How other people can make us ill
We are sociable creatures. The way we relate to each other does not only determine our behaviour, it also affects our physiology and the way we perceive ourselves and the … Continue reading
Psychotherapy for the troubled and irritable bowel.
The Nature and the Meaning of Gut Symptoms If we have an injury or infection, nerve impulses from the affected part alert the brain to the damage and instigate appropriate … Continue reading
Between the Mind and the Gut.
‘All prejudices can be traced back to the intestine’. Friedrich Nietzsche Man has long acknowledged the close connection that exists between the mind and the gut. Our ‘gut feelings’ and … Continue reading
The healing power of poetry
In New Jersey even bridges are named after poets. Extending over the Delaware River, the Walt Whitman Bridge connects two distinct cultural communities. To the north is Philadelphia, the proud … Continue reading
Can self stimulation of the vagus nerve in the neck suppress symptoms of IBS?
Vagal stimulation has been shown to reduce the prevalence of seizures in patients with epilepsy and abort migraine attacks, but until recently this has involved an operation with a significant … Continue reading
Nothing in, nothing out: but is there more to constipation?
Doctors tend not to consider IBS a serious condition; that would be a mistake. Although most people seem to cope with the occasional inconvenience of it and live a normal … Continue reading
Being aware of what is happening: the mindful route to IBS relief.
Mindfulness is not some new age religion. We don’t have to sitting cross-legged on cushions in a darkened room with candles and incense sticks and chant mantras. Mindfulness can be … Continue reading
The Placebo Effect: Exploiting the art of healing.
The vespers for the dead began with the phrase, ‘Placebo domino in regione vivorum’ (I shall please the Lord in the land of the living). In the 12th century, these … Continue reading
No, it’s not all in your head, but at least you can do something about that.
If IBS is all is your head, can somebody tell me how dietary fibre cures depression? … Continue reading
Hypnotherapy: recruiting the healing potential of the mind.
Hypnosis is an altered state of mind, which captures the imagination and brings about changes in perception and behaviour. We are all susceptible to hypnosis. Brief states of hypnosis may … Continue reading
