Does a fight with your husband bring on the cramps? Maybe things get intense at work, and you find yourself spending more time in the bathroom. Perhaps a life-changing event, such as a divorce or a child’s premature death, brought on your Irritable Bowel symptoms in the first place.
The connection is clear – stress and colonic activity go together. Remember the old saying, “I was so scared, I thought I might go in my pants!” This is all because the colon is, in part, regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Stress can exacerbate both diarrhea and constipation – and the host of other symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
So what can you do about it?
Relax. Take it easy. Learn to take it all in stride.
Easier said than done, right? Like most things, we have to learn to relax. And it is not something permanent once we’ve accomplished it –we have to practice, maintain, and expand into relaxation. It requires us to learn a whole new way of relating to our experience and to the world.
So I need to learn to relax. How, exactly, do I do that?
There are many resources and tools to help you. People, like masseurs, make careers out of relaxation.
Massage
There is nothing like therapeutic touch to ease our cares away. Massage relaxes your muscles and leaves you into a profoundly restful state. Be sure to tell your masseuse how deeply you want them to work – as deep tissue massage can also be quite painful in the process! There are diferrent kinds of massage: Swedish massage, Thai massage, deep-tissue massage, stone massage, sports massage, shiatsu, reflexology, ayurvedic massage, and many more. Ask around for the differences and what they can do for you. Some techniques involve massaging the organs, and may help to relax your overactive large intestine.
Meditation
Calming your mind is like watching sediment settle to the bottom of a glass of still water. If you shake the glass, causing turbulence, the water gets muddy. The same is true of our minds. If your mind is still, you can see clearly and life seems manageable. Stress is reduced because you are able to meet whatever comes your way with insight and compassion, which reduces conflict. There are many meditation techniques, most of which involve concentrating your attention on an object (such as your breath) or on awareness itself. Depending on what your philosophical inclination is, you can choose from many different types of meditation, including Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Taoist, or New Age techniques. Psychology has developed many meditation methods as well.
Yoga
Yoga works with physical poses and with the breath to create fluid, balanced movement. The stretching and strength it provides can ease your symptoms and help squeeze the stress out of your body. The breathing techniques tend to stay with you throughout your day, giving you something to focus on rather than on stressful triggers. You can find classes, of all sorts, everywhere you look – from health clubs to community centers to religious retreats.
Acupuncture
The Chinese have a concept of Chi – or life force – that flows through meridians in our bodies. Using needles to stimulate these meridians, acupuncturists move the stagnant energy that can be the cause of pain and disease.
Self-hypnosis
Hypnosis turns your attention deeply inward as you enter into a meditative trance. You can use it to reduce stress, and most importantly, use your mind to relax your intestinal muscles.
Biofeedback
By becoming aware of your physical responses through biofeedback, you can actually retrain your body to respond differently to stimulus. Not only can you learn to respond to stressors in a new, more relaxed way, you can also learn new ways of controlling your bowel function.
Psychology
A psychologist can act as a guide to help you alter your lifestyle to reduce stressors. They can also teach you stress management tools, and help you become more aware of your habitual responses to your world. In fact, studies have shown that cognitive therapy can reduce IBS symptoms.