Firle mother’s journey to painless experience after suffering with debilitating irritable bowel syndrome

Joanna could only book afternoon flights because she spent her mornings on the toilet with crippling IBS – now her life isn’t dictated by her chronic condition.

For over 20 years Joanna was suffering with debilitating irritable bowel syndrome, so bad her entire life revolved around her bowel movements.

“It impacts everything … you start to get really despondent and think, ‘I guess this is me, this is my life’,” the 47-year-old said.

Beginning when she was 16 years old, Joanna said she was often told to “keep calm and carry on” when she complained of stomach cramps.

While she dismissed her symptoms, they became too much to bear in her mid-twenties.

“I mentioned it to a few medical specialists … I don’t think they were confident or keen to actually diagnose me with anything,” the Firle mum said.

Around three in ten Australians suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) making it one of the most common health concerns. Picture: Supplied

It wasn’t until Joanna joined the air force when she was in her early 30s she was able to see new medical professionals who finally diagnosed her with IBS.

“Every morning I would wake up and have really bad stomach pains to the point where I would be in the foetal position in bed, massaging my stomach with a hot water bottle,” she said.

Joanna’s IBS would effect her life so badly, she’d have to plan it accordingly.

“If I had to drive … the night before I’d have a gastro-stop because I would know that in the morning I would need to visit the toilet three or four times urgently – what I call the two minute warning … it was crippling,” she said.

“If I ever had to travel on planes, I won’t get the first two flights in the morning, I might get the 11 o’clock because by that stage my stomach will have settled.

“In terms of my … intimate relations, I would not stay over at people’s houses because in the morning I knew that I would have all this gas and all this pain and that is kind of embarrassing.”

Dr Simone Peters, psychophysiologist and gut-directed hypnotherapist who co-founded Nerva by Mindset Health. Picture: Supplied

Throughout her 30s and 40s Joanna tried everything to combat her crippling symptoms — over the counter medications, FODMAP diet, elimination diets, food diary, supplements — nothing seemed to work or be sustainable.

Until Joanna found hypnotherapy.

Psychophysiologist and gut-directed hypnotherapist Dr Simone Peters said around three in ten Australians suffer from IBS.

“IBS is recognised as a disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), meaning that while there may not be clear structural issues, factors like stress, anxiety and psychological wellbeing can significantly impact symptoms,” she said.

“Hypnotherapy may help address the psychological aspects and improve the brain-gut connection, which can lead to symptom relief.”

Joanna said using the Nerva app was "lifesaving". Picture: Supplied

Joanna first started using Nerva, a paid hypnotherapy app, five months ago, every single night after she put her son to bed.

“She (the voice) talks you through the feelings that you might have, the symptoms you might have with IBS and how you can train your brain to think about them differently,” she said.

Since starting, now whenever Joanna gets the “two minute warning” she employs the skills she’d learnt from daily hypnotherapy and the feelings of IBS go away.

“It’s life-changing,” she said.

Originally published as Firle mother’s journey to painless experience after suffering with debilitating irritable bowel syndrome