This book approaches IBS from a new and exciting viewpoint - that of coping with IBS using concepts and skills based on the individual's own psychological profile. Although we know more about IBS than ever before, medical treatment alone is ineffective for many people with IBS, who are often left to cope with IBS as best they can. This book discusses the intricate way in which the mind/brain and body interact, in producing a different "IBS experience" for each person. As well as covering more traditional areas such as stress, anxiety and depression, the authors discuss the ways in which a chronic illness such as IBS might affect memory and IQ. The role of shame and embarrassment, attitudes and beliefs, are also discussed in relation to chronic illness in general and IBS in particular. The book will be invaluable to anyone suffering from IBS (or their friends and relatives!), to gain a greater insight into this embarrassing and painful condition. It shows how sufferers can reduce the impact which their symptoms have on their day-to-day lives.

Doctors, nurses and other health professionals will gain a greater understanding of this disorder, as complex psychological constructs are explained simply and with the aid of diagrams, questionnaires, and summaries of the latest research relating to chronic illness. The different ways people experience IBS are illustrated by accounts given by people suffering from the illness.