There have been many moments over the last 15 years that truly impacted my autoimmune healing journey. Acknowledging that I was not the diagnosis I was given was one of those moments. This acknowledgment was not easy. It took a lot of work!
If you are struggling with your health and you finally receive a diagnosis initially it can be a positive thing.
It can help point you in the right direction by allowing you to research and educate yourself. It can lead you to connect with others. It can make you feel more secure. It can validate why you have felt the way you have. It can help you explain to other people what is wrong… and the list goes on. However, over time a diagnosis or “label” for the set of symptoms you are experiencing can do more harm than good.
Here is why. It may sound crazy but when we are given a diagnosis we attach ourselves to it. We begin to identify as that diagnosis and before long it becomes part of who we are. The more we talk about it and the more we say the words “I have” the move we solidify ownership of the disease or condition. Once an identity is established it can be very hard to break away from it. Learning about and understanding a diagnosis can be helpful initially. Where we need to be careful is not allowing it to define who we are.
When I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis and Chronic Iritis I told everyone!
It was all I talked about. It almost became this cool thing that I had that no one else I knew had. While it may seem to talk about your diagnosis all the time can be healing. The reality is the more we talk about something and the more we think about something the more it persists.
In our world, we like to label everything. When it comes to health issues labels allow practitioners to follow a standard of care and treatment plan. This is how allopathic medicine works. Sometimes treatments are needed and can help a person with symptoms. However, if the underlying reason for why you became sick in the first place is never addressed true healing is not possible. Now, I’m not talking about things like acute infections. What I am talking about is chronic issues.
Our body is so incredibly intelligent and when we experience “symptoms” that is the body’s way of communicating to us.
They are telling us and sometimes screaming at us that something is not right. Something needs to change. Symptoms are the body’s way of trying to take the first step to heal. Our bodies have the innate ability to heal. They are designed to heal we just need to get on the same page with them and give them what they need. What out body may need is nutrient-dense whole foods, less stress, less exposure to chemicals and toxins, releasing of past traumas, etc. Each person is unique and the approach to bringing the body back into balance is unique as well. There is never a one size fits all approach to healing from chronic illness.
So, what steps can you take today to start detaching from a diagnosis that has become part of your identity?
Number One! stop saying “I have” before whatever condition you are struggling with.
Even though I consider myself healed from Ankylosing Spondylitis and Chronic Iritis they are a part of my story and they always will be. And, if I allow my body to fall out of balance which it does from time to time I may experience a flare. I now know this is my body’s way of communicating to me and it allows me to evaluate what is going on in my life that may be causing the flare so that I can make adjustments.
However, I no longer identify with these conditions. They are just something I was diagnosed with. When I do talk about them instead of saying “I have” I say “I healed from”. If you are at the start of your journey then say, “I am working to heal from”.
Speak and think as if you already have and your body will follow.
One of the most powerful moments of my healing journey was coming to the realization that I was not my diagnosis. And, this way of thinking can be applied to more than just chronic illness. You can apply it to anything you are struggling with.
This way of thinking may not be right for you. But if it resonates with you I would love for you to share your thoughts below.
In Love, Health + Gratitude,
Katie