IBS

Every day begins with a sense of uncertainty and dread.

You wake to the familiar twinge of discomfort in your abdomen.
Will I be sick today? I just don’t want to be sick today.

Cramping. Pain. Bloating. Gas. Nausea.
Diarrhea, constipation, or both.

You need to get to the bathroom—and fast.

The simple act of planning your day becomes a delicate balancing act.

As you well know, gastrointestinal symptoms interfere with routines, responsibilities, and the most ordinary parts of life.

Grocery shopping. Dinner with friends. Going to the movies.
Even these can feel foreboding and fraught with anxiety.

You avoid things you used to enjoy—hiking, swimming, strolling the farmer’s market—because it feels too risky. Not knowing whether there will be easy access to a restroom is exhausting.

It’s not just the physical discomfort.

Living with IBS or other disorders of gut–brain interaction takes a quiet emotional toll.

For many women, symptoms worsen during perimenopause or menopause, when hormonal shifts affect digestion, mood regulation, and stress response.

It’s hard to explain to family, friends, and sometimes even doctors. This leaves you carrying frustration, guilt, and shame.

Why can’t I just get better?
Why is my body betraying me?

A Maze of Triggers—and Limited Answers

After medical causes have been ruled out, your doctor may recommend dietary changes like the low-FODMAP diet, prescribe antidiarrheal, laxative, or antispasmodic medications, and suggest reducing stress.

But knowing stress matters doesn’t tell you how to change what your body is doing.

Despite your best efforts, you’re physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Managing food, bathrooms, and symptoms can feel like a full-time job. You worry you’re asking for too much—or bringing everyone down.

You just want your life back.

IBS, Neurodiversity, and Stress Response

IBS is now understood as a disorder of gut–brain interaction, meaning symptoms arise from how the brain and digestive system communicate—not from structural disease or damage.

Research shows that people with ADHD and autistic traits experience higher rates of IBS and related gastrointestinal symptoms. This is not because symptoms are imagined or psychological, but because neurodivergent nervous systems often process stress, sensory input, and bodily signals differently.

Research also shows that people with a history of trauma or prolonged stress experience higher rates of IBS and other disorders of gut–brain interaction, likely due to long-term changes in stress-response and nervous system functioning.

You may recognize patterns such as:

• GI symptoms that worsen during stress, overwhelm, or burnout

• Heightened sensitivity to bodily sensations

• Digestive flares linked to anxiety, transitions, or sensory overload

• Normal medical tests despite very real and disruptive symptoms

When attention differences, anxiety, or sensory sensitivity are present, the gut–brain system can become more reactive over time. Treating IBS effectively often requires addressing both digestive symptoms and the nervous system patterns that influence them.

There Is Help

If you have already consulted with a medical provider and your symptoms have been identified as IBS or another disorder of gut–brain interaction—such as functional nausea or functional abdominal pain, I would be glad to work with you.

Therapy focuses on the interaction between:

• Stress and anxiety

• Mood and emotional processing

• Attention and sensory sensitivity

• The gut–brain communication system

Using research-supported approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), gut-directed clinical hypnosis, and mindfulness-based strategies, we work to reduce symptom severity, improve regulation, and restore a sense of control over your body.

This work does not replace medical care—it complements it.

Living With More Freedom

Life will still bring moments of nerves or “butterflies in your stomach.”
But those sensations no longer have to control your day or your choices.

You can learn how to respond differently to stress signals, reduce flare-ups, and move through the world with more confidence and flexibility.

You deserve a life that isn’t organized around your gut.

Take the Next Step

Ready to begin living with less gut distress?

Call me today at (512) 766-5695 to schedule your free 20-minute consultation and take the next step toward understanding—and improving—the gut–brain patterns affecting your health.