Have you been feeling like your entire life has started revolving around your symptoms? Like every ache, every twinge, every flare sent you spiraling into fear, wondering what was really going on?
I know that feeling all too well. And I’ll be honest. On my autoimmune journey, I made some mistakes. Big ones.
The kind that left me exhausted, discouraged, and sometimes even sicker than when I started.
But here’s the thing: those mistakes also taught me what actually matters in healing and what doesn’t.
So, in today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing my dirt and the four mistakes I made in my autoimmune journey, and the lessons I wish I had learned sooner—so you can save yourself time, energy, and maybe even some tears.
As you listen, I want you to ask yourself: Am I falling into some of these same traps right now? And what might shift if I chose a different way?
Let’s dive in.
Mistake #1: Chasing the Answer to Every Autoimmune Symptom
For years, I believed that if I could just figure out the why behind every symptom, I’d finally feel in control. I wanted a diagnosis that explained everything, a protocol that would fix everything, a doctor who would give me certainty, or at least answers.
But here’s what I learned: the body isn’t a machine with one broken part.
It’s a whole system.
I shared how my autoimmune journey began in Episode 3. If you haven’t heard it, go to WholeSheRises.com/3 to listen.
Chasing every symptom only led me deeper into fear and confusion.
So, I have a couple questions for you:
- Do you find yourself Googling symptoms late at night, hoping for answers and reassurance?
- What might shift if instead of chasing every symptom, you focused on calming your body and creating safety for your nervous system?
I completely understand how this can seem counter-intuitive and out of reach. Stick with me.
Mistake #2: Ignoring My Nervous System
I thought healing was only about diagnosis, diet, supplements, and lab work.
I ignored how stress, trauma, and an always-on nervous system were driving my symptoms.
I wish I had known earlier that regulating my nervous system—through breathwork, rest, and emotional support—was just as important as any treatment or protocol.
Here are a couple of things to consider:
- How is your body letting you know it’s under too much stress?
- What’s one practice that helps you feel grounded and calm that you could commit to daily?
Mistake #3: Pushing Through Instead of Resting Through Autoimmune Flares
I kept trying to live as if I didn’t have limits. I said yes to everything, powered through fatigue, and ignored my body’s cues.
But pushing through came at a cost: bigger flare-ups and longer recovery times.
I had to learn that rest isn’t weakness. It’s medicine. Listening to my body wasn’t giving up; it was a form of strength.
Let me ask you:
- Do you ever feel guilty for resting?
- What would it look like to treat rest as a healing strategy instead of a last resort?
Mistake #4: Believing I Was Broken
Maybe the hardest mistake I made was believing that my autoimmune disease meant I was broken, weak, or less than other women.
That shame weighed me down more than the illness itself.
The truth I found is this: you are not broken.
Your body is wise, and symptoms are signals, not punishments. Healing isn’t about fixing what’s wrong with you. It’s about reconnecting with what’s right and whole within you.
I have two more questions for you:
- Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I’m broken” or “I’ll never be myself again”?
- What if you began to see yourself as whole? Even in the middle of symptoms.
Autoimmune Mindset Shift
If you take nothing else from today’s episode, I hope it’s this: you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did. You don’t have to chase every answer, ignore your stress, push yourself past your limits, or believe that you’re broken.
Healing is a journey. But it can be lighter, more compassionate, and more hopeful when you choose differently.
So, let me leave you with this: What’s one gentle shift you can make today to support your healing instead of sabotaging it?
Because you don’t have to repeat my mistakes. You get to write your own healing story.
You are not alone, and you are not broken. Let’s rise – together.