the autoimmune professor

In my last blog and podcast, I talked about how those with autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses are at an increased risk for having mental health issues and while dealing with a mental health issue alone has an extreme effect on a person’s health, having a mental health issue in conjunction with a chronic illness could potentially be worse.

The mind and body have a connection that goes both ways. Because of this, conditions, such as chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases can have an impact on how you think and feel and therefore your thoughts and feelings can impact autoimmune diseases symptoms. The mind-body connection used to be a theory; however, over the past couple decades there has been a lot of findings that document this theory. “Research has documented the mechanisms through which stressful emotions alter white blood cell function” (Littrell, 2008). This leads to stress diminishing white blood cell function in viral cells and cancer cells. The mind-body connection plays an important role in treating these mental health issues.

There are so many things that take an emotional toll on a person when dealing with a chronic illness and it is not usually discussed in treatment. These emotions tend to be very personal and can make a person feel very isolated, stigmatized, and even alienated by their illness. When a person has a chronic illness, there are aspects that trigger these mood disorders. These aspects include:

• a persistent fear and worry about the illness, flare-ups, and declining health;
• the fear of pain and discomfort (people living with chronic pain are four times more likely to experience depression or anxiety than those that are pain-free);
• chemical and hormonal changes;
• cognitive burnout (this is caused by spending too much time doing research related to the illness);
• feeling worn down by unproductive doctor appointments.

Which leads to the question, how does one cope with the mental health issues that arise after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or a chronic illness.

• Unplug: step away from social media, the news, and all electronics;
• Distract yourself: find a hobby, go outside, and do anything you can that makes you feel happy;
• Do daily affirmations: you need to remind yourself that you will get through this and that even if you think it feels impossible, keep it in your mind that you will make it through;
• Breathe or meditate;
• Do not try to do everything all at once: create your own boundaries so that you do not suffer from cognitive burnout. Having a mental health, autoimmune, or chronic illness can already lead a person to suffer from brain fog and cognitive issues, so the last thing that you need is to suffer from burnout as well;
• Write everything down: get your thoughts on paper;
• Talk to someone: lean on your support system or join a support group – support groups offer a great judgment free space for you to connect with people that are going through a similar experience and will understand what you are going through. Talk openly with your friends and family so that you do not struggle with feeling like a burden. Having an honest conversation about your illness can be a wonderful relief;
• Try not to isolate yourself: come up with activities that are feasible and remember that you do not have to be physically present to enjoy human connection;
• Rest: you are allowed to recuperate – there is nothing wrong with taking a nap (naps can help so much); and,
• Give yourself permission to feel what you feel: there is nothing wrong with how you are feeling and you need to remember that what you feel is valid. It is very hard to remember this especially since most people that you are going to talk to on a daily basis have absolutely no idea what you are going through – this is called the invisible illness. Your struggles – no matter what they are – are nothing to be ashamed of. Your bad days do not define who you are.

These are not just ways to cope with autoimmune disease, these are mental health coping strategies and will help in any situations that are stressful. Other positive coping skills include exercise, writing, drawing, watch a favorite TV show, spend time with your pets, go shopping, take a shower or bath, let yourself cry, and take a nap. I cannot stress enough how much a nap can help. Napping offers benefits such as relaxation, reduced fatigue, increased alertness, improved mood, and improved performance. Napping also improves your memory – studies have shown that sleep plays an important role in storing memories. A nap can help a person remember things that are learned earlier in the day as much as a full night’s sleep can. Napping can also work to help keep you from forgetting things like motor skills, sense perception, and verbal recall. Finally, napping eases stress which in turn helps with the mind-body connection.

Finally, do not forget that:

• What you feel is real
• You are stronger than you know
• You are not alone in your experiences
• People are not judging you as much as you think
• You cannot control everything – but you can control:
  • How you speak to yourself
  • How you express yourself
  • Your own reactions
  • The boundaries that you set
  • Your own actions
  • Asking for help
  • How you treat others
  • How much effort you put into things

Littrell, J. (2008). The mind-body connection: Not just a theory anymore. Social Work in Health Care, 46(4), 17-37. https://doi.org/10.1300/j010v46n04_02