Psychological Therapies May Relieve Inflammatory Bowel Disease

For sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), new hope for relief may come not from a pill bottle but from the counselor’s couch.

New research has uncovered significant evidence that psychological interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce inflammation levels in people living with IBD.

The research provides a ray of light for the over 3 million Americans afflicted with these painful gastrointestinal conditions, which include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

New Hope for IBD Sufferers

Symptoms of IBD include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, appetite loss, and rectal bleeding. The condition severely impacts patients’ mental health and quality of life. Over 720 new cases per 100,000 people—that’s nearly one in 100—are diagnosed a year.


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