Listening to suggestions during a hypnotherapy session is different to hearing them in your normal daily life.
For example, if you were to be given a helpful suggestion, such as “Your gut will feel comfortable and relaxed”, in your normal waking state, your conscious mind might fight against it, saying “but I can’t feel better!” or “I will always be in pain!”
In effect, the relaxed and absorbed state of concentration you enter during gut-directed hypnotherapy helps suggestions sink in, so that your mind and body can work together to fix miscommunications that trigger symptoms.
How long does gut-directed hypnotherapy take to work?
Studies show that around 70% of people reduced their gut-related symptoms after six weeks of gut-directed hypnotherapy. However, it’s important to remember that there is no cure for irritable bowel syndrome, and that while gut-directed hypnotherapy has been shown to help many people manage their symptoms, it’s not a cure either.
To get the best out of gut-directed hypnotherapy, you may want to try some initial sessions (usually done over several weeks or months) then maintain your results through less frequent, on-going sessions to address or prevent future flare-ups.
Who can use gut-directed hypnotherapy?
Almost anyone experiencing IBS symptoms may try gut-directed hypnotherapy, also known as gut-targeted hypnotherapy or hypnotherapy for IBS. While it is generally understood to be an exceptionally safe practice, hypnotherapy may not be appropriate for people with psychotic symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations. It is important to speak to your doctor to find out if gut-directed hypnotherapy is right for you.
Around four out of five people will see benefits from gut-directed hypnotherapy. Researchers are unsure why hypnotherapy for IBS works for some people, but not for others. However, if you want to give it a try, it is at least more likely than not that you will see some results.
Can anyone be hypnotized?
Moving to a hypnotic state happens more commonly than you might realize. Have you ever found yourself daydreaming, or becoming so absorbed in a book or movie that you don’t notice the world around you? Hypnosis is a similar state of mind. While responsiveness to hypnotism may vary, most of us drift in and out of this state at various times without even realising it.
In one study, around 10% to 15% of participants were found to be highly hypnotizable. Another 15% to 20% fell into the low hypnotizability range. Interestingly, most people fell into the middle ground, an area that is important for clinical efficacy. The good news is that you do not have to be highly hypnotizable to see the benefits from GDH. The repetition in the sessions is designed to give people a chance to learn and improve at entering this state of focused relaxation.
The scientific evidence behind gut-directed hypnotherapy
If you’d like to dive into the numbers (and we strongly suggest you do!) there are a number of interesting studies that show how effective hypnotherapy for IBS can be.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy has been studied for years. The first was in 1984 and there have been over ten clinical trials run since. It is also part of the 2021 American College of Gastroenterology recommended treatments for IBS.
One study showed that the benefits of hypnotherapy are as effective as the low FODMAP diet, an elimination diet with a strong track record of reducing IBS symptoms.
Another study from 2018 showed that six sessions of individual or group hypnotherapy improved symptoms in 50% of participants, compared to 23% in the control group. Here, the control group only received education about IBS.
Follow up studies have shown that the benefits of gut-directed hypnotherapy are maintained for up to five years. This doesn’t mean symptoms will reappear after five years, only that the study followed up with the patients for this period. Sometimes, people relapse but then improve after returning to hypnotherapy sessions.
Other psychological therapies for IBS
Besides gut-directed hypnotherapy, there are several other therapies for IBS that are thought to work by acting on the gut-brain axis. The most common psychological treatments for IBS include:
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): is psychotherapy that may assist you to improve your thoughts and behaviours to think more positively. CBT involves understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings and actions. Several studies have shown that CBT is effective in reducing symptoms of IBS as it helps restore more healthy coping strategies and some normalcy in symptom awareness.
Yoga: is an ancient practice that involves breathing and postural exercises. Yoga has been shown to improve symptoms of IBS by restoring signals between the brain and the gut, and lowering stress.
Mindfulness meditation: involves focusing on the present moment and limiting emotional reactions to judgements. Research shows that mindfulness meditation is effective in reducing stress and symptoms of IBS.
Where to next?
If you’d like to explore gut-directed hypnotherapy then it’s important to find a suitably qualified therapist with a healthcare background such as a counsellor, psychologist or doctor. Hypnotherapy isn’t regulated everywhere so it’s important you find a provider with the right skills and qualifications. Many states, counties and even countries have hypnotherapy boards and associations — this is a great place to start.
You may also want to consider an at-home digital therapeutic option, such as Nerva, which is designed by world-leading researchers.
If you’d like to find out if gut-directed hypnotherapy could be right for you, head to our online assessment tool to learn more about hypnotherapy and try seven days for free.
The Wrap Up
Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a common treatment option for IBS. Like every approach to IBS management and treatment, there’s no guarantee that this specific approach will work for every person. That said, hypnotherapy has been shown to work for around 4 in 5 people, so it may be an excellent choice for an integrated management plan. Be sure to speak to your doctor before adding something new, such as gut-directed hypnotherapy, to your healthcare routine.
References
Camilleri, M., 2014. Physiological underpinnings of irritable bowel syndrome: neurohormonal mechanisms. The Journal of physiology, 592(14), pp.2967-2980. https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/jphysiol.2014.270892
Chatoo, M., Li, Y., Ma, Z., Coote, J., Du, J. and Chen, X., 2018. Involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor and receptors in immune cells in irritable bowel syndrome. Frontiers in endocrinology, 9, p.21. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2018.00021/full
Chira, A., Filip, M. and Dumitraşcu, D.L., 2016. Patterns of alternation in irritable bowel syndrome. Clujul Medical, 89(2), p.220. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4849379
Collins, S.M., 1992. Is the irritable gut an inflamed gut?. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 27(sup192), pp.102-105. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00365529209095988
Drossman, D.A., Morris, C.B., Hu, Y., Toner, B.B., Diamant, N., Leserman, J., Shetzline, M., Dalton, C. and Bangdiwala, S.I., 2005. A prospective assessment of bowel habit in irritable bowel syndrome in women: defining an alternator.
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