Re: gastrocolic reflex / hypno - HelpForIBS.com Message Boards

Hypnotherapy is not a cure, but for quite a few people it has been found to be extremely helpful - some folks have found it to be helpful as an adjunct to other treatments; many many others have found that it is the one thing that helped when all else failed.

Interesting to note - The IBS Audio Program which is the Adult and Teen Program, was exhibiteded at the IFFGD in 2005. This protocol was developed because the author, Michael Mahoney, was seeing patients with IBS back in 1991 who were not seeing the improvement they needed with conventional care. Dr. Whorwell was the 'father' of hypnosis for IBS, with his first published research done in 1984 in the Lancet. This protocol has been fine tuned over the years and is available only through an MD referral in hospitals or by therapists who are trained in it.

Michael's protocol was independently developed and fine-tuned over the years - and has shown a great deal of efficacy. Because patients initially were too ill with IBS to travel to his practice, he sent it to them on tape - this is how the program eventually became available to the public.

Never has it ever been touted as a cure - however there are INDEPENDENT articles referring to this process as a possible cure.

However, any hypnotherapy protocol for IBS needs to be gut-specific (as Mike's is) or gut-directed in order to be the most helpful.

Since Mike's program has been available to the public since 1998, there is quite a bit of independent review on it, and the positive reports are in the vast vast majority.

Adults CAN and do respond to hypnotherapy if it is properly done, and the protocol has been proven effective. Children may be more open to guided imagery initially because they have less experience researching as adults do. But this in no way takes away from the fact that gut-specific hypnotherapy is very effective with adults.

There have been at least 50 research studies showing its efficacy; yet gastroenterologists and physicians are unaware of this research because it is not widely taught as part of the treatment protocol, unless the physician is a part of a teaching/university hospital - then they are more aware of the research.

I have compiled some other research studies,

http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=361735&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=

as well as info on the research study results for IBS Audio Program.

http://www.helpforibs.com/shop/books/hypnoibs.asp

Look here -

http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=279867&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=

and scroll down for 'success' comments from Constipation and Alternating users.

If you have specific questions regarding the program you can also call 877-898-2539 for information.

You can read about my journey below.

I have had the honor to speak with hundreds of IBS patients over the years, and there are a lot of common threads that we share as patients. But there is hope, no matter what way forward that you need to go - I did this as a very last resort, and so have most of the people I have talked to, and most of Michael's patients as well.

By the time most people try this method, they are already burnt out, frustrated and have had years and years of failure and added symptoms - if you recall back to before you had IBS, and then the first few episodes, you were optimistic in going to the doc and getting "it" taken care of; fast forward to years of meds, diets, supplements, etc not helping you, and you are adding the anxiety, depression, and all the rest of it on top of the gut symptoms.

Most youngsters havent had IBS as long, so they are not imprinted with as much as an adult who has had it for years.

There is hope... do feel free to ask me - and since this is the Eating board, we can have a thread over in the proper hypno forum if you wish as well.

All the best in your journey to feeling better, no matter how you take that journey...

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My Journey and Success with the IBS Audio Program Hypnotherapy Program: www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=224850

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