Episode 36: The Missing Piece to Healing IBS-The Nervous System

Welcome back to Healing Her IBS. Today we are going to continue the conversation we started to get into last episode and dive a bit deeper into this connection between IBS and the nervous system. Last episode we discussed how diets don’t really heal your IBS even though there is a huge emphasis put on food. So today we’ll dig deeper into the nervous system connection so you can understand what it’s role is and I’ll give you a few really good practices that you can start implementing right away that can address this part of the puzzle. Find the full transcript for this episode and other resources at HealingHerIBS.com/36.

Transcript

Welcome back to Healing Her IBS. Today we are going to continue the conversation we started to get into last episode and dive a bit deeper into this connection between IBS and the nervous system. Last episode we discussed how diets don’t really heal your IBS even though there is a huge emphasis put on food. So today we’ll dig deeper into the nervous system connection so you can understand what it’s role is and I’ll give you a few really good practices that you can start implementing right away that can address this part of the puzzle. Find the full transcript for this episode and other resources at HealingHerIBS.com/36.

IBS and The Nervous System Piece
We have known for awhile now that IBS and the nervous system are connected, though I think that this aspect of the IBS dilemma is often overlooked because addressing it is not a simple fix. It’s not a supplement, it’s not cutting something out of your diet or trying out a new probiotic. Addressing the nervous system piece is more subtle, it’s emotional and can be very deep and vulnerable for many. I know it was for me. When I was first diagnosed with IBS I saw it as something going wrong with my body. Because of my upbringing and knowledge base at that time, I looked for solutions from doctors. I thought that there must be a concrete physical reason for this to be happening and there would be a clearcut medical solution to it. Alas,  women who’ve experienced IBS know this is usually not the case, if ever. IBS interacts with the autonomic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that is automatic—the part responsible for your heart beating and breathing and as it relates to IBS- to your gut function and digestion. You may have heard of this part of your nervous system because it’s divided into the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic part is known shorthand as fight or flight, while the parasympathetic is connected to rest and digest. Your body can not rest and digest when it is stressed, when it is in survival mode. But maybe you are thinking, but I’m not in survival mode!! I am doing fine so that must not be my issue. I would have said the same thing seven years ago. I absolutely did not see or comprehend the amount of stress I was under, because I had simply adapted to it. It was like I was swimming in it and I couldn’t see it. Everyone around me seemed equally stressed, it all seemed so normal. The nervous system piece is integral to address and most women who suffer from IBS has some dysregulation happening that greatly contributes to your IBS. 

Stress and Blame in IBS
Stress is a part of our lives now, especially if you are living in the States or living in other parts of the world where work is a huge part of your daily life, not to mention all the other responsibilities that you may have in your life, or that you had as your IBS was developing. I think that when I first heard about the role of stress in my IBS, I felt very resentful and annoyed. I felt like I was being blamed for my IBS and this was just another example of how I couldn’t be the perfect woman. Managing my stress was another thing that I wasn’t doing “well enough” and that I needed to devote time to. Time I did not have, time that I could not spare. I felt deeply stuck in my life and though I knew that I was very worried and quite anxious, there seemed no easy way out of it. I had to work to help my family financially and I had to be a mother to my son, and I wanted to be a good mother. I really want to emphasis today that addressing this nervous system dysregulation, and this stress cycle doesn’t need to be something else to add to your to do list, or something you are failing at. What you may need is an invitation to accept where you are, to see it more clearly without judgment and also take baby steps towards caring for yourself and your resting state so that your IBS can begin to become unfolded and let loose a little bit. You don’t have to quit your job or leave your family or undo the things in your life that matter to you—although you might decide to as I eventually did -but that’s another future story I must tell. You could instead if you wanted, leave an open space to be curious, try something new and ask for support when you need it. In my Healing Her IBS program I walk together with you to unravel some of this pieces so that you don’t have to do it alone. Getting support or coaching for IBS can be a huge turning point if you are struggling with implementing nervous system practices or you need a set of fresh and knowledgeable eyes on your life, your history and your experience. Therapy is powerful for working through the past and can be very beneficial. Coaching is different from therapy because it  is uniquely about what’s happening right now, and how you move forward. In coaching, we look at the patterns your nervous system are stuck in, and we practice tools that help bring safety and regulation back into the body as part of that.

Some of the ways I support my clients include:

• Learning to listen to the body without fear
• Identifying the subtle cues that signal when your nervous system is overwhelmed
• Practicing daily regulation tools like breathwork, grounding, and gentle mindset shifts
• Building resilience, so stress doesn’t automatically trigger a flare

 The difference with coaching is that you don’t do it alone. You have someone walking with you, holding space, and helping you build trust in your body again. I am someone who has been through it and can walk with you towards better health, illuminating the areas of growth that you haven’t been able to see or change on your own.

Practices for your Nervous System 
When you’re in a state of great tension, your body literally diverts energy away from digestion. That’s why worry and urgency can make your stomach clench or send you running to the bathroom.As time has gone on, I have become more and more aware of the levels of tension in my life and consequently in my body. When I first started doing some of this work, I felt deeply uncomfortable because I think it was much easier for me to just keep going and moving forward because I didn’t want to acknowledge the discomfort in my chest, or my throat or my gut. I think unconsciously I was worried there would be no end to it, it was unknown and very scary for me and it was just much more simple to vaguely feel it but cover it up with action and getting things done on my to do list.

                  Are you also maybe a little bit scared to go there and unveil your stress too and what it may be trying to tell you? 

If this is you, I know how you feel but what I highly recommend is just dipping your toes in a little bit at a time in ways that don’t feel overwhelming to you—this is key. This could mean practicing one or two minutes a day and that’s it to begin with. Here are some tools to support the nervous system that you can start with:

• Breathwork: Try a 4–7–8 breath before meals.
• Grounding: Place your feet on the floor, notice the support underneath you, and take 3 deep belly breaths.
• Pleasure with food: Instead of fear, invite in gratitude and calm. Maybe light a candle, chew slowly, or put down your phone.
• Taking a short rest or nap after eating and doing a body scan. 

Pairing any of these practices with mealtime can enhance their benefit as they allow your gut to receive new messages of relaxation paired to digesting time. I hope some of these practices will be helpful for you and that today’s episode landed well for you. If you are curious about my 1-1 Coaching Program, please email me at erin@healingheribs.com or go to my website for more information about how I can help you heal. Thank you for listening to Healing Her IBS today.