Could the colour of a mood predict how Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) sufferers respond to hypnotherapy focused on their gut condition?
Always in search of the latest research in managing symptoms of IBS, I was fascinated to learn how the choice of mood colour predicts the response to hypnotherapy. Professor Peter Whorwell and his IBS Hypnotherapy Unit at The University of Manchester are world leaders in gut focused hypnotherapy and have developed a simple and inexpensive method to determine whether an IBS sufferer would be suitable for hypnotherapy.
The team use the ‘Manchester Colour Wheel’ to predict responders to treatment. Choosing a “positive” colour would mean you are nine times more likely to respond to hypnotherapy than if you chose a negative colour or no colour at all.
The theory behind the colour wheel is that being able to describe mood in terms of a positive colour is a sign of an active imagination, which is an important component of hypnotic ability. Hypnotherapy for the treatment of IBS gives patients control over their gut. Around two thirds of patients respond to the treatment, with actual changes in gastrointestinal function being scientifically demonstrated.
Despite this high success rate, gut focused hypnotherapy is often considered the “last line of defence” in the treatment of IBS. Gut focused hypnotherapy is one of the many lifestyle and dietary management strategies that we address in our dietary consultations.