Autoimmune diseases are either just becoming a prominent issue, or we simply didn’t have the necessary diagnostic tools to identify them properly until now.
Either way, the number of unique autoimmune diseases has evidently grown. Coping with the symptoms, including the effort to improve the patients’ quality of life, are issues that have been getting a lot of attention in modern medicine.
Some disciplined individuals even manage to overcome their symptoms completely and lead a fulfilling lifestyle while still holding the reins on their habits and behaviors. Even when the circumstances are harrowing, you can always find relief and improve your wellbeing.
The Five Stages of Grief — Autoimmune Edition
You’ve probably heard about the five stages of grief. The concept is usually introduced to people that have to face dire odds and a significantly shortened life span due to a terminal condition, but autoimmune diseases are a different beast altogether.
You can spend the entirety of your natural lifetime, but you have to accept that changes are coming and that they are going to be permanent. The key lies in acceptance. It’s the only reasonable frame of mind that will put you on the path of finding the best possible solution out of all imaginable scenarios.
You’ll have to make alterations to your lifestyle that will ‘work around’ the disease. In other words, you have to embrace new habits and let go of old ones, so that the condition has the least possible impact on your daily functioning.
Along with this, it would certainly be helpful to have regular sessions with a therapist. It’s all about relying on holistic rehabilitation under the newfound circumstances.
Brave Through the Wilderness of Dietary Changes
The final basic part of this ‘life-altering’ puzzle is to accept dietary changes. What you eat has a huge impact on your condition, and certain dietary regimes have been developed specifically for chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. You can find more information about the autoimmune protocol diet and check for yourself how quickly you can reduce troublesome symptoms with the right kind of food.
Some people start with basic paleo principles and work their way up from there. Others find relief once they instigate the biochemical process known as ketosis on a keto diet. Recently, we’ve been seeing more proponents of the pure carnivorous diet, who claim this has reduced the symptoms of their autoimmune diseases or done away with them completely.
Each body is a treasure trove of unique features and responses, so you’ll have to experiment blindly for some time. While the repercussions of this can be severe, the rewards of experimenting with different dietary regimes can be immense, potentially even alleviating all symptoms completely.
Adding CBD oil as a dietary supplement has also helped many people with autoimmune diseases, and it can help your appetite as well.
That being said, don’t embark on this dietary journey without the vigilant monitoring of your dedicated medical expert!
Dealing with the Omnipresent Symptoms
While each specific condition requires a different approach, there are some ‘umbrella symptoms’ that come with the majority of autoimmune diseases.
Fatigue is one of them, and it’s usually the result of chronic inflammation. A steady lifestyle rhythm is a widely accepted solution for this. Your body’s circadian rhythm needs to get used to getting up and going to bed at the same time.
While you’re up, try to stay on your feet as much as you can in order to get your blood pumping and your muscles working. Exercise is an important factor that regulates fatigue and mood swings, and balances your immune responses. Of course, your body can’t handle intense workouts fit for a gym fanatic, but you should participate in light cardio exercises and pay close attention to your inflammation processes.
In the long run, regular exercise can (and will) actually relieve the inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease. If you’re currently or permanently indisposed when it comes to working out, you can lead an active lifestyle by enjoying the outdoors as much as you can.
Having a healthy social circle will always give you an ‘excuse’ to get out of the house and visit friends. You need socialization and emotional support to cope with your illness and live your best life in spite of it.
Conclusion
The symptoms of autoimmune diseases and side-effects of therapies can represent an oppressive point of anxiety and chronic stress. Furthermore, many individuals afflicted by autoimmune diseases feel like burdens on their friends and family.
However, humans are created resilient, as long as they have concrete goals in mind. If you decide to play with the deck that you’ve been shared, there are countless things you can achieve in life based on resilience alone.
Knowing how to tackle good or bad days makes all the difference in the world. So learn as much as you can about your body and learn how to remain flexible according to its needs. The rest is up to nature.
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