4 Tips For Beginning To Cope With Your Diagnosis.
Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease can feel like a freaking tornado of emotions.
When I was first diagnosed I felt devastated, scared and even a small bit of relief. Now that I knew the WHAT I could figure out how to go about helping myself to heal...
If you're finding yourself recently diagnosed or even if you're still searching for answers, I totally feel you friend, I felt and sometimes still feel the anxiety and load of emotions that go along with this discovery process. I am here to tell you that all of those feelings are normal and share with you some of what I've learned so that you don't have to navigate through this alone.
#1 Take Time To Process
You have just had world changing news friend. Take some time for yourself to process this, to feel your feelings.
Taking that time to process might look like , having a good cry, talking to someone close to you, sitting in a warm bath with essential oils, taking a walk, writing in a journal, whatever soothes your soul and allows you space to think.
My endocrinologist always tells me, because I have literally never seen her without sobbing my eyes out, that crying allows unnecessary energy out of the body which the body more space to heal. I like to equate this to all emotions and find that if I allow myself to feel them, even if only for a few minutes I am more easily able to process them and release them from my body.
Taking that time to process might look like , having a good cry, talking to someone close to you, sitting in a warm bath with essential oils, taking a walk, writing in a journal, whatever soothes your soul and allows you space to think.
My endocrinologist always tells me, because I have literally never seen her without sobbing my eyes out, that crying allows unnecessary energy out of the body which the body more space to heal. I like to equate this to all emotions and find that if I allow myself to feel them, even if only for a few minutes I am more easily able to process them and release them from my body.
Allow yourself some time, processing what has just been handed to you and how it will change your life is important.
#2 Read, Research & Educate yourself.
Knowledge is power. The more you know about your particular autoimmunity and the way it effects your body the more confident you will feel making decisions for your treatment plans and asking for what you need, from doctors, family, friends and anyone else in your life.
Some of my favorite books and accounts to learn from:
The Autoimmune Solution: Amy Myers, M.D.
Medical Medium: Life Changing Foods: Anthony William
Autoimmune Strong
Some of my favorite books and accounts to learn from:
The Autoimmune Solution: Amy Myers, M.D.
Medical Medium: Life Changing Foods: Anthony William
Autoimmune Strong
There are so many resources available today in the age of the internet, dig into everything you can find and listen for that little voice that says, Yes! when something connects for you, it *may* be an answer for you.
#3 Get Some Rest
Sleep helps the body to heal, even slight sleep deprivation is likely to activate certain parts of the immune system and cause inflammation. Yeah, no thanks, we have plenty of inflammation in our autoimmunity already.
I have found that creating a healthy sleep routine can go a long way when coping with a new diagnosis. Creating a healthy sleep routine can be as easy as choosing a time to go to bed each night to insure you are getting 8+ hours of sleep, putting your phone down an hour or so before that time and winding down in whatever way feels best for you.
Your night time wind down may include:
I have found that creating a healthy sleep routine can go a long way when coping with a new diagnosis. Creating a healthy sleep routine can be as easy as choosing a time to go to bed each night to insure you are getting 8+ hours of sleep, putting your phone down an hour or so before that time and winding down in whatever way feels best for you.
Your night time wind down may include:
- a light stretch or Tai Chi session
- reading a book
- soaking in a bath
- listening to a gentle mediation
The list could go on and on based on what helps you to relax.
For me a huge signal that it is time to rest and relax is washing and moisturizing my face at the end of the day.
Creating a routine is awesome and extremely helpful nut as many of you may have experienced autoimmunity may come along with some sleepless nights even with a routine. So, what do we do when our autoimmune disorder keeps us from sleeping?!
Check out this post for more of my tried and true sleep tips: 5 Tips For Your Best Sleep Ever
#4 Find a Supportive Network
Autoimmune disease can be really tricky for other people to understand, oftentimes we “look” fine (or at least mostly fine) on the outside, and many of our symptoms are invisible to the people around us. This can create a lot of miss understanding about how serious your symptoms actually are, ever tell someone you feel terrible and they say something like “well, you look great!” These people are well-meaning for sure, but totally lacking in understanding.
This is where having a network of other people who truly understand what you're dealing with, comes in.
Let me tell you when I finally found other people who had symptoms like mine and understood what I was dealing with it was life-changing, it gave and still gives me hope and peace of mind, I am not alone and I am not the only one dealing with this.
And neither are you.
People who are like you, working towards remission and freedom from autoimmunity will be able to support you in a way that those closest to you may not, because we truly understand.
Join us over in our amazingly supportive community on Facebook if you're still looking for your tribe. We would love to have you.
Click here and request to join us: The Wholistic Hustle
This is where having a network of other people who truly understand what you're dealing with, comes in.
Let me tell you when I finally found other people who had symptoms like mine and understood what I was dealing with it was life-changing, it gave and still gives me hope and peace of mind, I am not alone and I am not the only one dealing with this.
And neither are you.
People who are like you, working towards remission and freedom from autoimmunity will be able to support you in a way that those closest to you may not, because we truly understand.
Join us over in our amazingly supportive community on Facebook if you're still looking for your tribe. We would love to have you.
Click here and request to join us: The Wholistic Hustle
