{"id":12362,"date":"2023-04-06T20:10:17","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T14:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betheshyft.com\/healthwatch\/?p=12362"},"modified":"2023-04-09T22:26:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-09T16:56:08","slug":"ibs-anxiety-and-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betheshyft.com\/healthwatch\/ibs\/ibs-anxiety-and-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"IBS, Anxiety and Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Have you been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety and having trouble with your stomach? Have you experienced bowel discomfort when you are in a high-pressure or worrying situation? You may have IBS-induced mental health issues or vice versa. Dealing with IBS and its symptoms is already a big task; when coupled with mental health issues, it may leave you completely drained. You are not alone. According to doctors, roughly 60% of IBS<\/a> patients fit the criteria for one or more psychiatric illnesses. So, let\u2019s dig deeper and understand the connection between the two biggies of the ailment industry and the ways to cope with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is unclear what comes first, stress, anxiety, depression, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). However, research shows that the three are co-occurrences. Your IBS symptoms arise from a malfunction along the brain-gut axis i.e. the line of communication between your brain and gastrointestinal tract. This malfunctioning may cause aberrations in your immune system and the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around half of all people with IBS, and notably those with chronic stomach discomfort, express psychiatric and psychological symptoms and anguish in addition to aberrant and perplexing symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Depression and generalised anxiety disorder are the most commonly coexisting mental health conditions with IBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with anxiety, including those with irritable bowel syndrome, frequently obsess over mundane concerns like their health, finances, and professional prospects. There may be additional signs and symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, headache, dizziness, and irritability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depression and irritable bowel syndrome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Psychological and social factors can cause IBS to flare up. These factors affect how well digestion works, how you experience symptoms, and how effectively they are treated. Research states that depression can aggravate pre-existing medical issues and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gut and the brain communicate with one another in IBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with IBS describe the condition’s consequences on their ability to go about their daily lives, as well as on their thoughts, feelings, and actions. They mentioned experiencing “uncertainty and unpredictability with loss of independence, spontaneity, and social relations as well as feelings of fearfulness, shame, and embarrassment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your antidepressant prescription may help alleviate your IBS symptoms and vice versa. Your doctor is the best person to advise you on your prescription choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The co-occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome and major depression is not unusual. See a doctor if you’ve had any of the symptoms of depression. Diagnostic procedures allow them to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms being experienced. They may recommend seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist if they determine that depression is indeed the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IBS and anxiety<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is usually not caused by mental health issues like anxiety, although those who suffer from it may be more vulnerable to the effects of stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed, your brain releases hormones that send pain signals to your colon. Colon spasms may be more noticeable to the conscious mind in times of high stress and worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress can hurt the immune system, which may lead to IBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coping Mechanisms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Maintaining a healthy stress level has been shown to reduce or eliminate IBS symptoms. Your stomach has its own, distinct intelligence, the gastrointestinal nerve system. This is the physiological basis for the well-known phenomenon of experiencing “butterflies in the stomach” when experiencing nervousness. It’s like having a “second brain” in charge of digestion. In addition, it is in continual communication with your natural brain. If you have IBS, this link may help you control your symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n