Reducing the effects of IBS on life

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often said to be incurable and it certainly limits life quality to varying degrees. I've lived with it for the best part of my life, and remember well the first time I was prescribed bran as a child. Of recent times, I have been trying to find further answers to get to the bottom of this very misunderstood condition—thankfully, none of which require sprinkling each meal of the day with bran! The title of this book—Reclaim Your Life From IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan For Relief Without Restrictive Diets—is a very bold claim. While the majority of books on IBS focus on making changes to your diet, categorising symptoms that are encountered, and using management strategies to cope with the condition, the approach in Reclaim Your Life From IBS is very different and will likely disappoint those who want quick fixes—which will be the majority of sufferers—and requires something of a leap of faith into the exploration of relaxation and cognitive behavioural techniques. Author Melissa G Hunt is keen to suggest that stress and stressors on the various nervous systems could be the cause of symptoms, although she is also clear in pointing out that addressing these issues will manage the condition, rather than cure it. Hunt advises use of stress management, targeted through common breathing techniques and workbook tasks, which serve to identify catastrophic thinking with a clear focus on reducing the amount of negative thinking associated with IBS. There is a lot of common sense in this approach, highlighting that a situation is not always as bad as we believe. The programme of exercises is easily consumed in less than 2 months, implementing all the techniques at a ground level. However, the book really advocates for a lifestyle change that needs to become habitual if it is to have an effect. Diet is covered only very briefly, further reinforcing the different approach taken by this book. However, what is included is certainly a valuable, generalised view of diet's role in IBS. Although my own experience with diet and IBS does not completely match that of the author's, this may just go to show the many unique and varied characteristics of IBS. The approach of the book is certainly different, and although potentially not completely successful for all on its own, in combination with approaches from elsewhere, it could act as a useful tool to reduce the effects of IBS on life. Nonetheless, I can't help but feel that many readers will be disappointed by the degree of lifestyle changes this approach advocates to gain improvements.