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Dear Friend and No IBS Program User,
At this point, you’ve had The No IBS Program for at least two weeks and you’ve probably completed Module 3 for Anxiety and Depression by now.
So, I want to begin by telling you an inspiring story to encourage you along the way. Then we’ll get into something new: a quick and comforting energy technique that will help you to have more relief from anxiety and depression.
At the end of this letter, I’ll give you a way to deal with worries about the effects of drugs you’ve taken or are currently taking, since this is an issue that causes a LOT of internal conflict and anxiety (which only makes things worse.) This will help you to develop additional control over your health as well as some peace of mind.
Some inspiration:
Here’s what happened for a woman with IBS-C (IBS with constipation) who suffered from crippling anxiety and depression. Since she prefers to remain anonymous, I’ll call her Shelley.
Shelley’s IBS began when “my best friend and partner of 17 years announced he was leaving me,” and became progressively worse over 5 years. During this period, her brother and mother both died and, by the fifth year, Shelley collapsed and could no longer work.
In addition to her GI symptoms, she felt extreme fatigue and had become agoraphobic (an anxiety disorder where the sufferer feels high levels of anxiety or panic in public places. The person fears being trapped and unable to get away easily, as when sitting in a classroom or standing in line. For some, the exposure of being out in public places and having to deal with strangers is overwhelming.)
Shelley was largely housebound and often depressed. Because of her physical and emotional symptoms, travel was nearly impossible and even visiting relatives posed a huge challenge in terms of food and her exhaustion level. She also had significant back pain and wore a brace.
“For me the IBS always manifested in the morning – the first bit of food – often only yogurt and Metamucil – immediately caused extraordinary fatigue. As I struggled between rests to get ready [for the day], my resolve progressively wore down until, exhausted, I lost all motivation…”
Prior to having Irritable Bowel Syndrome, she enjoyed social life and ran her own accounting practice, so IBS-C completely changed and restricted her life.
Here’s what she says:
“After the second session, I decided to do something I’d been reluctant to do for 5 years. That is, I packed up and drove over 200 miles by myself to my primitive cabin and actually enjoyed 4 days there.”
On arrival, she had to get a neighbour to help her break into her own cabin, since the key had been misplaced. Despite this apparent set-back, she coped well with the situation. She also told me that, on the way back, she stopped at a diner and was able to digest a hamburger!
“After the third session, I signed up for three courses – one for employment, one for fun and one for self-improvement. I successfully canvassed my street for charity and started to make long overdue appointments for repairs to my house.
My IBS symptoms had improved by at least 50%, maybe more. But by the fifth session, I had fallen back, yet by then I had the deep down confidence to believe that I was gradually getting better…”
“For the first several days after the sixth session, I did not rally as I had after the fifth. But then it happened. I tapped on my worry and am happy to report that, for the last 15 days, I’ve been regular every morning, my lower abdomen discomfort is greatly lessened and my motivation to face the day is returning me to higher spirits.
Therefore, once again, after so long, I’m looking forward to the future. In fact, for the first time in my life, I am nearly daily going for a brisk walk and the serious lower back pain which I have endured since age 19 is abating.”
“I truly believe [the tapping procedure] is a lifetime tool I will always be able to use, by myself, to let go of worry over the large and real problems and also even small ones that crop up regularly in anyone’s lifetime.”
I recently caught up with Shelley and learned that in the months since we were last in touch, she had flown off on a group tour to Israel for several weeks, where she had a fabulous time! Clearly her goraphobia was a thing of the past.
She laughed and told me, “There is a heaven and it’s already starting on Earth!” This was a 180 degree turn-around from her previous emotional state of feeling like life was torture.
As for her physical symptoms: “I ate whatever the heck I wanted and I was fine.” She didn’t even mention her former back pain!
I commented that she sounded completely different from when she started the program – positive, upbeat, strong, confident and powerful. There was excitement and laughter in her voice.
“I’m a different person now,” she said with glee. “The IBS is virtually gone.”
So that’s one person’s experience of recovering not only physically but from her anxiety and depression and being able to return to life with gusto.
Some comfort in hard times…
Now let’s move on to a simple energy technique that is very comforting. This technique is called the Spine Rub.
You may have seen the video of this technique on our site where we show it for IBS nausea and abdominal pain. But the spine rub can be used for anxiety and depression as well, because it rebalances your entire system. When you are anxious or depressed, you tend to be out of balance, so this little technique will help you feel better quickly.
It’s helpful to have another person do this technique for you, since it’s a bit challenging to reach your whole spine by yourself. But if no one is available, you can certainly try doing it yourself.
The basic idea is that you or the person you’ve chosen will lightly massage each vertebrae of your spine, starting at the very top one – the atlas – where your spine meets your occiput – the bony ridge at the bottom of your skull at the back of your head.
Using your thumb and two fingers, gently grab or pinch the skin at each vertebrae and slide it up and down in a head-to-toe direction over each knob of your spine, 5 or 6 times. Work your way from the top of your spine down to your tailbone.
You can do this fairly quickly, although it’s not necessary to go fast. Use just enough pressure that you can feel your skin moving a little with your fingers. You don’t need to press hard! This is NOT Shiatsu massage.
The spine rub is usually done standing up and fully dressed. You can do it through the average shirt or sweater, but probably not through a suit jacket.
That’s all there is to it! This is Kathy’s favourite all-purpose energy technique, so you can use it for a quick boost any time. Perhaps your partner or friend would enjoy exchanging spine rubs with you so you can both feel the benefits.
Dealing with worries about the effects of drugs…
One anxiety we often hear from clients is the fear that the drugs they have taken in the past or are taking now are harming them or will cause them to backslide into symptoms again. This is particularly true of antibiotics and pain relievers.
Practically everyone in the industrialized world has taken a course of antibiotics at one time or another. These drugs are very hard on the internal environment of the intestines, and there’s no question that they contribute to digestive problems.
But sometimes drugs are needed or were the best choice you had at the time you took them. If you are worried that necessary drugs are not your best friend, here’s what we suggest. Tap on the fear and worry, so you can allow your body to get what it needs from the drug
while you are taking it. Or you can tap to clear the residue of a drug you took in the past.
Are we suggesting that you take any old drug in a carefree manner and simply tap to avoid worrying about it? Of course not!
But if you must take a drug, for whatever reason, it helps not to have to fear the medication. Your body is very resilient and with the skills you are learning in this program, you are helping yourself to restore your body’s natural balance.
So here are a couple of tapping scripts for relieving the worry about the effects of drugs. Start by tapping on the Karate Chop point (KC) on the side of your hand for the Set Up Statement, then move on to tap the circuit of points on your face and body, using the phrases below.
Worry about the effect of a drug you are taking now:
KC: Even though I’m worried about the effect this drug
[or say its name] is having on me, the truth is, my body is
using it well for exactly what I need
KC: Even though I’m scared I’m hurting myself by taking it,
the truth is, my body is using it well for exactly what I need
KC: Even though I’m worried about the effects of
this drug on me, I’ve decided to relax and allow this drug
to help me
EB: I’m worried about the effects of this drug
SE: I’m scared it will harm me
UE: I’m worried about the side effects
UN: I’m afraid of the effects on my GI system
CH: Worried about the effects of this drug
CB: Scared of the effects on my body
UA: Scared I’m hurting myself by taking it
H: I’m worried about the effects of this drug
EB: I’m scared it will harm me
SE: The truth is my body is using it well
UE: I’m worried about the effects of this drug
UN: The truth is, I’m getting what I need
CH: I’m scared I’m hurting myself by taking it
CB: The truth is, I’m doing my best to help myself
UA: My body is using it well
H: I’ve decided to relax and allow this drug to help me.
Worry about a drug you took or just finished taking:
We’ve used “antibiotics” in this tapping script, but you can insert the name of any drug you took that is causing you worry.
KC: Even though I took antibiotics [or other drug name],
I accept myself and I request that my body clear their residue
completely
KC: Even though I took antibiotics and I’m worried about the
effects on me, I request that my body clear their residue completely
KC: Even though I took antibiotics, I accept myself and
I request that my body clear their residue completely
EB: I took antibiotics
SE: Worrisome antibiotics
UE: I took antibiotics
UN: I took antibiotics
CH: I’m worried about their long-term effects
CB: I took antibiotics
UA: I took antibiotics
H: Worried about antibiotics
EB: I accept myself
SE: My body clears the antibiotic residue completely
UE: It was the best option at the time
UN: My body clears the antibiotic residue completely
CH: I accept myself
CB: My body clears the antibiotic residue completely
UA: My body is safe and growing healthier every day
H: My body clears the antibiotic residue completely
Take a deep breath and let all that integrate.
Remember to email your questions to us, since your input is the only way we can improve the program and make sure you are getting what you need from it. Also, we would love to hear about your progress!
Good health to you always!
Karen & Kathy
Karen Alison and Kathy Raymond
The No IBS Program
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