http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14309026/
An interesting article on how often placebo pills work on people with pain and depression, among other things. Doctors used to think that people were just tricking themselves into believing that it worked, but someone finally got smart enough to say, "Okay, if they are tricking themselves into believing that the sugar pill works, then how are they doing it?" Rather than the effect being a drawback to medicine, they are finally realizing that it's helpful because people actually contain the ability to help heal themselves to some degree. They mention that positive thinking does seem to bring about positive changes.
Might be something some of our people who have been failed by traditional medicine might want to try and take up. There are all sorts of positive affirmation tapes out there and most cities of any size have new-age/holistic healers who can offer meditative guidance. This would also be of benefit to people whose anxiety makes their IBS worse.