If watching the news or paying the bills has ever made you feel sick, you’re not alone.
“Americans are experiencing an unprecedented level of stress, fueled by the rapid-fire news headlines, ongoing inflationary pressures and an increasingly unpredictable world,” Dr. Mariah Corneille, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the gut-brain connection, told The Post.
Now, Corneille is highlighting how pervasive anxiety doesn’t just affect mental well-being — it could be fueling persistent tummy troubles, especially if you’re a “high gut responder.”
Not everyone knows that your nervous system and digestive system are actually incredibly intertwined.
“It’s well-established that the brain and gut are in constant communication,” she said.
“The gut is home to the enteric nervous system — often called the ‘second brain‘ — which controls digestion and interacts directly with the central nervous system via the vagus nerve. When this connection becomes dysregulated, it can lead to hypersensitivity, chronic pain and unpredictable bowels.”
According to Corneille, this connection explains why your feelings can affect your digestion — and vice versa.
For some people — whom she calls “high gut responders” — this link is especially pronounced.
“‘High gut responders’ are particularly sensitive to this interplay,” Corneille said.
“Often, these individuals have histories of trauma or chronic stress, leading to heightened vigilance and sensitivity to gut-related signals,” she continued. “This hyper-responsiveness can exacerbate GI symptoms, creating a challenging cycle of discomfort and distress.”
People with this condition may go through an endless series of doctor’s appointments, tests, drugs and dietary restrictions without realizing that therapy is a crucial part of their treatment, Corneille noted.
Similarly, those who go into therapy to treat anxiety or depression might not be treated by someone who’s adequately aware of the role digestive health plays on their emotional state.
“While mental health professionals can play a crucial role in symptom management, traditional therapists are oftentimes ill-equipped with the specialized knowledge required to address the complex interplay between the brain and the digestive system,” she said.
That is why she strongly recommends seeing a GI-trained therapist.
“A GI-trained therapist understands how to tailor behavioral interventions specifically for digestive health,” she said.
“For example, they can help patients learn to regulate visceral hypersensitivity — the heightened pain perception common in IBS — through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques adapted for GI disorders. They might also use gut-directed hypnotherapy — a well-researched approach that has been shown to rewire brain-gut communication and significantly reduce symptom severity.”
The only problem? Even with the rise of telehealth — there aren’t a lot of GI-trained therapists to go around.
“Most mental health providers receive little to no training in gastroenterology, and even within specialized areas like health psychology, few clinicians focus exclusively on digestive health,” Corneille said.
Interviewing a therapist
To find a therapist who is likely to have the most informed approach, Corneille recommends asking them four questions.
- Do you have experience treating IBS or other functional GI disorders?
- Have you received training in gut-directed hypnotherapy or CBT for GI conditions?
- Do you collaborate with gastroenterologists or GI dietitians?
- What specific techniques do you use to address brain-gut dysregulation?
It might sound like a lot, but, according to Corneille, the “right behavioral interventions can transform lives, offering lasting relief where other treatments have failed.”
