“Gut Feelings:” The Gut-Brain Connection is Real

Photo by Nigel Hoare on Unsplash

What are “gut feelings”?

A knot in your stomach.

That flipping sensation before you start a presentation, or when your name is called in class, or at the doctor’s office while waiting for test results.

Butterflies in your stomach.

Cramps.

An urgent need to poop before a big interview.

These are “gut feelings,” the physiological sensations we experience in our stomachs when we feel nervous or anxious. They’re completely normal. Everyone experiences them at one time or another.

But … some of us experience them much more often and much more intensely. Some of us experience significant GI distress as a result of emotional experiences. And, some others can create a vicious cycle by then becoming secondarily anxious about the GI symptoms themselves as well, compounding the problem.

Of note, we also use this term, “gut feelings,” to refer to intuition, or a sense of deeper knowing. That is a secondary definition I will not be discussing here.

Why do we physically feel sensations in our gut when we’re anxious?

Because there is a very real connection between our gastrointestinal system and our nervous system.

The Nervous System 101

Our central nervous system (CNS) is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

The peripheral nervous system is everything else, and it’s job is to shuttle information to and from the CNS. It’s made up of nerves and serves as the communication system between the CNS and the rest of the body.

The peripheral nervous system is separated into the somatic nervous system (stuff we control) and the autonomic nervous system (stuff that is automatically controlled for us).

The autonomic nervous system is then also separated into the sympathetic nervous system (where ‘fight or flight’ resides) and the parasympathetic nervous system (our ‘rest and digest’ system).

So, if you’re with me so far, it looks like this:

Central (brain and spinal cord) vs. Peripheral Nervous System (everything else, the communication network)

Peripheral —> Autonomic (automatic) / Somatic (voluntary control)

Autonomic —> Sympathetic (fight or flight) / Parasympathetic (rest and digest)

The Enteric Nervous System

Now, to throw a super cool wrench into the system, we find the enteric nervous system.

The enteric nervous system is responsible for our gut feelings.

It’s called the “second brain” or “the brain in your gut.”

It consists of more than 100 million neurons (or nerve cells) that line the GI tract, from the esophagus to the rectum.

It’s not like the “big brain,” in that it’s not capable of thought, but it provides a direct connection between the GI system and the big brain: it provides gut-brain connection.

Referring back to our Nervous System 101 lesson, the enteric nervous system receives inputs from both the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) parts of the nervous system.

This is a crucial point: our gut responds to information received that tells it that a) there is a threat (sympathetic - get ready to fight or flight) or b) all is well (parasympathetic - chill out, digest your food).

Threat vs. All is Well?

Where does that information come from? How does our nervous system know whether there is a threat or not?

Sometimes our nervous system automatically picks up cues and information from the environment outside of our awareness and triggers the alarm.

But … sometimes … our thinking labels things as threats - that are not actually threats - that throws the switch. Our thoughts are so powerful that they can, even without our awareness, activate our nervous system to protect us, leading to gut feelings and other physiological responses.

Gut-Brain, but also Brain-Gut: It’s a two-way street

It’s important to recognize, though, that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street.

That is, our thoughts can create anxiety and depression and activate the nervous system, leading to physiological reactions in the GI tract.

AND, irritation in the the GI tract can send signals to the brain that trigger mood changes, creating symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The empowering part …

Because our two brains communicate with one another directly, psychotherapeutic interventions can be extremely effective in not only reducing the emotional experiences associated with depression and anxiety … but also the GI symptoms.

Targeting problematic thoughts that label situations as scary or hopeless, and behaviors that validate such thoughts, with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), can reduce the frequency and intensity of gut feelings and physiological responses to stress.

Learning how to calm the body - essentially activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and calming the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) - is also extremely effective. Physically grounding the body, breathwork, and mindfulness practices prove quite beneficial for this purpose.

More information

If this topic is of interest to you, you’re in luck!

I’ve had the privilege to chat about this topic on several podcasts and other platforms.

• On the IBS Freedom Podcast

• Chatting with Molly Pelletier about the Gut-Brain Connection and about Self-Care and the Gut

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