Nice, that they know stress is bad. But these P/C snakeoil cures are for bunk. You can lay about staring at your bellybutton when you lose your job and are homeless. In the mean time.

BRING ON SOME USEFUL, AFFORDABLE PILLS! so we can get through these next few years!

I couldn't agree more, this is the most horribly debilitating thing that I have ever had in my life. I don't get sick, have never broken a bone - never really had any serious medical issue. But I have this IBS/Crohn's thing and the doctor's say there is nothing I can do but manage my stress. Doesn't help, and it hurts so bad every day, all day, for many years now, that sometimes I am doubled over or prone in pain for hours. It's so disappointing there isn't a treatment for this pain. Pot or pain killers do not work.

"Study links emotional changes to inflammatory bowel disease flare-ups"

It's pretty interesting reading the comments under this story. You can hear so clearly the anger and frustration in the ones that criticize or discredit the idea that lessening stress can help. Anger and frustration are very strong emotions of stress. Perhaps if they accepted the possibility that their attitude can influence these illnesses and truly worked at reducing the stressful emotions, they would find that it does help.

Patterns of behavior are very hard to see in oneself, and you have to see them before you can change. It's hard work. But it's pretty amazing when you discover you actually CAN do a lot about your own health conditions and healing.

"Study links emotional changes to inflammatory bowel disease flare-ups"

It's pretty interesting reading the comments under this story. You can hear so clearly the anger and frustration in the ones that criticize or discredit the idea that lessening stress can help. Anger and frustration are very strong emotions of stress. Perhaps if they accepted the possibility that their attitude can influence these illnesses and truly worked at reducing the stressful emotions, they would find that it does help.

Patterns of behavior are very hard to see in oneself, and you have to see them before you can change. It's hard work. But it's pretty amazing when you discover you actually CAN do a lot about your own health conditions and healing.

Amma Maw;

People with problems get upset at people suggesting solutions to those problems because the delivery typically glosses over the many complexities associated with those problems and gives the person who has problems the impression that the person suggesting the solution thinks they are stupid for not doing that one little thing that could solve everything. No matter how good the intention is, if the delivery is not careful the result will be anger.

Now about Crohn's.... Stress is one factor and reducing it does help. Stress is not the only factor however. It is unfortunate for those of us who suffer this disease because if there was just one factor such as stress it would be easy to control. Its not, random things can set off a flare up.

The other problem is that stress normally FOLLOWS symptoms, and then makes them worse. I keep a very detailed medical journal that is then placed into a computer program. There is about 1 time a year that stress causes a flare up. The other couple of flares have an increase in stress levels after the 2nd or 3rd day of consistent symptoms.

I have to echo the other posters here in saying this study is nothing new. I'm glad to see a study reach mainstream media but I wish it had more substance than this. A couple years ago when I was diagnosed my doctor / nurse gave me some stress reduction guidelines as part of a treatment plan.

Enjoy!