Emotional Autoimmunity: Dealing with the emotional issues of chronic illness

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text In this episode I answer questions from my chronic illness community including: Can you speak to the cost of the unique stressors in chronic illness including not being able to trust the guidance of doctors, trying to resolve health problems alone and how do you cope when taking expert advice goes badly for you? How do you revise your story of self, worth and identity when illness has stripped it away? and Are your Discovery Sessions or services som...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text One of the big, missing pieces in supporting people with chronic illness is that there is so little acknowledgment that becoming chronically ill changes peoples lives and that this creates complex emotional issues that are in fact, completely normal. The typical experience is that you get your diagnosis (or not) and leave the doctors office with no idea what to do next and how to even start to cope with how much your life and self have changed an...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text Anxiety and dealing with constant 'what if' thoughts are something that every human has to deal with as our brain is trying to interpret our environment for potential threats to try and keep us safe. But when you live with chronic illness, you will experience new levels of fear that create specific types of anxiety that non chronically ill people never need to think about. The anxiety of living in a body that is unpredictable and no ...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text If you live with chronic illness and autoimmune disease, then you understand just how frustrating and debilitating brain fog can be. From the embarrassment of forgetting simple words, losing your ability to concentrate and focus or reading the same lines over and over again and still not being able to take it in, brain fog can have a significant impact impact on our work, relationships, study and motivation. But what is brain fog exactly a...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text There is no denying that when it comes to chronic illness, there is a huge gap in peoples understanding of just how much it changes your life, energy and ability. So when it comes to trying to share your feelings, doubts, fears and sadness about your experiences of living with chronic illness, you are so often met with toxic positivity responses like 'at least it's not cancer' or 'you just need to be more positive'. Many of the normal emot...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text The hallmark symptom of all chronic illness is without question, the fatigue. Every time I ask my community which symptom they most wish they could eliminate permanently, fatigue tops the list. It is debilitating, disabling and usually coincides with things like brain fog, pain, anxiety and depression. So it's no surprise that learning how to manage the energy you have is one of the most important challenges those of us with chronic...

Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text When you get chronic illness, it doesn't only change your life. The impact on your family and partners can be huge, potentially damaging and be the cause of so much guilt, conflict, resentment and division. A few weeks ago, I asked my wonderful email community to ask their partners what sorts of issues or advice they most needed and they definitely delivered! In this episode I answer questions like: Why does my partner seem so negative ...