When problems arise disturbance of emotions or digestive system, most patients visit, on the one hand, the psychologist or psychiatrist and, on the other, the digestive specialist. Both will try to look for repairable physical damage and, if not, they will classify the disorder as a functional disease that is difficult to classify or treat, perhaps due to the same interrelation of both fields.
As doctors, it begins to surprise us that drugs designed to treat insomnia, anxiety or stress improve digestive problems. But in fact, The nerve cell plexuses in the intestine contain the same transmitters that nerve cells use to communicate.
Many intestinal complaints could be explained by interference between the brain and the intestines.
The nerve plexuses in the abdomen help connect the intestines with emotions. The complex network of intestinal nerve plexuses influences not only digestion but happiness or misfortune of many patients, it helps to digest food well, to make contact with the outside world and take advantage of the best of it, at the same time that it helps to defend ourselves from its aggressions by starting up immune mechanisms and maintaining balance of all the intestinal flora.
In linear thought it is believed that the brain controls the intestines through the vagus nervebut there is no control or command, rather an interrelation of coordination and balance between the two is produced, or an imbalance that makes patients go from the psychologist and psychiatrist to the digestive system specialist.
Functional digestive diseases such as irritable bowel and abdominal pain In children They usually also present anxiety, fatigue, aggressiveness and sleep disturbance.
Balance between emotions and digestion
One of the neurotransmitters most linked to emotions is the . It is synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system (10%) but above all in enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans (almost 90%).
It is involved in the inhibition of anger and aggressiveness, in the regulation of body temperature, in mood, sleep, vomiting, sexuality and appetite. Its inhibition is directly related to symptoms of depression. In fact, antidepressants are responsible for modifying the levels of serotonin in the person.
Other psychiatric drugs that cause changes in the brain can cause nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. You can use a opioid to relieve pain and this will act on the intestinal receptors producing constipation.
It is true that you can use , any technique that promotes calm and psychiatric medications such as anxiolytics to treat digestive problems, but few psychologists and psychiatrists think of treating their patients taking care of the digestive system, providing them with a healthy, balanced and pleasant meal.
If our intestine produces benzodiazepines to control insomnia and stress, it is likely that this means that these disorders also depend on the belly.
It is not strange that in oriental traditional medicines Like the Chinese, the Japanese or the Ayurveda, the body control center is located in the belly, in the so-called Dan Tien either hara.
From there, the balance of the body is regulated to stand or sit, but also the psychological balance. From that vortex, likewise, the body coordinates with the energy that surrounds it. There the food arrives and is assimilated, energy is captured and distributed and at the same time balance or emotional imbalance is created.
Digestive problems that speak of your mental health
The good digestions They are also signs of a clear head and balanced psyche. Eating well and defecating at ease favors mental balance. In addition, moods affect the digestive part.
The digestive organs sometimes reflect unresolved psychic problems that manifest themselves in different forms, from discomfort to suffering. Many cases of stomach inflammation, duodenal and stomach ulcers, as well as different liver, gallbladder and intestinal problems and colitis belong to these psychosomatic conditions.
This is clearly experienced patients who feel overwhelmed by mood problemsconflictive situations, uncertainties and insecurity. It has been seen that patients who mismanage their emotions or who suffer from alexithymia (inability to identify and express emotions) suffer more digestive problems.
In these cases, the dialogue with the doctor can provide clarity and show beneficial paths, both solving emotional problems and taking care of food.
A look at the irritable bowel
In conventional medicine, groups of specialists in digestive disorders who try to practice integrative medicine, since there are many patients who cannot find an organic cause for their problems.
The psychoneuroimmunology is an interdisciplinary scientific field that investigates the mechanisms of interaction and communication between the brain (mind, behaviour) and the systems responsible for the homeostatic maintenance of the organism, the nervous (central and autonomic), immune and neuroendocrine systems, as well as their clinical implications.
The digestive functional disordersand in particular the irritable bowel syndromee, could be explained from this perspective. In this syndrome there seems to be altered intestinal visceral motility and sensitivity, apparently without any organic alteration.
On endoscopy, the intestinal mucosa is normal. Nevertheless, there are cellular factors that suggest low-grade intestinal inflammation. In addition, other elements are added such as the communication of the intestine with the nervous system, the increase in intestinal permeability and the changes in the intestinal microbiology, which appear in these patients.
In all these aspects, the high number of T lymphocytes influences. It has been suggested that alterations in the levels of these lymphocytes could lead to an underlying proinflammatory activity. The body is trying to react and there is something that prevents it, probably related to the lifestyle of the patient. And, above all, with what you eat and how you eat it.
The study of these people in whom major organic changes are not found is complicated, but new ways of approaching their diagnosis and treatment are being considered.
Once organic pathologies have been ruled out, both psychological and dietary care and, in general, a healthier lifestyle are proposed.
Natural aids to connect digestion with emotions
Among the therapeutic techniques that can help connect the digestive part with the emotional they find each other:
It can ease pain by relieving sympathetic nervous system stimulation often seen in gastrointestinal problems. Whether on the abdomen or for reflexology, it is very helpful in relieving ileus and constipation and generally very comforting. It is one of the basic therapies of the Mayr cure.
- therapeutic manipulation
The release of a few points on the spine and the large muscles of the back and trunk decreases their reflex effect in the abdominal region and alleviates pain. traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, acupressure and phytotherapy. They have demonstrated in a double-blind study their usefulness for the colon, with significant improvement in the symptoms of meteorism and general well-being in patients.
Multiple studies indicate that energy healing is effective for pain, anxiety, and depression.
- Relaxation and psychotherapy
Given the current knowledge about the cerebrointestinal axis and the associated interactions, it is logical that the mind-body treatment should be used. Progressive muscle relaxation and breathing exercises, separately or together, help decrease sympathetic stimulation and promote comfort.
By reducing anxiety related to pain, they demonstrate the psychosomatic phenomenon and the person’s self-regulation capacity. With directed imagery, a state of focused attention is achieved in which the mind is more receptive to suggestion. It is used to reduce intestinal discomfort.
The family intervention cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy often includes teaching coping, social, and relationship skills.
it suits reduce intake of highly processed foods, especially those that contain refined carbohydrates (sweets, cookies…). If symptoms are suggestive or there is a family history of lactose intolerance, a 2-4 week trial is done by eliminating all dairy products from the diet to see if changes occur. If they do not occur, they rejoin.
Physicians can help change habits by offering a thorough explanation of the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and possible treatments, which reassures the patient and helps raise awareness. rest. It is useful to work on strategies to promote restful sleep.
Emotions and gut reactions can help the mind when it’s upset. You can take the reins by feeling and thinking with your gut, recovering abdominal breathing, feeling the importance of having the ability to breathe. This attention to the belly allows neurotransmitter centers to be activated that secrete the celebration and joy of feeling alive.
Eating, a ritual
What value is attached to the act of eating? It can be a simple procedure or become a transcendent ritual act. You can eat standing up and in a hurry, without stopping moving, as if you were solving an unfinished business. Or take the time to prepare food, cook, set the table and turn the act of eating into a ritual, which also includes washing the dishes and cleaning up. Each meal can become a small or large party.
Can eat alone or accompanied, and in both cases the experience can be very satisfactory (if the company does not bother or tense). It has been shown that They provide them with psychological help and help resolve emotional conflicts. In general, it seems that people who eat alone are more vulnerable to emotional problems. Even worse if all meals are made while listening to the news.