Autoimmune Conditions
An autoimmune condition occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. Normally, the immune system protects the body from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. However, in autoimmune conditions, the immune response is misdirected, leading to inflammation, tissue damage, and impaired function of affected organs.
Acutely the symptoms of inflammation may present as flushed skin, pain or tenderness, swelling and heat. Our energy is lowered too, we may feel more sleepy.
In chronic inflammation the signs are:
Read about the difference between acute and chronic inflammation here.
Diagnostically, examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, eczema / atopic dermatitis, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis /autoimmune thyroiditis, Interstitial cystitis, Lyme disease, Ménière’s disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, scleroderma, vasculitis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and many more.
Conventional approach to autoimmune conditions
The conventional approach to autoimmune conditions focuses on identifying specific immune system malfunctions where the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues. This is a very narrow, reductionist approach. Treatment approach tends to include immunosuppressive medications such as corticosteroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and biologics aimed at reducing immune activity and managing symptoms. This approach emphasises symptom control and slowing disease progression rather than addressing potential underlying causes of immune dysregulation. It is a form of suppression rather than healing or cure.
We often hear people speak of ‘I will fight my disease’ or ‘this person lost the battle to such and such illness’. This is often part of our problem in the first place: the battle that leads to a divide within.
Our body is not our enemy, but a complex, finely-tuned system designed to support every moment of our life. Every heart beat pumps life-giving blood, every breath brings in oxygen to fuel our cells, and every nerve signal coordinates our movements and senses.
When we're tired, our body is telling you to rest and recover. When we feel pain in acute situations, it's a warning system protecting us from harm. In chronic conditions the ‘danger itself is gone’ but our immune system is still in a state of fight and continues to signal danger.
Understanding autoimmune conditions from a holistic, epigenetic perspective
We know that your body wants and CAN heal. This need not be a belief, just straight knowing based on many many examples we hear of. For me, this comes from being a witness to my own healing and releasing of physical symptoms, my child’s and that of those that I have worked with.
We need to go to the root cause of the problem rather than trying to get of the symptom, because:
Symptoms are only the ripple effect of what is going on on a deeper level.
We need the right conditions - environment to heal: this ranges from oxygenation through air and food we eat, our thinking, adequate rest, sleep, helpful relationships with oneself (self compassion), others, the environment (desensitisation may be appropriate here).
Understanding and addressing the body as an interconnected system rather than focusing solely on individual symptoms. For example the symptoms may show up in the joints but the cause of inflammation is the gut or in case of migraines, we do well to address any hormone imbalances and liver balance.
Case study:
Annie (fictitious name to conceal their identity) was a homeopathic student when we started working together and is now a fully qualified homeopath. She suffered greatly with joint pains, particularly in her lower extremities. She had diagnosis of arthritis, nerve pain (neuralgia) and was diagnosed with type 2. She also had a history of a heart attack.
Work, function and role
She had to give up high paid work that she very much enjoyed and which fulfilled her some years ago. She received state benefits as she could no longer work. She struggled to adjust to a new role of stay at home mum and a housewife. This has led to her overcompensating and some disempowerment of her husband and children. She was in her second year of studying homeopathy when I first met her and this brought new purpose to her life. She had a stair lift in her home as she could simply not climb the stairs during flare ups. She was also a wheelchair user.
She is a typical type A personality: driven, extremely hardworking, capable and ambitions woman. She’d get things done at all costs, and that includes her health. She would go into lengthy arguments when felt there was injustice happening towards her (so much so that she is fluent in legislation) or members of her family. She is massively protective of her family. She loves animals, particular dogs and has several.
Beneath the fighter front, we uncovered a wounded child. She told me how she was a result of an accidental pregnancy and how it was made known to her by her mother, that she was unwanted. This manifested in how she got to be parented. There was little love or attention from her mum, with exception when her mum needed something. Annie felt closer to her dad who recently passed away. She would do practical things with him like car repairs and building work in order to earn his attention, recognition and love. had tried to adjust to a new role of stay at home mum and a housewife. This has led to her overcompensating and some disempowerment of her husband and children.
For many years she had been on a cocktail of medication.
In the process of us working together:
We set clear goals what and why she wanted to achieve.
We worked on healing the trauma (mother wound) - with homeopathic remedies, spiritual counselling and coaching.
We did a lot of work around her relationship with work.
I helped to grieve her dad’s death, establish healthy boundaries with her mother, showed her ways she could mothering herself (self compassion) and we have worked on communication, love and setting healthy boundaries with her children.
We have worked on her financial wellbeing and current dependency on her husband’s income and state benefits.
and subsequently her self-worth, her role in the family and dynamics in relationships.
We worked on her creating and following an anti-inflammatory diet.
Make time for movement.
This is Annie’s life now:
She had the stair lift removed as no longer needs this. She no longer uses a wheelchair.
She is able to turn up for her work reliably and is rapidly growing her homeopathic practice.
She has healthier boundaries with her mum and no longer jumps when her mum asks her for help.
She is beginning to show her mum how she too can support.
She is learning to enjoy resting and leisure, not just work.
She is no longer using her energy to resolve conflicts. In fact these have not arisen for a long time.
We are continuing to work together and I am supporting her around work-life balance and continuing to improve her health with the aim for her to be confident in her ability to build up her income being self employed and letting go of the security of the money she gets from the benefits system.
Insights
Your symptoms are an expression of deeper ‘dis'-ease’. You can heal. How long does it take? In the case above we saw progress after each session.
Why work with me
I have a 25 year experience of working as an occupational therapist helping people find way of improved function for people with chronic conditions. 10 years of which I have worked with people with choric pain, 6 months in Rheumatology setting. This give me a sound understanding of what this means in terms of everyday struggles in regards to your function and activities as well as sense of self, the importance of healing trauma - and how to do this, and the impact that this has on your relationships and income.
