When you live with a condition as difficult as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are probably all too familiar with stress, anxiety, fear, worry, anger, and other emotions.
If you live with IBS, you already know the pattern: a flare shows up at the worst possible time, and the fear of the next one can wear you down almost as much as the symptoms themselves. Life outside of IBS brings its own stress on top of that. You're not imagining the connection between how you feel and how your gut behaves, and it's not "just stress." There's a real, physical loop running between your gut and your brain, and tapping works on that loop, alongside your doctor's care, not instead of it.
Unfortunately, research shows us that stress can contribute to IBS symptoms. So a vicious cycle can occur with stress worsening symptoms, symptoms worsening stress, and so on.
The Gut-Brain Loop, in Plain Words
Here's the short version, before we get into the research: your gut has its own nervous system, called the enteric nervous system, and it's in constant two-way conversation with your brain through the vagus nerve. When your brain senses stress or threat, it sends signals down that can speed up, slow down, or otherwise disrupt digestion. When your gut is in distress, it sends signals back up that can make you feel more anxious or on edge. Neither direction is "in your head." It's one loop, and it runs both ways.
That's why a technique that calms the brain's stress response, like tapping, can have a real effect on how the gut feels, even though it isn't touching the gut directly. It's also why the reverse is true: a gut that's flaring can turn up your stress before you've even noticed why.
You'll find our full library of articles on tapping for pain and physical health in one place.
But there’s good news! Relief from IBS is possible, especially when you address the role stress and difficult emotions may be playing in your condition.
IBS: A Stressful Condition That Takes an Emotional Toll
IBS is a very challenging condition that can affect all aspects of your life. It often limits daily functioning and productivity, affects relationships, and gets in the way of important activities like work, school, and home life.[1-3]
In addition to painful and uncomfortable symptoms, people with IBS also often experience fear and anxiety related to their symptoms, possible triggers, and flare-ups. They commonly avoid certain places and situations out of worry about what might happen.[1,4]
And on top of all of that, IBS sufferers also face a lack of understanding about their condition. Loved ones, strangers, colleagues, and doctors often do not understand and even dismiss their concerns. The stigma surrounding IBS can lead to shame, embarrassment, and self-judgment.[5]
If you have IBS, it’s no wonder that you might often feel stressed, worried, anxious, fearful, angry, lonely, and a wide range of other emotions. It can be very stressful to live with this condition, and it can take a major emotional toll.[4]
But here’s what is important to realize: stress and difficult emotions appear to have the power to trigger and worsen IBS symptoms.[6]
Research Suggests a Strong Link Between IBS, Stress, and Emotions
There is an abundance of research connecting stress and emotions to IBS.[2,6,7,8]
Here are a few findings from the research that help to illustrate the links between IBS stress, emotions, and mental health:
- More than half of IBS patients develop IBS symptoms during or after a stressful life event.[6,9]
- Early life stress is very common in people with IBS; abuse, trauma, adversity, family dysfunction, and more are highly reported.[6,7,9]
- People with IBS often report higher levels of life stress, relationship conflicts, and emotional suppression.[7]
- When people with IBS experience stress and emotional arousal from things like anger, anxiety, or depression, symptoms tend to be more severe and more noticeable.[6,9,10]
- People with IBS are more likely to believe emotions are not acceptable than the average person.[8]
As you can see, there are many lines of evidence connecting IBS to stress and emotions.
As some researchers put it, “psychosocial factors contribute to the predisposition, precipitation, and perpetuation of IBS symptoms.”[9] John Hopkins Medicine goes so far as to say:
“It is clear that stress plays a role in the frequency and severity of symptoms of patients with IBS.” [6]
You might be wondering, “But what does stress have to do with the digestive system? Isn’t IBS a condition of the gut, not the mind?”
To understand why stress and emotions can have such a big impact on IBS, we’ll need to look at something called the gut-brain axis.
Understanding the Gut-Brain Axis
Did you know that our guts and our brains are tightly connected? In human biology, there is something called the “gut-brain axis,” which links our brains to our digestive tract through hormonal and neural signaling.
This means that our guts and our brains are constantly talking to each other and communicating. The state our brain is in can affect our gut, and vice versa.
When we experience stress and strong emotional arousal, it creates changes in our nervous system that can have far-reaching effects throughout the entire body. And because the nervous system is linked to the gut through the gut-brain axis, changes in the brain can create changes in the gut.
Studies show us that stress causes real, physical changes in the digestive system that can impair its normal functioning and lead to pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms. For example, stress can lead to changing hormone levels, increased intestinal permeability, and altered motility in the gut (all factors that are known to be a part of the IBS dysfunction).[2,6,9]
When we are under stress or are experiencing strong emotions, it can trigger or worsen digestive symptoms like those you have with IBS.[2,6,9]
Because of the role of the gut-brain axis and the ways in which psychological factors can influence the condition, some researchers even believe that irritable bowel syndrome should also be known as “irritable brain.”[9]
Getting Stuck in a Vicious Cycle
The relationship between stress and symptoms isn’t just one-directional. As we covered earlier, IBS can cause a lot of stress itself.
Unfortunately, this can create a vicious loop that many IBS sufferers find themselves stuck in: with symptoms leading to stress, that stress worsening symptoms, and so on.[2,4,6,7,8]
Each perpetuates the other, and your symptoms, stress, and other difficult emotions can get more and more amplified as the cycle goes along.
This Doesn’t Mean It’s All in Your Head
As we have seen, research suggests strong connections between IBS and stress, emotions, and psychological factors. But it is important to clarify that that does not mean it is all in your head.
The pain and digestive symptoms you are experiencing are very real. No one is assuming you are making them up. They are not your fault, and you have done nothing wrong. IBS is a real condition with real physical symptoms.
So no, it’s not all in the head. But at the same time, addressing your emotions and your stress can be a key part of managing this condition.[4]
The Powerful Healing Effects of Addressing Your Stress and Emotions
So now we know that stress and strong emotions can contribute to IBS symptoms. And here’s the exciting part...
There is an abundance of research showing that techniques that help you to better manage, express, and release stress and difficult emotions can help you to improve IBS symptoms and boost your quality of life.[2,7,11,12]
For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is a common technique that is used in IBS treatment that can help people with IBS to cope with stress, reframe unhelpful beliefs, manage their emotions, and so on. It has been shown time and time again in numerous studies to help decrease nervous system arousal, improve IBS symptoms, reduce disability caused by IBS, and improve quality of life.[2,11,12,13]
You see, people with IBS who learn skills to manage their emotions and lower their stress can experience amazing breakthroughs.
This information helps us to understand that we have tools within us to support our bodies in the healing process; if we address our stress and emotions, we can actually empower ourselves to feel better.
Remission Is Possible!
If this is all sounding too good to be true… we get it. When you are in the depths of IBS symptoms, it might seem like there is no way out. It can begin to feel hopeless, like healing is impossible and not an option for you.
And while there may be no specific cure-all for IBS that will work for everyone, there is one thing we know to be true: remission is definitely possible. Research data tells us that many people with IBS report reduction of symptoms, and even complete remission.[14-17]
So if you have IBS, you need to know that it is possible to heal and get better. You can find relief from your symptoms, just as so many others like you have experienced. So don’t give up!
Using Tapping to Support Your IBS Healing
The research makes it quite clear that stress and emotions can affect IBS, and also that addressing your stress and emotions can help you to feel better.
Luckily, there is a wide range of healing modalities that can support you in this journey. And one simple, effective technique you can add to your toolbox is Tapping.
Tapping helps us to send calming signals to the brain. It can help to turn off the stress response in the brain that gets activated when we are anxious, overwhelmed, in pain, or facing challenges.[18-20]
If we can learn to help our brain calm down, release stress, and let go of difficult or pent-up emotions, we can help it to relax.
And as a result, we can help to turn down the signals that contribute to troublesome symptoms in our digestion. And that’s what Tapping can help with. If you are interested in learning more about the science and research behind Tapping, go here.
Of course, everyone is unique, and each person’s condition and situation is different. So no promises can be made about how Tapping will work for you. But we can tell you that Tapping has helped many different people to find relief from a variety of concerns like IBS. It has helped others to transform their lives and break free of symptoms like pain, digestive issues, and so much more.
If others can find relief, why can’t you?
We’ve designed a 5-day Tapping Meditation series in The Tapping Solution App to help you use the power of Tapping to support your IBS. Here’s what you can expect to find:
Day 1: The Links Between Stress, Emotions, and IBS
Learn about the connection between stress and digestive symptoms, discover how Tapping can help you, and open yourself up to the possibility of relaxing deeper and experiencing healing.
Day 2: Releasing IBS-Related Fear and Anxiety
Consider the role worry and fear may be playing in your condition, and begin the process of releasing these emotions from your body.
Day 3: Addressing Anger and Frustration
Acknowledge and honor any feelings of anger or frustration about your condition and life with IBS, and create a safe space to begin to release the weight of these emotions so they are no longer being held in your body.
Day 4: Exploring the Onset of Your Symptoms
Reflect back on the time when your symptoms began. Explore what was going on in your life before your IBS started to acknowledge any stressors or emotional upheaval that may have played a role in the onset of your symptoms.
Day 5: Imagining Healing and Freedom from IBS
Take time to visualize a life that is not hindered by IBS symptoms. Imagine the healing breakthroughs in your future, and picture yourself experiencing life more fully and freely.
Free. The best place to start.
Want to learn tapping from the people who know it best?
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Join the free summitWhat Our IBS Data Shows
Across the 10 sessions in our IBS Support program (the 5 Day IBS Support Series plus the IBS Support Collection), people have completed a session 50,457 times. Before and after each one, they rate their own stress or discomfort from 0 to 10. The completion-weighted average goes from 6.55 before to 3.64 after, a 44% drop. That's a self-report inside a single session, not a clinical outcome or a claim about IBS itself; we're sharing it as honest app data, the same way we would for any other program.
The most-completed session is Day 1: The Links Between Stress, Emotions and IBS, used 12,572 times, with the average rating going from 6.8 to 3.9. Next is Day 2 (Releasing IBS-Related Fear and Anxiety), 9,453 completions, 6.5 to 3.6, then Day 3 (Addressing Anger and Frustration), 6,616 completions, 6.4 to 3.3.
For context on tapping more broadly, a peer-reviewed study of 270,461 App users published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (Church & Stapleton, 2020) found anxiety fell 44% and stress fell 45% per session on average, which lines up with what we see in the IBS-specific numbers above.
In People's Own Words
"Thank you. I cried on this session. My gut and brain speak to each other and you confirmed it. I didn't know IBS could be the problem and now I have a solution. Thank you and Mahalo." , Anonymous TTS User
"This tapping meditation has really helped my confidence and, together with other meditations, seems to have helped my IBS. Hope it lasts! I will keep tapping." , Anonymous TTS User
"Really helpful and healing. Really connected to the sense of tiredness and overwhelm of trying to decide what is best to do (what to eat, what not to eat, what pills to take, etc.) Feel calmer and with less pain and more relaxed in the area where I have the IBS." , Anonymous TTS User
A 3-Minute "This Knot in My Stomach" Round
Use this the moment you notice the knot forming, before a flare, before you leave the house, or right in the middle of one. Rate how you feel from 0 to 10 before you start.
- Setup (repeat three times, tapping the side of your hand): "Even though I have this knot in my stomach and I don't know what today holds, I deeply and completely accept myself."
- Setup (repeat three times, tapping the side of your hand): "Even though part of me is scared of what my gut is going to do, I choose to accept myself and how I feel right now."
- Setup (repeat three times, tapping the side of your hand): "Even though this fear feels bigger than me sometimes, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway."
- Eyebrow: "This knot in my stomach."
- Side of Eye: "I don't know what today holds."
- Under Eye: "This fear of a flare."
- Under Nose: "The fear of being far from a bathroom."
- Chin: "This tightness, right here."
- Collarbone: "I'm allowed to feel this without it running the whole day."
- Under Arm: "Even this frustration with my own body."
- Top of Head: "I choose to breathe, and let my body settle."
Reassess your number. If it's still high, do another round. Many people find just noticing and naming the knot, instead of bracing against it, is enough to bring the intensity down a notch or two.
Phrases for the Moments IBS Actually Shows Up
Naming the real, specific thing you're feeling works better than tapping on "IBS" in general. Here are a few moments people tap through most, and phrases that fit them.
| Moment | A phrase to tap with |
|---|---|
| Before eating out | "Even though I'm nervous about this meal, I choose to trust my body to handle what it needs to." |
| In the middle of a flare | "Even though this flare is happening right now, I accept myself and I let this pass through me." |
| Fear of being far from a bathroom | "Even though I'm scared of not finding a bathroom in time, I choose to feel safe in this moment." |
| Embarrassment | "Even though I feel embarrassed about my symptoms, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway." |
| Frustration with my body | "Even though I'm so frustrated with my body right now, I choose to work with it instead of against it." |
A Tap-Along Video and Session for Your Gut
If you'd rather follow along than read a script, our team put together a short video on tapping for IBS:
And when you're ready for a longer, guided session, our Healing Your Gut extended tap-along session in the App walks you through a full round with Jessica.
When to see a doctor: Tapping works on the stress and the gut-brain loop around IBS, alongside your gastroenterologist's care; it isn't a treatment for IBS itself and it doesn't rule out other conditions. See a doctor promptly for blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, fever, or new digestive symptoms that start after age 50. Those aren't typical IBS symptoms and need medical evaluation.
More Support for the Stress Side of IBS
If stress and a wound-up nervous system are a big part of what you're dealing with, our guides to nervous system regulation and tapping for stress relief go deeper into calming the body's alarm system generally, which is the same alarm system that's talking to your gut. You can also read real stories from people using tapping alongside their own care for gut health and IBS.
Give It a Try for Yourself in The Tapping Solution App
You deserve to feel well, and to be able to participate in a life that is rich, meaningful, and full. Fortunately, remission from IBS is possible. The more you are able to release your stress and other difficult emotions, the better your chances at finding relief.
Remember, reducing your stress allows your brain and body to relax. It brings you to a place that you can begin to heal and get well. With the power of Tapping, you can support your brain and body to do just that: to let go, to calm down, and to settle into a state of deep healing.
Head to The Tapping Solution App now and get started with the 5 Day IBS Support Series to experience the healing power of Tapping for yourself.
Here are just a few of the many testimonials we've received about this series:
"I’ve had severe IBS, possibly other undiagnosed ailments, for years, with lots of frequent stomach/ intestinal pain. I started tapping in February and I’ve had very few flare ups since and the ones I have experienced have been far more tolerable and manageable with tapping. I use all the gut healing ones plus the anxiety and fear ones (because I know the root cause is anxiety). Tapping can help with so many different pains."
"I love the new 5 Day series for IBS! This series came out when I needed it the most! On day 2 and already feeling much needed relief! Tapping keeps working miracles in my life!"
"I saw wonders doing this IBS series, it literally saved my days. My IBS was destroying my life, I was scared to go out because of pain and hard digestion. Wonderful, after the end of the series I do the tapping now and then and could focus on tapping for different issues."
Tapping for IBS: Frequently Asked Questions
Does tapping help with IBS?
Tapping doesn't treat or cure IBS. What it targets is the stress and the gut-brain loop that make symptoms worse for many people, alongside your gastroenterologist's care. Inside The Tapping Solution App, people using our IBS Support sessions rate their own stress before and after each session, and those self-ratings drop by 44% on average.
How do I tap during an IBS flare?
Rate how you're feeling right now from 0 to 10, then do a short round naming exactly what's happening: the pain, the urgency, the fear of being caught somewhere without a bathroom. Tap through the points while you stay with what's true for you in the moment, rather than trying to push the feeling away. The 3-minute round on this page is built for exactly that moment.
What do I say when I tap for IBS?
Name the real thing, not just "IBS" in general: the knot in your stomach, the fear before you leave the house, the embarrassment of a flare in public. "Even though I have this knot in my stomach and I'm scared of what today holds, I deeply and completely accept myself" is a good starting Setup Statement. See the phrases table on this page for more.
Does stress cause IBS symptoms?
Stress doesn't cause IBS on its own, but it worsens symptoms for many people. Your gut and brain are in constant two-way communication through what's called the gut-brain axis, so a stressed brain can send signals that speed up, slow down, or otherwise disrupt digestion, and a flare can just as easily send stress signals back up to the brain.
Is there a free tapping session for IBS?
Yes. The Tapping Solution App's 5 Day IBS Support Series is free to start, and you can also use the 3-minute round on this page right now with no app required.
When should I see a doctor about IBS symptoms?
Tapping works alongside your doctor's care, not instead of it. See a doctor promptly for blood in your stool, unexplained weight loss, fever, or new digestive symptoms that start after age 50; those aren't typical IBS symptoms and need medical evaluation.
Until next time...
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
The Tapping Solution App
Get started free with The Tapping Solution App
Guided tapping meditations for anxiety, sleep, stress, and more. Try it free.
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