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Do you know what it's like to feel like your body is against you? To have so many symptoms making every day life a struggle?
I do, and let me tell you, it's not easy.
It's hard to enjoy life when you're always in pain or feeling exhausted. I'm sure you know someone who suffers from an autoimmune disease, and if you don't, chances are you will at some point in your life. Autoimmune disease diagnoses are increasing and right now there are more than 30 million people living in the US with at least one autoimmune disease.
There are over 100 different types of autoimmune diseases out there and how they can impact a person's life. In this blog post, I’m talking about the ways autoimmune diseases can make everyday life difficult.
Autoimmune diseases are often misunderstood and go undiagnosed for years. One of the reasons for this is that symptoms of autoimmune diseases can vary from person to person, making it difficult to confirm. They can also vary in intensity from mild to severe, even within a specific autoimmune disease.
My personal experience with an autoimmune condition was like this…my diagnosis took about 7-8 years.
While you're in limbo waiting for diagnosis (and a better treatment plan) these symptoms can wreak havoc on your social life, your relationships, and work life. It’s not unusual for people living with autoimmune diseases to lose their jobs, lose friends, and have strained relationships with family.
For many of us, our symptoms rarely show up all at once and there’s a simple blood test to check the diagnosis box. Often the symptoms resemble other conditions and we may see specialists for those symptoms, but there isn’t communication between the doctors to link everything together.
The most common autoimmune symptoms are:
Headaches or migraines
Fatigue
Joint or muscle pain
Joint or muscle weakness
Weight gain or loss
Skin problems
Abdominal pain or other digestive issues
Flu like symptoms
Swollen glands
Brain fog or mental alertness
With such common, run of the mill symptoms that are also symptoms of non-autoimmune conditions, it gets really challenging and frustrating. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for autoimmune diseases or the symptoms.
Many of us living with autoimmune diseases have to make significant lifestyle changes in order to cope and manage our health. Despite these challenges, people with autoimmune diseases are just like everyone else - we want to live a full, happy, and complete life.
But…
How do you live a full and complete life when you can barely get out of bed?
How do you stay sane when everyone, including doctors, friends, and family members are telling you your symptoms aren’t real or are in your head?
How do you maintain a job when your brain is foggy and you can concentrate on projects or remember deadlines?
How do you maintain an active lifestyle when your workouts leave you barely able to move?
How do you have a healthy relationship with food, if it feels like you are just gaining more and more weight no matter what diet changes you make? Or having horrible GI issues?
How do you handle the hormonal changes that come with medications? Extreme fatigue? Weight gain?
It's easy to feel overwhelmed and alone when you're living with an autoimmune disease. All you see on social media are people who seem like they have their life (shit) together and you end up jealous of what life must be like for someone with a normal immune system.
For many of my clients they find me when they’re at a breaking point. They’ve tried everything they can find on social media and nothing seems to help. Or if it did, it didn’t last. Super frustrated with their body. Annoyed and angry that no matter what they try they seem to fail. They’ve tried all the trendy internet workouts and diets but no luck. Or worse, the diets and workouts made them worse. I can personally vouch for both workouts and diets ruining my body and fragile immune system.
I’ve worked with hundreds of people to improve their health and wellness. Helping clients to lose weight, balance hormones, get off medications, and feel great in their body again. Living with autoimmune diseases can be difficult, but it doesn't mean that we give up on living a full and complete life.
❌You do not need to slave away in the gym.
❌You do not need to restrict your diets to four items.
❌You do not need to eat less than a toddler to lose weight.
I empower my autoimmune clients to live a full and complete life without restrictions. We all deserve to enjoy and get what we want out of life. There are ways to reduce inflammation, balance hormones, lose weight, and feel great in your body again. I’ve worked with hundreds of people to help them improve their health and wellness, including losing weight, balancing hormones, getting off medications, and feeling great in their body again.
Autoimmune diseases can be difficult, but it doesn't mean that we have to give up on living a full and complete life. If you are interested in learning more about my work or want to sign up for my newsletter for more autoimmune weight loss information or contact me directly. Thank you for reading!