In those times, IBS was most often referred to as 'spastic colon' and it was a mystery to all but a few perceptive specialist practitioners who intuitively identified its psychological component.

These days, however, experts widely accept that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is indeed greatly influenced by emotions.

And what's more, it is thought that up to 20% of the population suffer from this truly uncomfortable and worrying condition.

After all, when we are feeling stressed or troubled, anxious, uptight, angry or with any other unresolved emotional issue gnawing away at us, then it's often our digestion - or our skin - that is the first to suffer.

Generally speaking, the most common symptoms of IBS include, but are not restricted to, stomach and abdominal pain, feeling bloated, constipation and/or diarrhoea and abnormal stool frequency and passage.

The usual medical response to IBS symptoms is to prescribe drugs and pharmaceuticals in an attempt to get things back in order, and these very often include anti-depressants and tranquilizers intended to alleviate the symptoms of this troublesome condition.

From the perspective of the experienced holistic practitioner, though, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is simply the body's call for help; it is a cry to action in order to address the underlying reasons for its existence.

As such, it is important to understand that Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a message - or, more correctly perhaps, a series of messages - designed to grab our attention so that we do something about the reason for the existence of these symptoms.

The symptoms are, in fact, a call to action.

In any treatment of IBS, we need to re-appraise what we put into our bodies, with coffee, chocolate, carbonated beverages and red meat either eliminated entirely or consumed only in small quantities.

We may, of course, choose to re-introduce some of these things at a later time, when the IBS has been taken care of and when we can objectively observe and monitor the results of doing this. Or perhaps we will decide that we are better served by permanently eliminating these things and simply enjoying the many other delicious foods and beverages available to us.

Soluble fibre, which can be purchased at most health food or drug stores in the convenient form of psyllium husks has also been shown to be of help with this condition, though such supplementation is not advised when chronic diarrhoea is present.

But it's the emotions that really need to be treated in order to bring about real and lasting relief for IBS.

Tension - both mental and emotional - stress, anxiety, anger, guilt and any other difficult emotion may easily incite intestinal spasms, which can so easily produce and magnify the condition.

Indeed, it is the emotions - and the influence of our own mind over our emotions - that really holds the key to true IBS relief. And this is where expertly delivered transformational hypnotherapy can be of real value.

Simply put, with correctly applied hypnotherapy, the negative concepts and drivers produced by the subconscious mind can be neutralized and replaced with more helpful, useful ones.

The simple fact is that irritable bowel syndrome will not disappear overnight. But working with a skilled transformational hypnotherapist, even long-term sufferers of this troublesome condition can quite rapidly achieve real improvement in symptoms and a feeling of overall well being. And this, of course, is the foundation of a long term cure for IBS.

If you or someone you know suffers from the troublesome condition known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, real help is available.

Advanced transformational hypnotherapy may very well hold the solution that you are looking for.