Irritable bowel syndrome is the condition for which hypnotherapy has its strongest evidence. Gut-directed hypnotherapy has been tested in many trials over forty years, and UK guidelines suggest considering psychological therapies, including hypnotherapy, when symptoms have not responded to other treatment after twelve months.
Clinical courses run to six or twelve sessions with a trained therapist, and nothing here replaces that. But the imagery they use is simple, and you can practise it yourself. Below is a complete script.
Before you start
Get a diagnosis. IBS should be diagnosed by a doctor. See your GP promptly, and do not rely on self-help, if you have:
- Blood in your stools or bleeding from the back passage
- Unexplained weight loss
- A lasting change in bowel habit, especially if you are over 50
- Symptoms that wake you at night
- A lump or swelling in your abdomen
- A family history of bowel or ovarian cancer
- Anaemia
Carry on with your usual treatment and dietary advice.
How to use the script
- Read it through first, fully awake, and change any wording that does not suit you.
- Record it on your phone in a slow, calm voice, pausing where you see dots. Or read it several times and then go through it from memory.
- Listen once a day for at least six weeks, somewhere quiet, sitting or lying comfortably.
- Never listen while driving.
It takes about twelve minutes.
The script
Settling
Make yourself comfortable… and let your eyes close.
Take a slow breath in… and a long, easy breath out. And again… in… and slowly out.
With each breath out, let your body settle a little more into whatever is supporting it.
Let your forehead smooth… your jaw loosen… your shoulders drop…
Let your arms grow heavy… your hands rest…
Let your legs grow heavy… all the way down to your feet…
There is nothing you need to do just now. Sounds around you can come and go, and each one lets you settle further.
Deepening
In a moment I will count from ten down to one. With each number, let yourself become a little more comfortable, a little more at ease.
Ten… nine… settling… eight… seven… more comfortable… six… five… four… calm and heavy… three… two… and one.
The warm hand
Now rest one hand gently on your abdomen.
Notice the warmth of your hand… Let that warmth grow… a soft, comfortable warmth, like sunshine, or a warm water bottle…
Let the warmth spread from your hand into your abdomen… soaking in… soothing as it goes…
As the warmth spreads, the muscles of your gut soften and loosen… any tightness melting away… any discomfort easing…
Warm… comfortable… and calm.
The river
Now imagine a river.
Perhaps at times this river has rushed too fast, tumbling over rocks. Perhaps at times it has been sluggish, hardly moving.
See it now flowing just as you would like it to… smooth and steady… not too fast and not too slow… moving easily along at its own comfortable pace.
Your gut is like this river. It moves in a smooth, regular, comfortable rhythm… gently and easily… without your needing to think about it.
Watch the river flowing… steady… calm… just right.
The gut and the mind
Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation.
Imagine that conversation growing calmer… the messages from your gut becoming quieter, softer… like turning down the volume on a radio…
Your gut can get on with its work in the background, and you need hardly notice it.
Ordinary sensations of digestion are just that… ordinary… comfortable… nothing to worry about.
Suggestions
Each day, your gut is becoming calmer and more comfortable.
Your digestion works smoothly and regularly.
You feel more and more in control.
You can eat with enjoyment, slowly and calmly, and your body deals with food easily.
When life is stressful, your gut stays calm. Your stomach muscles stay soft and loose.
You think about your gut less and less, and get on with the things you enjoy.
These changes continue, a little more each day.
A cue
Whenever you want to settle your gut, you can rest your hand on your abdomen, breathe out slowly, and feel that warmth return. The more you practise, the more quickly it comes.
Returning
In a moment I will count from one to five, and you will come back feeling calm, comfortable and refreshed.
One… beginning to return.
Two… feeling coming back into your arms and legs.
Three… aware of the room around you.
Four… take a deeper breath.
Five… eyes open, awake, alert and comfortable.
(If you are using this at bedtime, leave out the counting up and end with: “And you can drift easily into a deep, refreshing sleep.”)
Adapting it
If diarrhoea and urgency are your main problem, dwell on the river slowing to a calm, steady flow, and add: “You have plenty of time. Your gut holds comfortably, and you are in control.”
If constipation is your main problem, dwell on the river flowing freely and easily, and add: “Your gut moves smoothly and regularly, without strain.”
If pain is your main problem, spend longer on the warm hand, and add a dial: “See a dial showing the discomfort, and turn it slowly down.”
If bloating is your main problem, add: “Imagine your abdomen becoming soft, flat and comfortable, like air being let gently out of a balloon.”
If the hand on your abdomen is uncomfortable, imagine a warm light or a warm cloth there instead.
Change the river to any image that suits you: a conveyor belt, a quiet stream, a slow train.
What to expect
- Improvement is gradual. Many people notice little for the first two or three weeks.
- Practise daily for at least six weeks, and preferably twelve, before judging.
- Keep a simple record of symptoms, scored out of ten once a week.
- Not everyone responds. In clinical studies a majority improve, but a substantial minority do not. That is no reflection on you.
- Symptoms fluctuate anyway. A bad week does not mean it has stopped working.
After the initial course, most people continue with a session once or twice a week, and use the cue when needed.
Alongside it
- Regular meals, eaten slowly
- Any dietary advice you have been given, ideally from a dietitian
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Looking at sources of stress
Getting more help
If you would like the full treatment, ask your GP or gastroenterologist about gut-directed hypnotherapy. NHS availability is limited and varies by area. There are also structured app-based and online programmes, some of which have been tested in trials. If you see a private therapist, look for specific training in gut-directed hypnotherapy and membership of an accredited register.
The bottom line
Gut-directed imagery is simple: a warm hand, a river flowing at the right pace, a quieter line between gut and brain. Record the script, listen daily for six weeks or more, and keep your doctor informed.
Next in the series: A Self-Hypnosis Script for Hot Flushes
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.