10 Ways Talk Therapy Can Help Crohn's and Colitis

Of course, a result of talk therapy is improving one's depression. That is a worthwhile feat on its own, but how does it affect the gut? When depression is improved, the quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal conditions is drastically heightened, resulting in a higher ability to fight their symptoms. It is easy for those with bowel conditions to develop depression, as they sometimes need to use the toilet between 20 and 30 times per day. Not only that, but they experience such severe pain that they often cannot resume their normal social lives or attain previous goals in their career, education, or travel plans. Studies show that the presence of depression intensifies the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease as well, so finding help via talk therapy is likely to lessen the pain experienced.

However, it is not exclusively that people with bowel disorders develop depression; those with preexisting depression are shown to be more likely to develop bowel disorders, due to altered brain-gut interactions. Therefore, talk therapy assists in the prevention of bowel disorders as well.