Positive Health Online

Abstract

ZIMMERMAN, Gastroenterology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, 91 120 Israel, zimmerj@vms.huji.ac.il, compares the treatment of irritable bowels to the cleaning up of a river. Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by abdominal pain, altered bowel habits and various other digestive symptoms. Emotional factors are important in some patients. A metaphor is described which links the altered motility of the digestive system to the emotional contents it may embody. The image of a river is used to evoke both a smooth, coordinated flow through the digestive tract and a normal flow in the management of the patient's emotions. The possibility that a blockage has occurred in the river is then suggested to the patient, followed by a suggestion that the patient clear the blockage. This approach may lead patients to work on the emotional components of their symptoms and lead to resolution of the IBS. The author has used this approach very effectively with a number of IBS patients, and gives a detailed case study.

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References

Zimmermann J. Cleaning up the river: a metaphor for functional digestive disorders. The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 45 (4): 353-359, Apr 2003.