Everyday stress, as transmitted between a person’s gastrointestinal (GI) lining and brain, can worsen existing GI conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia and heartburn, and ulcerative colitis. While an underlying condition must first exist for such common tension to impact it, once present within a person it can be exacerbated by stress, including anxiety relating to the condition’s worsening. Recently, psychologists have begun offering cognitive-behavioral treatments to help patients reduce stress and alleviate their respective conditions.

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