Exploring The Potential Connection Between IBS And Anxiety Symptoms
- For those experiencing abuse, please contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- For those experiencing challenges related to substance use, please contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357
Anxiety is most commonly thought of as a feeling or diagnosable condition that affects a person mentally, but it can also have physical symptoms. For instance, some people who have anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) notice that the two seem to be correlated, with IBS symptoms flaring up during times of more intense worry or stress. If you’ve noticed that your IBS symptoms seem to occur or worsen in response to elevated anxiety, addressing the root of the anxiety may offer relief.
What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes referred to as spastic colon. It’s a relatively common medical condition that affects the lower intestine. The most common signs of IBS include constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, and visceral hypersensitivity. However, these symptoms can also occur without IBS, so you'll usually need to get a diagnosis from a doctor to determine whether or not you have this condition. Generally speaking, if problems like these are chronic, you should seek medical treatment.
Shifting to a healthy lifestyle can help manage irritable bowel syndrome symptoms
The exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not yet entirely known, but both physical and psychological factors seem to play a role due to the gut-brain axis. Shifting your eating patterns and making other healthy lifestyle choices typically helps control symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients. Finding ways to manage stress levels and address anxiety, such as relaxation training and other methods, may also help reduce symptom severity or flare-ups, potentially improving mental health and GI tract health overall.
Diagnosing IBS
In general, there is no single test that proves you have irritable bowel syndrome, so it can be a bit challenging to diagnose. To make a diagnosis or rule out other conditions, your doctor might order a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which involves an examination of the lower part of the colon with a camera attached to a flexible tube or, they might opt for a colonoscopy, where they look at the entire length of your colon with a small, flexible tube. They might also do a CT scan or an X-ray of your pelvis and abdomen. If none of these tests reveals anything definitive, then your doctor may also want to do a stool test, an upper endoscopy, or a breath test for bacterial overgrowth.
Treatment options for irritable bowel syndrome
There’s currently no cure for this condition, but making certain lifestyle changes can be effective in reducing symptoms for many people with IBS. For example, your doctor might recommend that you alter your eating habits to incorporate more green, leafy vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and avoid highly processed and high-fat foods. Medication may also be prescribed for IBS in some cases.
Consult with your doctor
Be sure to consult with a doctor or nutritionist before making significant changes to your eating patterns—especially because adjusting your eating habits to reduce IBS symptoms could result in insufficient nutrition or even eating disorders if not done carefully. Consult with a doctor before starting, stopping, or changing any medication or supplement as well.
The connection between IBS and anxiety
Research also suggests that maintaining other types of healthy routines could be helpful in improving bowel habits for people with IBS. For example, you may be able to reduce symptoms by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and avoiding high levels of alcohol intake. Reducing stress levels may reduce symptoms too, which is where a discussion of the connection between IBS and anxiety comes in.
What is the link between IBS symptoms & anxiety symptoms?
In addition to improving your habits around eating, exercise, and sleep, reducing or better managing stress in your life seems to have something to do with IBS management. It's also possible that anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might not only stem from current stressors in one’s life, but from past stressors too. Some researchers believe that traumatic life events experienced during childhood, such as emotional or sexual abuse, can continue to affect a person into adulthood, potentially manifesting as IBS or other physical ailments.
Because trauma, stress, and anxiety seem to be so closely linked to IBS symptoms, a growing body of research suggests that talk therapy—particularly a type called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—can be an effective treatment. A therapist can help you shift your thought patterns and learn grounding techniques to calm your central nervous system and reduce psychological distress associated with the stress response, which may reduce GI symptoms in turn.
Talk therapy for irritable bowel syndrome patients
Again, it’s generally recommended that you consult with your doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms of a condition like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). They may do an evaluation to rule out any other medical conditions that could be causing your symptoms and/or recommend treatment to reduce their severity. If you have IBS, it may also be helpful to meet with a mental health care professional. They can help you address past trauma and other cognitive factors and find healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety—whether routine or as symptoms of an anxiety disorder—which may reduce IBS and other GI symptoms.
Online therapy for anxiety, depression, and IBS symptoms
If IBS makes it difficult for you to commute to a new place like a therapist’s office or you experience hospital anxiety related to healthcare facilities, you might find online therapy to be a more convenient alternative. Research like one 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis using healthy controls suggests that online therapy can be effective for treating psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression, so seeking this type of treatment may have a positive impact on IBS symptoms, anxiety, and depressive symptoms as measured by evaluation and depression scales, and quality of life.
Takeaway
Research suggests a link between IBS and anxiety because of the gut-brain axis. If you’ve picked up on a potential correlation between your stress levels and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), treating your anxiety and any depression comorbidities may result in IBS relief as well. You can get started by connecting with a licensed therapist in your local area or online to seek treatment.
Can irritable bowel syndrome be linked to anxiety?
There is some research to suggest there may be a relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety. For example, in 2023, researchers analyzed a sample of over a million irritable bowel syndrome patients who were hospitalized from 2016 to 2019. They found that nearly 40% of the irritable bowel syndrome patients also had anxiety. Further research with various healthy controls (e.g., those with anxiety but not IBS, and vice versa) may help elucidate the relationship between the two conditions.
How do you control IBS from anxiety?
Although the relationship between IBS and anxiety is not fully understood, people often find that stress and anxiety seem to make their IBS symptoms worse. Finding ways to manage stress and reduce anxiety may help reduce symptoms of IBS. Some strategies that may be helpful include:
Doing relaxation training exercises, like box breathing and progressive muscle relaxation
Regularly meditating, doing yoga, or practicing mindfulness
Journaling about feelings, worries, and challenges
Getting regular exercise
Practicing good sleep hygiene
Making time for hobbies
Maintaining a healthy support network
Seek professional support
If anxiety-related IBS symptoms are severely impacting your life, seeking professional support may also be helpful. Psychological treatments like mindfulness-based stress reduction, cognitive behavioral therapy (to assess cognitive factors), or medication may also help improve the quality of life for people with anxiety.
Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) a mental health condition?
IBS is a digestive disorder that falls under the category of “functional gastrointestinal disorders,” which also includes conditions like GERD. It is not considered a mental health condition. IBS may be caused by a range of factors, such as changes in the immune system and gut bacteria.
That said, there may also be a link between IBS and psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression. This may be due to the enteric nervous system, the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The enteric nervous system communicates back and forth with the central nervous system, a concept known as the “brain-gut axis.” Because the brain may influence the gut and gut health may influence mental health, certain mental illnesses, like anxiety, may disrupt digestion. It may help to speak with a doctor about possible medical treatment. They may be able to answer questions about IBS, the body’s stress response, eating disorders, and visceral hypersensitivity. They may also refer you to a therapist, who may be able to help mitigate psychological distress related to IBS.
How long do IBS attacks last?
IBS attacks are periods of more intense symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Although IBS is considered a chronic disorder, these flare-ups can come and go. An IBS attack can last anywhere from a few hours to more than a week.
Can anti-anxiety medication help manage IBS symptoms?
Anti-anxiety medications may be useful for managing the symptoms of both IBS and an anxiety disorder. They may help reduce pain and cramping, as well as provide relief from anxiety symptoms, which can worsen IBS for some people.
That said, the best treatments for anxiety and IBS can depend on the person.
How common is IBS anxiety?
Although exact numbers can vary, IBS often occurs alongside anxiety disorders. In a 2017 study, researchers looked at a sample of 50 patients with IBS and found that 44% also showed symptoms of anxiety.
How does IBS affect the brain?
Given the gut-brain axis, IBS can have a range of effects on thinking and mental health. Examples may include:
Trouble concentrating
Trouble remembering things
Confusion
Stress and irritability
Feelings of frustration or sadness
These symptoms may come as a direct result of IBS, but they may also be the indirect result of the challenges of living with the condition. That said, individual experiences can vary.
How do you break an IBS cycle?
Because IBS is a chronic condition, it may not be possible to permanently stop flare-ups. However, people living with IBS may find self-care strategies helpful. Examples include:
Getting enough sleep
Exercising regularly
Using stress management techniques like meditation and deep breathing
Identifying and avoiding triggers
Drinking enough water
Being patient with yourself
Consult a medical professional
It can be important to consult a medical professional if you have questions about treating IBS. A mental health specialist may also be able to provide advice on managing anxiety and stress related to the condition.
Do probiotics help IBS?
Some people may find that probiotics are helpful for managing the symptoms of IBS, although this can vary. It can be important to check with your doctor before taking supplements or changing your diet to treat IBS.
Why is there a connection between IBS and anxiety?
Irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety are two conditions that create a vicious cycle. The person’s central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract are intimately connected. Thus, a worried brain can cause digestive tract issues and vice versa.
- Previous Article
- Next Article