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An autoimmune disorder is hard for others to understand, especially if it doesn't cause very visible symptoms, and this, other than actual physical suffering, can take a toll on your mental health.
With autoimmune disorders, there is always an air of uncertainty, be it with the triggers causing flare-ups, diagnosis, treatment options, medications or side effects.
The lack of any logical reason to explain the body’s own immunity turning against and targeting the body’s healthy cells takes a toll on mental health causing confusion and anxiety.
Living with ITP (immune thrombocytopenia, an autoimmune disorder that targets platelet cells) for almost a decade now, I have come to realize the toll it takes on mental health which is not spoken about much.
Here are a few tips that helped me gain control over my mental health. Battling an autoimmune disorder is like being on a rollercoaster ride for life. These tips are to help you have a safe ride with hopes to hold on.
When I was initially diagnosed with ITP, the n number of tests, medications and its side effects left me confused and uncertain about the life ahead. It felt like a lonely battle and it wasn’t helping.
It was during this time that I found an online support group on FB which helped me gain more knowledge about the illness through the experiences of fellow warriors.
Knowing that I’m not battling it alone gave me more strength and hope to look forward to the life ahead with optimism.
I would highly recommend that you join any support group, online or offline, where fellow autoimmune warriors share experiences and you can find practical insights from lived experiences. It gives clarity to take informed decisions and lessens anxiety.
It can be stressful to wake up to sudden flare-ups day in and day out. It can cause fear and stress over time.
To manage stress, it would be better to start each day with the conscious practice of mindfulness, say through meditation, journaling, deep breathing, etc. It helps calm the mind and body.
Even while there are chances of experiencing chronic fatigue with autoimmune disorders, it’s also important to stay active.
While extreme sports or high-intensity exercises may be a big no for your disorder, you can make it a point to practice mild exercises like yoga, walking, swimming, etc for a limited time on an everyday basis.
With an autoimmune disorder, it’s not possible to tell when there would be a flare-up or when the body will act crazy.
So it’s important to listen to your body and preferably plan activities on a day-to-day basis.
Even if something is planned and the body signals No, it would only be wise to call it a day and get some rest.
While there can be external symptoms like bleeding, bruises, swelling, skin pigmentation, etc, there are also chances of internal symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, internal bleeding, depression, etc.
While your support system may understand the external symptoms, they may not have an inkling of your internal symptoms or struggles.
So it’s important to be vocal about your struggles and fears to have an understanding support system to make you feel comfortable and offer the necessary help.
The very feeling of being heard and your struggle being validated can give you more strength.
Hope these tips help you gain strength and sanity as you battle out an autoimmune disorder.
Strength & support your way!
Image source: a still from short film Everything is Fine
Meet Seethalakshmi, a Mathematician by qualification, a poet by passion, and a blogger by profession. Her poems touch hearts, and she customizes poetry gifts for clients. When she's not busy crafting beautiful poems, Seetha read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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