Have you ever heard that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is "all in your head"? The person who said that was correct — but not in the way they intended.
People who maintain that IBS is "all in your head" likely mean that it is a psychosomatic disorder, a condition that is thought to have an emotional or psychological origin. Today we know that IBS is a physiologic disorder with very real and potentially debilitating symptoms. There is, however, a link between the brain and the intestines that can cause difficulty for people with digestive problems.
The brain is connected to the intestine by nerve fibers. These nerves control the involuntary functions of the intestines such as moving food through for digestion. They can also cause a person to experience nausea, diarrhea, stomach pains, or "butterflies" when upset, nervous, or frightened. So, while stress itself does not cause IBS, it can certainly make symptoms worse.
Some of the medications used to treat IBS are aimed at lessening the effects that stress has on the digestive tract. Adjunct treatment for IBS often includes some stress management techniques. Many adults have never been given the proper tools to deal with stress, even though stress is a part of modern life.
Finding the best way to deal with stress from family, home, and work can take some practice and patience. A technique that works for one person may not work for another. The Health Guides here at About have a variety of ways for you to try de-stressing on your own:
- Taking a Break at Work: While at work, make time for a mini-retreat from the stress. It's possible to practice muscle relaxation right at your workstation. Panic Disorder Guide Sheryl Ankrom gives step-by-step instructions in her article "How To Do the Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise."
- Harness Your Creativity: Relieve some tension by using your imagination to paint, write, draw, or play an instrument — anything that gets the creative juices flowing.
- Self-Hypnosis: Self-hypnosis can be used to relax deeply and become open to suggestion. Focusing on a particular goal during self-hypnosis can help you use your unconscious mind to overcome stress. Elizabeth Scott, About's Stress Management Guide, offers advice on "How To Learn Self Hypnosis For Stress Reduction."
- Just Relax!: Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique to achieve deep relaxation by contracting and releasing muscles one at a time. Elizabeth offers more information about how to try "Progressive Muscle Relaxation."
- Time to Worry: Worry about family, finances and work can be a source of considerable source stress. Instead of worrying about problems all day, get control over your worries by setting aside a specific time for them each day. Mental Health Resources Guide Leonard Holmes, PhD teaches us "How to Worry Less."
- A Stress-Free Zone: It may help to have a special retreat area when taking advantage of the above stress-busting techniques. A stress-free zone could be anything from a whole room to just a small corner of one. The point is to make it as serene as possible. Holistic Healing Guide Phylameana lila Desyteaches us about "Creating A Sacred Space."
- Get Moving: Exercise doesn't just help you lose weight; it also helps keep the intestines working properly and reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes, and other disease. Making a habit of daily exercise can also help to combat the effects of stress. Exercise Guide Paige Waehner offers these "Stress Busters" that you can work into your daily routine.
Finding a way to deal with your stress is important to your physical and mental health. Then the next time someone makes the accusation of "it's all in your head" you will have your own stress-busting technique to help you deal with them.
