GI Psychology: What and Why?
Why GI Psychology?
First of all, who might even consider GI psychology?
GI psychology may be something you or your child’s physician recommends. Perhaps, this is something you are exploring on your own.
GI psychology may be a good idea to consider if you have one of the following diagnoses:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), like Crohn’s or colitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), including IBS-C, IBS-D, or mixed
Functional Abdominal Pain
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder
Cyclical vomiting syndrome
Abdominal migraine
And more
In fact, GI psychology is not limited to any one diagnosis. Rather, GI psychology may be recommended to you or your child if they are:
1) experiencing any sort of digestive symptom, and
2) this digestive symptom (or symptoms) are starting to become distressing or interfering with life.
But… it’s my (or my child’s) stomach. Why should I care about psychology?!
Let’s consider this from 3 perspectives:
1) Biological
You may have heard, that the gut it sometimes called our “second brain.” This is because a significant part of our nervous system finds its home in our digestive organs! There are so many nerves connecting the stomach, related organs, and the brain, it’s almost like an information super highway. Remember, the nervous system is how the brain and body communicate with one another. That means, if something is off in the stomach, it can send signals to the brain. It also means that the brain is responsible for sending many signals down to the stomach too, which can affect how it feels and operates. This system is called the enteric nervous system.
There are a significant number of scientific studies demonstrating how different aspects of GI functioning (e.g. gut microbateria) can produce feelings such as anxiety in the brain. Similarly, there are numerous studies demonstrating how psychological states such as stress can impact functioning of the stomach, including intestinal permeability and absorption. In fact, digestion is known to slow down when we are stressed as part of the sympathetic activation, or our “fight or flight” response.
2) Psychological
Children and adults with GI concerns often report anxiety, depression, stress, or changes in mood. This may have started before their GI symptoms started, or after. Understandably, gastrointestinal or digestive symptoms can be really stressful to deal with. Individuals with various symptoms and diagnoses may worry about when and how their symptoms will flare, access to bathrooms, traveling, and how friends or family may react. Eating out can also become extremely stressful. For some, the experience can become demoralizing and start to feel hopeless, especially when they have been trying so many things and seen so many doctors for little to no improvement. To compound these effects, stress and mood changes can impact GI symptoms as well. As we described above, psychological states including stress and low mood can impact the functioning of the digestive tract and increase symptoms as well. Some individuals may have experienced trauma in the medical system or in other aspects of their lives, which may increase vulnerability to pain and other digestive symptoms.
3) Social
So much of our social lives surrounds eating. We eat out when we meet with friends and families, we enjoy cake and treats at birthday parties, and have snacks and lunch at school and in extracurricular activities. For children and adults with digestive conditions, all of these social activities become much more complicated. Sometimes, children and adults find themselves managing their lives around eating and access to bathrooms. Sadly, some of these activities can feel less pleasant and more stressful. Sometimes, children or adults even end up avoiding activities they used to enjoy.
So… how can GI-focused psychology help me or my child?
As we have seen the gut-brain-life connections are strong. It can start to feel like a mess that is difficult to untangle on your own.
Wouldn’t be it great to find a healthcare provider who
Takes your concerns seriously?
Collaborates with you to find solutions?
And helps connect you with other resources to help?
Sadly, too often, children and adults with digestive issues get dismissed. They might be provided with a diagnosis, and left to fend for themselves.
However, psychologists with expertise in GI conditions, pain, and other health conditions are here to help. A pediatric GI-focused psychologist can help you and your family:
Understand your diagnosis and the gut-brain connection
Find balance between managing symptoms and living your life fully
Coordinate care with other health care providers, such as doctors and dietitians
Access accommodations at school or work
Find focused, personalized, and science-backed psychology techniques to help manage symptoms and feel your best
If you or someone you know might benefit from services like this, help is here! It can be easier than you think. For a free consultation call to discuss all of your questions, please call (734) 221-0874. If you want a call back a time that is convenient for you you can click the Get Started button at the top of your screen.