Showing posts with label Colitis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colitis. Show all posts

Thursday, 19 April 2012

When it quacks like a duck but might not be..... IBS in IBD: Crohn's and Colitis

I was sent a question today asking whether it was possible for Crohn's symptoms to remain when Crohn's was in remission. Here is my response:
Disclaimer: As you know, my specialism is mind-body interaction and nothing I say is intended to be nor should be construed to be medical advice. You should consult your healthcare professionals for any medical related concerns. 
In the meantime, you may find it interesting to watch the videos of the interview I conducted with Professor Peter Whorwell, an internationally recognised authority on the treatment of IBS, pioneer of the use of hypnotherapy in IBS and founder of the South Manchester Functional Bowel Service to which patients are referred by GI specialists all over the UK.  In the interview Peter discusses the role of IBS in IBD, http://www.painsinthebutt.com/2012/02/interview-with-neurogastroenterology.html
According to Peter, if all signs of IBD are gone, the pain could possibly be IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis (IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease) symptoms are almost invariably accompanied by IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) symptoms but for a number of reasons it is difficult to distinguish between IBD and IBS symptoms. The important distinction is that IBS on its own does not involve inflammation: IBS can be extremely painful, commonly involving diarrhoea and / or constipation, bloating and wind. IBS can result from a variety of actions in the gut, so when the Crohn's or Colitis are in remission, IBS could well occur. 

I have taught hundreds of people how to relieve their IBS, using a methodology incorporating hypnotherapeutic, psychotherapeutic and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) techniques. In general it is far easier to achieve relief from IBS than from IBD Crohn's and Colitis because the inflammation in IBD causes additional problems that create a physical loop of symptoms that exacerbate the inflammation. That is in no way meant to diminish the symptoms of IBS, as IBS can be equally or more debilitating than IBD. 
Like IBS, IBD is aggravated by different forms of stress in different ways.
Image courtesy of Science Photo Lab.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Stress causes inflammation and depression


Click this link to watch the video
I think this video confirms the validity of my approach of using mind-body interaction to reduce and eliminate Crohn's and Colitis Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) symptoms. See my earlier posts on this subject by searching on "stress" and "genes" using the blog search facility above and right. This one in particular is an overview of my philosophy that underpins the BUDI program "Crohn's genes point to internalised stress."

Friday, 17 February 2012

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster......

I was checking that my quote from Rudyard Kipling's poem, "If" was accurate; - "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.." and I came across this video of Federer and Nadal reciting it. If two people are qualified to read this poem it is them. I'd like to share it with you. It's wonderful. Click this link to hear: Rafa and Roger recite "If" 
You may be thinking, "What's this to do with Crohn's and Colitis?" Well, a lot: If you manage to follow Kipling's advice, you will have achieved a presence of mind that makes stress and anxiety impossible  - Joy

Monday, 14 November 2011

Vulnerability is essential for mental health

I was writing a new post about the effect on the body of internalising feelings rather than expressing them. I have found that Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in particular and other autoimmune conditions in general such as psoriasis appear to respond in particular to the stress that results from being a different persona from the one being lived. This video talks in a very clear way about the importance of living from  your "Core Self" (Copyright) as I talk about in my BUDI(TM) program.
First watch this; it illustrates so well how modern day humans often block off feelings and live behind the person we think we ought to be. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.htm
Ted Talks are a wonderful resource and Brene Brown really does her opportunity justice. Enjoy, and please tell me what you think! - Joy

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Got Crohn's? - get magnesium



Magnesium deficiency doubles the likelihood of  systemic inflammatory disease (of which Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis are examples). Severe magnesium deficiencies are more likely in people who have Crohn's disease or other conditions that affect digestion as magnesium is absorbed in the GI tract, (more so in the small intestine than the large). Where inflammation of the gut is inhibiting absorbtion, it may be advisable to increase the intake of magnesium either in naturally occurring sources or supplements. I know that many of the natural sources may be on the absolute "no no" list for many Crohnies and Collies, but do check before diving for the bottles and always take medical advice.

Here are a couple of articles that provide more information on the importance of magnesium, sources and absorption.


Tuesday, 25 October 2011

Crohn's genes point to internalised stress mechanism?

OK! I might as well come out with it - remember you heard it here first!
I always look for common links between conditions and I wonder whether the presence of more than one autoimmune condition has more to do with a predisposition to autoimmune conditions.
In any event, my experience of helping people with Crohn's, and U.C. has convinced me that the genetic markers for these diseases point to two predispositions:-
1)  A sensitivity to certain types of stress and
2) A predisposition to internalise stress in their body in a way that knocks the immune system out of alignment.
I am so convinced by this that I have designed a special program to teach people how to reverse this process and so far this has proved highly successful. Everyone "does" stress differently and in learning how to deal with stress it's essential that they learn just how they are translating life's encounters into damage to their body.
The BUDI (TM) program teaches people specific ways of recognising how they are internalising stress and shows them how to deal effectively with events, situations and people in their lives rather than repeat historic patterns that can literally eat them up inside. In this way they not only reduce their sensitivity to stress but also prevent much of their former stress arising. This of course enriches their experience of life through enhancing their outcomes in all respects as well as through reducing their symptoms. As you can imagine, this makes me very happy!
If you have an autoimmune condition and you want to learn more about the principles behind the BUDI program then you may be interested in the upcoming webinar I am releasing shortly. You are welcome to private message me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/crohns.helper or email me at crohnswebinar@workingwithjoy.com with your email, giving me a brief summary of the reason for your interest in the webinar and to be notified when it is announced.
Places will be very limited and so please only apply if you have an autoimmune condition. - Joy


Eye problems associated with Crohn's and Colitis

It is generally accepted that certain eye problems can be a complication of IBD including episcleritis (inflammation and redness of the white of the eye) and iritis (inflammation of the iris). Iritis needs to be treated by an opthalmologist. Episcleritis occurs in 3-4% of IBD patients and iritis occurs in 0.5-3% of IBD patients (mainly males with Ulcerative Colitis). Please seek medical advice if you are at all concerned. None of my information is intended to constitute or replace medical advice. http://www.eyecasualty.co.uk/maincontent1/episcleritis.html

Friday, 17 September 2010

Feldenkrais Principles - Letting the body teach the mind

One of the central pillars of my work with Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, (IBD) is the principle that the mind can give us the information we need to repair the body; we just need to listen in the right way. Sometimes however, the body has to teach the mind first: After badly damaging his knee, the amazing Moshe Fendlenkrais literally went back to basics to learn how to walk again. He studied the techniques babies use to discover how to walk, and embodied these techniques in a physical therapy based on "building awareness through movement". This became, "The Feldenkrais Method".
Here are two videos - one showing how a baby learns to manoevre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ko7U1pLlg- the other showing the Feldenkrais Method in action. This will give you some idea of the mind's power over our physiology. This same mind power plays a key role in my BUDI program to control the symptoms of IBD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVw4ZISLMs