-talk about your SIBO symptoms with positive self-talk.
Another positive activation technique can help improve your mood and reduce stress levels. You activate this positivity by planning a rewarding daily activity..
Like with hypnotherapy, your CBT therapist will give you “homework,” which can include practicing self-compassion by keeping track of your negative thought patterns through
journaling. Since these are new skills you’re learning, practicing them often will lead to positive outcomes.
Studies have shown that developing healthy coping mechanisms through CBT can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms significantly.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is a spiritual discipline that uses breathing and postural exercise to bring harmony to mind and body.
Many studies have shown that yoga can improve the body’s internal and external flexibility. When you practice yoga, you can increase the flexibility of your hip, neck, trunk, and spine better than you would with physical exercise.
Because yoga supports regular exercise and healthy eating habits, practicing it can significantly positively affect managing SIBO.
Yoga postures that target the lower abdomen can help enhance movement in and around the colon, alleviating IBS symptoms.
The breathing exercise in yoga also comes in handy when managing GI disorders. Both pranayama (breath control) and Savasana (total relaxation) have been shown to increase rest and digestion.
The techniques also create positive changes in the whole body by regulating the nervous system. These breathing rhythms have also been shown to alleviate symptoms of stress-related ailments, anxiety, and depression.
Also, yoga’s mind-body harmony promotes a positive sense of well-being and a great body experience with both internal and external organs.
Mindful meditation is similar to CBT in that it involves therapy sessions intended to reduce pain sensation, enhance relaxation and improve concentration.
Research has shown that this kind of meditation can change patterns within the brain to create better patterns of processing sensations, emotional responses, and thoughts.
For a patient managing gastrointestinal disorders like SIBO, your mindfulness-based therapist will guide you through a series of meditation activities to help you reduce fear and anxiety relating to your symptoms. Research has shown mindful meditation to be effective against gastrointestinal disorders and stress symptoms.
Get Your Life Back From SIBO With the Best Treatment for You
SIBO can not only reduce your quality of life, making you miss work days, but it can also lead to other medical complications like hemorrhoids and inflammatory conditions. Luckily, there are a lot of science-backed treatment options to manage the symptoms.
If home remedies like a low FODMAP diet don’t work, you can visit your healthcare provider for a complete evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.
Your doctor might start you on conventional treatments like a probiotic prescription and vitamin and mineral supplements.
When conventional treatment fails, there are a lot of treatment options you can give a try. One such treatment is gut-directed hypnotherapy.
For patients who would like to understand better what is happening in their GI tract, you can contact Analytical Nutrition. We focus on analyzing your unique microbiome, giving you personalized dietary and lifestyle interventions individual to your GI tract condition.
This program is intended to give long-lasting results by targeting the root cause of your GI tract problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can SIBO Be Cured?
SIBO can be cured by targeting its root cause, the overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Usually, your doctor will give you a one or two-week antibiotic prescription to eradicate bacterial growth.
However, antibiotic treatment may not be as effective as symptoms may reoccur after a while. If you experience this, you can try other forms of therapy, including gut-directed hypnotherapy, which has success rates of up to 70%.
Is SIBO a Serious Condition?
If SIBO is not managed correctly, it can lead to other medical complications, inflammatory conditions, mood disorders, malnutrition, and dehydration. There are many treatments for SIBO. If you suspect you have the condition, talk to your doctor about treatment options.
How Long Does Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy Take To Work?
Six weeks. A study showed that about 70% of the participants had reported a significant reduction in their GI disorders after six weeks of gut-directed hypnotherapy.
To get the best results with your gut-directed hypnotherapy, do the weekly or biweekly sessions with your therapist. Maintain the home practice exercise suggested by the therapist. Keep a positive outlook on your results as the sessions become less frequent.
Who Can Use Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy?
Gut-directed hypnotherapy or hypnotherapy for SIBO is recommended for anyone managing SIBO symptoms. Most patients seek out this treatment when conventional remedies fail.
Research shows four out of five patients benefit from hypnosis to manage GI disorders.
Although hypnotherapy is generally safe, patients with underlying psychotic conditions manifesting as delusions and hallucinations are advised against it. Undergoing hypnosis may trigger or worsen hallucinations and delusions.
Always consult your doctor before starting any treatment.