IBD – Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Living With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

So, you’ve thought, “maybe I should go talk with someone about how I’m feeling emotionally”. But you quickly change your mind and tell yourself, “oh, they’ll never understand, or I’ll figure this out on my own, or if I do talk with someone about this, then I can’t be in denial anymore.” You are not alone. When someone walks through my door, I know they’ve danced with ambivalence for quite some time. Let me give you some reasons how ...

read more →
0

IBD – Biological or Emotional?

I have been asked many times, “Could I have caused my Inflammatory Bowel Disease because I am such an emotional person?” The answer is a definitive NO. Many years ago it was believed that IBD was part of a group of medical disorders that were characteristic of certain personality traits and specific biological markers. However, current research maintains the notion that the etiology of IBD is biological and not emotional. CCFA has addressed this issue of the role of ...

read more →
0

The Power of Thinking Positively

I recently attended a seminar and the key note speaker, for all intent and purposes, could have titled his presentation, The Power of Thinking Positively. He invited the audience of over 1000 people to repeat the mantra, energy flows where the attention goes! He was speaking to the issues of being in debt, overcoming procrastination, making the “right” decisions, and other similar topics. I was thinking about how I can take this cognition concept and help people who are ...

read more →
0

Camp Oasis – summer camp for kids with IBD

For several summers, I had the wonderful opportunity to serve as the Camp Psychologist for Camp Oasis. For those of you not familiar with Camp Oasis, its mission “is to enrich the lives of children with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis by providing a safe and supportive camp community” (CCFA). The principles that guide our mission include maintaining a safe environment, promoting respect, building nurturing relationships, providing skill-building opportunities, and of course, to have fun!

From a mental health perspective, ...

read more →
0

Spirituality, Wellness, and IBD

In other articles, I talk about the “mind-body” connection; how our emotional well-being certainly has an impact on our physical well-being. But what about our spiritual well being? Many people suggest that a “mind-body-spirit” connection does exist. Without getting too technical, many recent research studies support the notion that spiritual perceptions, activities, and practices may indeed, lead to modulations of the physiology, biochemistry, and emotional response.

As a psychotherapist within a health and wellness paradigm, I not only acknowledge ...

read more →
0

Psychological Aspects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract:
Psychological factors play a major part in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Stress influences motility, secretion and vascularity of the gastrointestinal tract and may produce functional disorders. Stressful events, which in childhood might be family tensions, separation or major changes such as that of school or house, may aggravate or even cause IBD physical symptoms of the disease. These stressors can be distressing and can lead to anxiety and even behavior problems. Stress and distress can themselves produce physical symptoms ...

read more →
0