[Sophie2009]

Hey all,I went to a counselor this afternoon and I am being put forward for a 12 week counseling course. I'm feeling positive about it.I just wanted to know if there are any links between IBS, stress and depression? Does stress cause IBS?Also are there any useful website where I can get any more information from?Thanks in advance,Sophie.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Stress is usually considered a trigger, not a cause.So it doesn't make you have IBS, but it makes IBS worse, or may trigger symptoms.Stress nor depression make any illness better. They usually always make all symptoms worse no matter what you have. So learning good stress management is a good life long skill no matter what illnesses you get at any point in your life.http://ezinearticles.com/?Stress-Woes-Can-...s&id=431791

 

[overitnow]

Stress will release adrenalin into the system and one of it's effects will be to force a bm as part of the "fight or flight" mechanism. While that is not IBS per se, given our propensity toward bowel problems, it is predictable and hardly matters what the source when it happens. More worrisome is a relationship between stress and inflammation, which can also result in a long term IBS-like response. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IS...2/ai_n13675741/Management and elimination of stressors is always a good idea.Mark