In this post, I wanted to share how you can use EFT tapping to help with both IBS and anxiety. For me personally, anxiety is my biggest IBS trigger. This means that addressing it with tapping helps me with my IBS symptoms as well. Of course, if your IBS is completely unrelated to stress, this technique might not be for you. Otherwise, it can really do wonders!
What even is EFT?
EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, is a holistic healing method rooted in principles from Chinese medicine. It involves gentle tapping on specific points on the body while focusing on emotional or physical issues. The aim is to rebalance the body’s energy system, alleviate stress, and address various health concerns by releasing emotional blockages.
More concretely, it works by listening to a tapping practitioner talk through a certain script, repeating the sentences, and tapping along on the specific points on the head, face and upper body. The script itself usually treats a very specific issue, like fear, overwhelm, or pain, and provides you insights into the feeling and how to let it go. You can either repeat the sentences exactly as they were said, or change them to fit your situation better.
During a successful tapping session, you can come to understand the source of a feeling, and can often physically feel your body let go.
Using EFT for IBS and anxiety
My anxiety is often triggered by memories of past experiences that left a lasting impact on me. Like, for example, having a stomach bug while trying to take care of my children. This memory has stayed ingrained in my brain and now causes me to panic at the first sign of sickness. Same goes for awful flare-ups after eating certain foods, which caused me to develop pretty bad food anxiety at one point.
EFT tapping has been a game-changer in tackling these trauma-responses. It helps me understand why they are triggered and how I don’t need the fear in order to make good choices.
In addition to that, I tend to be very pessimistic in regards to my health. Sometimes, even good days are impossible to enjoy for me because I spend all my time being scared of my next flare. In a way, my brain believes that worrying helps protect me. This sounds strange, but it’s the way my anxiety works… I’m now using EFT to release these patterns and learn how to enjoy the present moment.
EFT results for IBS and anxiety
Overall, EFT has been a game-changer for me. It’s the first thing that has ever helped me dig deeper into my own thought patterns. I had never understood why certain situations were triggers for me, and tapping has provided me with so many aha-moments.
Before, I always tried to suppress my feelings and fears by telling myself that they weren’t real. With tapping, I’m learning to actually digest everything that’s going on. This, in turn, quite literally helps my digestive system and thus my IBS.
EFT helps me accept the state of my health now. It’s teaching me to believe that my body and mind can heal, which is an entirely new experience for me.
Of course, not every tapping session is successful. I’m still getting anxious, especially when my IBS is flaring. But I’ve gotten so much better on so many levels since starting EFT, and it’s been less than a year!
Tapping resources
The best thing about EFT tapping? You can try it for free on YouTube! And it really only takes around 10 minutes out of your day.
The most important thing is to find a practitioner who resonates with you. My personal favourites are Brad Yates and Julie Shiffmann, but there are many others as well.
It’s equally important to find specific scripts that work for the specific issue you’re trying to address. Not every video will do that, and that’s okay. But once you find one that does, it can be beneficial to do tap to it over and over again until you feel like that issue is no longer impacting your life.
Have you tried tapping for IBS and anxiety? If yes, please share your experience in the comments!