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IBS: When Nothing Else Works For Chronic Symptoms

Veronique Mead, MD, MA · October 23, 2015 · 8 Comments

Treating chronic symptoms can come in many forms including trauma therapy
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Table of Contents

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome from a Trauma Perspective
  • When Treating Trauma Doesn’t Seem To Be Effective
  • Treating Chronic Symptoms By Trusting Impulse And Gut Feelings
  • Hints That I Am On The Right Track

What do you do when medical and alternative treatments, natural products, folk remedies and other great-sounding approaches fail to help you recover or reduce painful, debilitating and chronic symptoms? How do you respond when you receive detailed diagnoses for which effective treatments seem to work for others but don’t for you? Or when you can’t tolerate the treatments themselves? (1)I have been diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida, methane-producing-constipating and other irregular gut flora, a need for pancreatic enzymes and support for improved stomach acidity, and more. Or when you can’t bear the idea of risking one more set of side effects?

When my chronic symptoms get to a certain intensity or take me past some threshold into fear I find the willingness to test another treatment because the symptom is more worrisome than the risk.

But when these, too, fail I find myself returning to the enormous capacity of trauma perspectives to explain my chronic symptoms. And to the increasingly reassuring observation that treating trauma therefore offers something different from other approaches I have tried – even at it’s slow, plodding pace that offers no guarantees.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome from a Trauma Perspective

chronic symptoms can be the result of trauma

From a trauma perspective I see my chronic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and altered gut function as representing a state of unmetabolized trauma.

For some people this shows up as increased motility – which is seen with states of fight and flight in animals and humans during times of intense fear. An example is the need to empty bowels before battle, which is a common experience in soldiers at war. When this same state of sympathetic arousal does not return to baseline due to unresolved trauma, I believe it leads to increased motility and for some, to intermittent or chronic diarrhea. From a trauma perspective my own state of decreased gut motility represents a state of freeze. What some refer to as an “atonic” or “lazy” bowel is, I suspect, a gut that has evolved into a state of hibernation. This reflection of trauma can express itself over time as a symptom of constipation.

States of freeze can be likened to hibernation, which occur when the only good option is to sleep and slow metabolism until there’s enough food again for survival. Bears don’t have bowel movements during their 5 to 7 months of hibernation. Our nervous systems put everything on hold until a viable option appears, such as spring. This is similar to the freeze state where the period of shut-down waits for the threat to disappear or rescue to arrive. Fight, flight and freeze are the way our nervous systems maximize our survival. They do so as a natural process that occurs outside of conscious awareness.

Chronic symptoms reflect natural processes that occur with unresolved trauma

I’ve had hints over the years that intense emotions have been stuffed into my gut, too overwhelming to cope with at the time they occurred and never fully processed. They’ve lead to chronic symptoms of immobility, both in my gut and in the form of fatigue.

Different symptoms – same cause.

Trauma can be cause multiple and different chronic symptoms and chronic illness

My hunch is that underlying states of gut immobility create the perfect micro-environment for altered gut flora, including SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and candida (yeast). These and other means are recruited by the body to support a survival state that is actually trying to help me. To protect me as best it can.

What I love about the trauma perspective is that it also allows for compassion because it explains the intelligence behind a symptom. Even when that intelligence is caught in the past and no longer serves.

When Treating Trauma Doesn’t Seem To Be Effective

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I sometimes worry that the trauma perspectives I have been formulating are based solely on belief or blind faith. And then, when I recover from the disillusionment and cynicism of still being symptomatic despite years of trauma therapy –  I remind myself that these perspectives have grown out of detailed and solid research, years of clinical experience, and seeing my clients recover enough to return to work or get back into their lives more fully. That they come from watching my own gradual improvement with my chronic symptoms of intense fatigue.

At the very least trauma therapy is helping me recognize and recover from triggers more easily, at least more of the time. I am less reactive in my daily life. I experience more gratitude, self-compassion and satisfying connection. I am more gentle and patient with myself during symptom flares and they are less debilitating than they used to be. Working with trauma is helping me regain my sense of self and the health that underlies it all, regardless of my chronic symptoms.

What I am slowly learning to accept is that my world seems to be telling me – over and over and over again – to trust myself. Each time a medication, supplement, vitamin, herbal remedy or food stimulates another side effect I feel as though my body is giving me the opportunity to test this trauma hypothesis more fully.

To Keep Going For It.

To follow my impulses and trust my gut. My poor gut that has been containing old experiences of overwhelm for so many years.

When all else fails treat your chronic symptoms by following your gut and your impulses

It’s very humbling to find the process of trauma therapy to be more indirect and lengthy than I ever imagined – along with no clarity that I will recover. But the truth I come back to is that THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY to recover from chronic illness. It’s not as if there is even a known pathway. There is simply no promise of healing for those of us dealing with incurable chronic illness and chronic symptoms of all kinds.

And so I see the one greatest facilitator for healing – in whatever form healing will take – as trusting our own personal and unique instincts. To follow our guts and impulses. And to keep adjusting the sails as we go.

Treating Chronic Symptoms By Trusting Impulse And Gut Feelings

Trusting yourself is a supportive and healing process when dealing with chronic symptoms

After writing about the link between my symptoms of constipation and subtle childhood trauma 4 months ago I started focusing more specifically on working with my gut. I decided to take a more active stance in listening to it and to listening to my impulses. I’ve been exploring which new treatments to try and which ones to let go of.

Rooting into this process of discovery may be one of the contributing factors to the fatigue exacerbation I’ve been experiencing in recent months. I see this flare-up as suggesting the extent to which unprocessed trauma and unmet needs in childhood can interact with genetic predispositions and epigenetics in the development of symptoms.

Hints That I Am On The Right Track

art therapy and trauma therapy are showing shifts in nervous system patterns as I work with chronic symptoms

In June I started Mayan abdominal massage. The 4th session opened me up to grief. There was no identifiable source of the grief or any story to go with it. I cried off and on, a little here and a little there, for a couple weeks. During that time I once had bowel movements three days in a row for the first time in more years than I can remember.

I also had impulses to create containers. I started playing with sand tray, boxes, and paper mache.

When I felt the need for guidance and support to help me interact more directly with the metaphors and objects that were emerging, I started art therapy.

I consulted a traditional acupuncturist with 40 years of experience and a reputation for being able to solve just about anything 6 weeks back. I saw him 6 years ago when he helped me with acute symptoms but made no progress with my fatigue. On the 3rd visit, as he was getting more clarity about the underlying patterns for my symptoms he looked into my eyes with surprise. “You’re gut is in hibernation!” he exclaimed. He has sounded shocked with my body’s lack of response to his treatments and herbs.

I have most recently added sensorimotor trauma therapy for working specifically with developmental trauma. This type of trauma occurs in childhood relationships with parents and family, and I introduced it in a post called “When Your Ace Score Is Zero.”

Although my gut function hasn’t improved since that one temporary shift in August there is evidence for transformation in the visual metaphors that are arising. These visuals are striking.

I’ll share another phase of my explorations with you soon.

Related Posts:

Constipation, metaphor and symptoms of childhood trauma

Working with Food, Diet and Survival Patterns

10 Under-Utilized Tools for Treating Chronic Illness: Building on lessons from brain plasticity, epigenetics, and trauma

References[+]

References
↑1I have been diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), candida, methane-producing-constipating and other irregular gut flora, a need for pancreatic enzymes and support for improved stomach acidity, and more
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Chronic Illnesses Daily Life, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Working with Symptoms

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shoshana Nejman says

    October 23, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    Great Post! Thank you Ver.
    Love,
    Shoshana

    Reply
    • Veronique Mead says

      October 23, 2015 at 7:33 pm

      Thanks so much Shoshana!!

      Reply
  2. Ilene Blaisch says

    October 23, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    Hi Vernonica,
    It’s been a long while since we’ve been in touch. I really appreciate your perspective on the trauma variable in chronic illness. After years myself of doing this work, there is always yet a newer perspective on how powerful trauma’s impact is in the nervous system. Even if things don’t “improve” in the way we hope, understanding does give pause for gratitude and self-compassion. We’ll be more in touch again! Things have been crazy busy in my life. . .mostly pretty good, all considering! With appreciation, Ilene Blaisch

    Reply
    • Veronique Mead says

      October 24, 2015 at 9:49 am

      Hi Ilene,

      Yes, I continue to be amazed at the level of impact from old traumas – most of them so completely, utterly subtle as to be unrecognizable until you start looking (sometimes for a long time) and digging and resolving their effects. I feel as though some of the effects are difficult even for me to understand as I actively search. And then I have a session where something shifts or the evidence is staring me in the face. In recent sessions I saw and felt the level of freeze and overwhelm and the complete lack of options I had in some of my completely normal-looking early experiences. As you describe, I too am finding more ease with the not knowing and so grateful for all the gifts the journey is bringing. Until next time – glad to hear things are mostly pretty good – that can be wonderful!!

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    October 23, 2015 at 11:39 pm

    I opened up your latest post and then became entirely lost in the read more links. You are so clear and expressive. I love that you write with clarity about your own personal journey. You are so brave and kind to share in such depth the details of your particular physical challenges, the irritations and repairs of keeping on track with a spouse, the amazingly clear support in the medical research literature, and the absolute wealth of knowledge you pull together. I will be back in here to learn more.

    It is a gift to share that you are both a therapist and a patient. You bridge the worlds.

    Reply
    • Veronique Mead says

      October 24, 2015 at 9:55 am

      Hi Rachel,
      I sometimes wonder if I am oversharing the angst and self-doubt on the personal part of my journey so it’s great to hear that the bridging of the worlds feels like a gift!! Sharing at this level feels like a way to stay honest about a perspective that has such huge potential and scientific support but that has yet no obvious proof of being able to lead to actual recovery for those of us dealing with chronic symptoms and chronic illness. Here’s to the journey! and thanks so much for your appreciation :-).

      Reply
  4. Tony Madrid says

    October 27, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Nice entry. Good to hear you try stuff out and comment on it. This has been sent to others and they are reading your insights, which I think may be very helpful. Thanks.

    Tony

    Reply
    • Veronique Mead says

      October 27, 2015 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks Tony!

      Reply

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I love hearing from you. I read and review every comment before publishing it to make it visible to everyone. Your stories and insights make the writing and running of my blog so worthwhile. Although your email is required, it is not made public. You can use any name you wish. How do you work with your health? What has helped as you've become an expert in your own right? Does understanding the science of trauma make your journey any easier? Is there anything you need or wish I wrote about more?

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About Me

Hello! I'm Veronique Mead. On my blog I look at how chronic illness may be a natural response to one or more overwhelming experiences of threat. While this includes infections and toxins, I specialize in the role of psychological and physical trauma. Because the research - still overlooked and underestimated by medicine - has knocked my socks off.

 

Symptoms, it is turning out, may not be caused by mistakes our bodies are making but because our nervous systems have gotten stuck in states of fight, flight or freeze. Our bodies are our best friends and risk everything to help us survive. We are designed to recover or at least begin to heal from the effects of those survival strategies. I never knew any of this as a family physician or assistant professor. And it’s not in your head.

 

I've been testing these ideas with my own disabling disease for the past 20 years (I am much improved and get a little better every year). I share the research, challenges, why some things that seem so logical do not work for everyone (or make things worse), as well as my favorite 11 tools. This is so you can explore what might help you stabilize, improve or possibly even begin to reverse underlying drivers of your chronic illness too. For an overview with links to my most important posts, start here.

Awarded Top 100 Chronic Illness Blogs

#WEGO Patient Leader 2019 Finalist

#WEGOHealthAwards 2019 Patient Leader Finalist for Best in Show Blog Chronic Illness Trauma Studies Veronique Mead MD, MA

I and we - it feels so much like a WE - were among 6000 nominees for 15 categories of patient leader awards and one of 5 finalists for Best in Show Blog at the #WEGOHealthAwards. Learn more here.

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