Interventions from cognitive behavioural therapy and ideas from narrative therapy in supporting a woman with intellectual disabilities with irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract

A psychologist saw Cilla because she had tummy aches and lots of problems with her poo. Cilla had been seen by lots of doctors. The doctors said that they could not find a reason for her tummy aches. Cilla said that she was fed up with feeling poorly. Cilla worried about her tummy and stopped doing things she liked. This meant that she spent more time worrying about it. Cilla and her sister talked to the psychologist. They talked about people’s bodies and poo. They talked about how our thoughts, feelings and the things we do can cause changes to our bodies and our poo. Cilla kept a diary about how she was feeling. Cilla thought that her problems were due to tablets that she was taking for her thyroid. Cilla was told that this was not the case, but she found this hard to believe. Cilla went away with her other sister to the seaside for a few days and enjoyed herself. Cilla did not worry about her tummy as much there, and it seemed to get a bit better. Cilla’s sisters both talked about how Cilla could do more activities and how this might help her to not spend so much time worrying about her tummy. At the last session with the psychologist, Cilla said that she was looking forward to going on holiday and had started yoga, and her sisters said that they felt more able to help Cilla themselves.