Hi jb2, just to give you the quick answer..Mike has done clinicial trials for his program, and has these statistics from his own studies, but suffice it to say, there are persons in every category, of course, but for total population, a higher percentage of those completing the program have had significant reduction in symptoms over conventional medical therapy treatment (medications) either with hypnotherpay by itself or in conjunction with medical treatments. Those not responding to the program would either be non-complient with the program as you state, or present with co-morbid conditions, either physical or emotional, that need to be addressed prior to or in addition to the IBS itself. (It may be noted that there usually is in fact some response by way of improvement, just the degree of improvement is less due to these factors.) Of course, an audio program cannot address serious medical conditions or concerns for those individuals dealing with other factors that are precipitating or aggrevate IBS symptomology. These factors include emotional or physical abuse and/or trauma, another comorbid physical condition, such as IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disorders: Chrons,etc.,) or other physical conditions, etc. Mike has stressed that only after a medical physician has clinically diagnosed the condition as IBS, should the individual consider his program. Sometimes, the hypnotherapy deals with more prominant conditions in the patient's life, then later deals with the IBS symptoms; for example, when I personally started the program, I just had surgery, newly divorced, and had two other comorbid conditions unknown to me at the time (gall bladder, conjoined ovaries), but I had been positively diagnosed with IBS for several years. The hypnotherapy program dealt first with my other issues, and then addressed the IBS. This is due to the fact that the subconscious mind knows instinctively what needs addressing first.In regards to the longest time an individual has remained symptom free, this of course is dependent upon those individuals coming forward to verify this. However, in the study, there was a three-year follow-up and results showed not only stabalized improvement and/or symptom elimination for the majority of patients, but ongoing continued improvement during the course of the three years after completion of the program. For individuals here on the BB, there are many who did the program two years ago or more and are still maintaining their level of improvement. To declare a number of those who are completely symptom and drug free, we would have to do a survey of the BB, which just isn't feasible. There are many links to various formal studies of clinical hypnotherapy for the successful treatment of IBS; Eric has posted those on this site and also on the Research forum.For some former individuals on the BB, once they have found relief, many times they do not come back to the BB after a while, because they now consider themselves IBS free, and no longer need the support given here.In his own private practice, Mike is constantly doing clinical trials, and has found his success rate of doing in-person clinical hypnotherapy is only 3% better than that of the improvement rate for those doing the recorded IBS Audio Program. The processes he uses are the same, and in having over 2000 patients with this condition, he has a log of symptoms, treatment techniques, etc. that has proven the test of time. The gastroenterologists in his medical center approached him for the refractory IBS patients; that is those not responding to conventional medical treatements at only a 2% success rate. Mike's success rate remained not just stable, but continued to improve as the processes he now uses were fine tuned.To ever say that everyone is totally in remission, every time, is irresponsible. We only know what people report here as far as the BB is concerned. I once worked in a healh facility, and know that there is always every scenario, but from both Mike's studies, and the studies carried out by UNC, etc. there is certainly enough data to show that the improvements, at every level, ongoing and maintained, have exceeded those of conventional treatments tried by those same patients/individuals in most cases.Hope this helped a bit, for more data, so a search, or I am sure Eric will give you the correct links. Also, on the spiritual realm, my friend who is a chaplain (degree in theology and spiritual person as well) in a Christian affiliated hospital says they use hypnotherapy and guided imagery in their hospice environment to ease chronic pain, and also aid in the dying process. Be well... take care.
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