(2 minute read) Anxiety and IBS often go hand in hand, frequently exacerbating the symptoms of the other. This is due to the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network between what’s going on in your abdomen and your head. The brain communicates with the gut more than any other organ in the body. When an emotion like anxiety pops up in the brain, it is immediately mirrored in the gut — like the time you were nervous and immediately felt butterflies in your stomach. Anxiety triggers a cascade of gut responses, including gut motility, increased sensitivity to pain, and changes in the gut microbiome. This leads to a worsening of IBS symptoms: abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.
Chronic and unpredictable IBS increases anxiety. It’s easy to get caught in a vicious cycle. The fear of embarrassing symptoms in public, the frustration of navigating dietary restrictions, and the uncertainty of when IBS will strike take a toll on mental health. More anxiety = IBS = More Anxiety = More IBS. Get me off this roller coaster!
The good news is that even when doctors can’t find medical solutions to IBS, there’s lots of hope found in the world of G.I. Psych. Interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), gut-directed hypnotherapy, mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) have been shown to treat both anxiety disorders and IBS by not only helping you develop coping skills and strategies to manage symptoms, but to resolve the root cause and get your gut-brain axis communicating with kindness.
Here are a few tips:
- The FODMAP diet can seem daunting, but remember, it’s time-limited and can help you identify trigger foods to avoid.
- Be thoughtful about fiber: while necessary for IBS-C (constipation), it could prove wily for IBS-D (diarrhea).
- Fermented foods are your friends. Probiotic-rich foods like Greek yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi help build good bacteria in the gut. This is not only good for your physical health, but for your mental health! The gut-brain axis works both ways.
- Watch your stress! Breathwork, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your nervous system and reduce the impact of stress on gut function.
- Seek professional guidance. A team of professionals, including GI doctors, nutritionists, and therapists (like me!), can provide personalized recommendations based on your symptoms, history, and lifestyle.
- Feel better. I LOVE treating IBS and disorders of gut-brain interaction because I LOVE seeing clients get better. In just a few sessions, you can experience a radical shift in mind and body for the better. Call me today and let’s get started.
