| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Jim D. |
Posted - 08/26/2004 : 15:08:12
The August 24 Boston Globe had an article that might be of interest of those who have suffered from irritable bowel syndrome. It's an intriguing piece because it expresses views that IBS has a psychological component, but, as usual, doctors and researchers feel compelled to find the physical cause ("we thought it was psychological in origin, but now we know better"). Here's part of the article:
IBS apparently stems from a disturbance in the interaction between the gut, the brain and the autonomic nervous system that regulates the digestive tract. Research is focusing on controlling diarrhea and constipation, and also on the brain-gut connection and the regulation of serotonin levels in the intestines. The serotonin levels of IBS patients are believed to be out of whack, leaving them with gastrointentinal systems that work either too slowly or too fast.
Medical understanding of the disease is complicated by the fact that, for years, many doctors had dismissed the condition as being psychosomatic, particularly because symptoms can be exacerbated by stress. Many patients were told it was "all in their heads," and often were referred for psychiatric help.
Currently, however, doctors agree IBS is quite real, though there is a psychological component to it.
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| johnfindlay |
Posted - 08/26/2004 : 20:04:56
That describes me well-once again Dave:
I have a good psycotherapist Ive been with along time-yet
even tho we do mind body therapy work-it hasn't helped my carpel-tendonitus etc.
What was missing is the TMS knowledge.
JF |
| Dave |
Posted - 08/26/2004 : 15:58:28
This sums up modern medicine with respect to the mindbody connection.
Doctors don't know the cause of an illness, so it must be psychosomatic, so they tell the patient "it's all in your head" and refer them to psychotherapy.
But psychotherapy in and of itself does nothing to treat TMS. You can be in psychotherapy for years and it will not relieve your symptoms, because the key ingredient that is missing is knowledge.
To make matters worse, when IBS patients don't improve after psychotherapy, it adds fuel to the fire that IBS is not a psychogenic condition. If it was psychogenic, it should be cured by psychotherapy, right? WRONG!
Psychotherapy only works if you make the connection between repressed emotions and TMS symptoms. |
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