Emotional Autoimmunity: Dealing with the emotional issues of chronic illness

After several months of worsening health, extreme weight loss and becoming physically unable to care for myself, I was admitted to hospital and spent 5 days in intensive care where I came close to dying.

I emerged a week later with a new diagnosis of type 1.5 LADA (Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) that I had difficulty accepting, feeling traumatised by my experience and physically and emotionally exhausted.

In this episode I share about the process of becoming so ill, the trauma of experiencing medical gaslighting and my experience of needing to fight and advocate for myself while being in hospital.

 I also share my two experiences of DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis) and how I managed my very different hospitalisation experiences. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

We all know that acceptance is key to living your best life with chronic illness. But how can you accept something that has so dramatically changed your life and taken so much from you?

In this episode, I share with you a very special mind shift technique that I normally only share with my clients and take you through a visualisation exercise so that you can begin to change how you see your chronic illness.

It's powerful, positive and life changing. Ready to change how you feel about your chronic illness?

Listen now!

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

On one level, we know that chronic illness is life changing and that it has a huge impact on us physically, emotionally and mentally. 

But when it comes down to actually acknowledging that fact in the choices we make or don't make, we can so often expect ourselves to go on exactly as we did before. 

Recently I have experienced a severe Celiac flare that raised some important realisations about acknowledging the fears that flares trigger for me and where my priorities truly need to be. 

Why is it so hard to stop and put yourself first? 

How do you deal with a serious flare when you come to that crossroad of pushing through or stopping? 

Find out in this episode where I share exactly what my process is and give you some important mindset shifts to think about. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

There is a lot of research including the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) studies, that show a strong correlation between experiencing trauma in childhood and going on to develop chronic autoimmune disease in later life. 

But what other types of research is there between trauma and chronic illness and what impact does having unresolved trauma have on your chronic illness and day to day health?

In this podcast, I go through some of the research and break down why trauma is such a big issue for those of us with chronic illness and what impact it has on your emotional and physical health. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Avoiding the news and fear of the Corona Virus at the moment is pretty much impossible as the whole world goes into lockdown, panic buying is everywhere and there is so much uncertainty and speculation. 

But there are opportunities here for those of us with chronic illness to help our friends and family who are getting just a small taste of what we have been living with and the health fears we deal with daily. You could say that we have been training for this experience for years. 

In this podcast I give you some practical tips on how you can avoid falling victim to the fear and panic, help those close to you and have conversations that build an empathy bridge so that when the virus has finally passed, some understanding of the fears of chronic illness will be present in our families and communities. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

When you become chronically ill, your first instinct is to fight for your life against this disease that feels like it has taken so much from you. The illness becomes the enemy, something that you need to battle against and beat.

But when you have chronic illness, is this actually the best thing you can do for your health and happiness? 

And if fighting doesn't work, then what does and how can you help yourself feel better, emotionally and physically?

In episode 3, I unpack what it actually means to make the illness your enemy and explain why going to war against your chronic illness can actually make it worse. 

Do you need to stop fighting your chronic illness? Find out here.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

When you become chronically ill, you really want those closest to you to understand what you have lost, why the illness feels so devastating and  how you feel about what chronic illness has done to your life. 

But needing people to understand how you feel can be a big emotional hook that you can get stuck on.

When the people around you don't understand or don't seem to want to listen to how you feel or even worse, accuse you of constantly complaining, you can feel hurt, betrayed, rejected and abandoned. 

This is why you need to know why it's not important that they understand how you feel.

In this episode, I break down why it's so difficult for others to understand your chronic illness and what you can focus on instead that will help you, your partner and your family adapt to your life with chronic illness in the best possible way for you.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Of all the emotional issues that come with chronic illness, guilt is the most damaging and the most common. In this episode Kerry breaks down the most common reasons that people with chronic illness feel guilt and why it is so damaging to you and the people you love. 

Stuck in toxic guilt? Then you need to  listen to this episode!

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Lisa Douthit developed her first cancer at age 25, having had no prior health issues before. She noticed that she was having trouble breathing when exercising and a few other worrying symptoms. A chest x-ray showed a baseball sized tumour on her heart that required open heart surgery to remove.

All in all, Lisa has experienced four different cancers and has three autoimmune diseases that she now lives with and needs to actively manage which are: Myasthenia Gravis, Lupus and Hashimoto's.

Dealing with the cancer had been difficult enough but it wasn't until she developed autoimmune disease commencing with Myasthenia Gravis, Lupus and later, Hashimoto's that it finally began to break her down, literally.

After helping to heal her trauma, Lisa now manages her illness using twice yearly immunosuppressant chemotherapy drug which completely wipes her out but helps to control all of her AI conditions.

This is such a wonderful story of transforming pain and suffering into strength and purpose and creating meaning through the experience. Have a listen. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Four years ago, Jessa Lewis was pregnant with her daughter when she received a diagnosis of Hashimoto's Autoimmune Hypothyroidism Disorder. Her body was attacking her thyroid and threatening the pregnancy, as it likely had with two prior miscarriages. Hashimoto's Autoimmune has 400+ potential symptoms with some of the most common being fatigue, sensitivity to cold, dry skin, brittle nails and hair, weight gain, muscle aches, joint pain, excessive menstrual bleeding, depression, infertility and high rates of miscarriage and stillbirths.

Now, she balances her thyroid hormone levels with synthetic hormone replacement medication and, is on a mission to stay the fluctuations of her disorder through changes in food, lifestyle and fitness. She juggles her disorder alongside two earth side toddlers and a thriving online business.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

V Capaldi otherwise known as "The Paleo Boss Lady" is a force to be reckoned with. V was raised in a very dysfunctional family where chaos was the norm in life. At 23 years old  and 6 weeks after marrying her childhood sweetheart, V was given a death sentence diagnosis that she had an inoperable brain tumour and lived for almost 6 months believing her life was over. 

Then the death sentence turned to a life sentence when her diagnosis was changed to MS. As a result, her whole life blew up. The twitching and spasms in her face caused by the MS made her own Father unable to look at her. After investing all of her money and assets into conventional treatments and testing, V now manages her life and health naturally, is passionate about creating community and gives generously of her time to help as many people as she can. Warning: This podcast contains strong language. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Prior to her illness, Crystal who is single, was teaching music full time, was an avid cross fitter and weight lifter, sang with the Houston Symphony Chorus, enjoyed pottery and was a volunteer at her Church.

In 2013 all that changed when a car accident became the catalyst for an eventual diagnosis of Post Concussion Syndrome and Dysautonomia. 

Bit by bit, she lost those aspects of herself until her life felt it had been whittled down to a very small one. Going from Doctor to Doctor and paying for many medical expenses and tests out of pocket quickly ate through her life savings until she made the choice to sell her home to help support her health.

But Crystal has found a new calling and passion in helping others with patient advocacy, enjoys teaching her music students and living a smaller, but still fulfilling life. Listen to her story here. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Stacey can trace her symptoms all the way back to her childhood but it wasn't until years later that she knew she needed to figure out her health. Experimenting with food, figuring out what works for her and what doesn't has changed her life and she feels so much better. Have a listen to Stacey's story and see what you can learn from her experience of life with Reynauds and Celiac disease. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Melissa Bergstrom remembers being anxious since childhood.

Her anxiety manifested with physical symptoms and it was rare for Melissa to have a full week of school. She had always had dry skin but over time, it began to turn into something worse.

Melissa was formally diagnosed with psoriasis in 2014 and getting the diagnosis of an actual autoimmune disease that was for life, felt like a punch to the stomach for Melissa and created even more anxiety and a new search for solutions. How does it feel to live with anxiety and autoimmune disease? Listen to Melissa's story now. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Sigal has been living with type 1 diabetes for over 17 years. She first developed gestational diabetes when pregnant with her son. After moving to Canada from Israel when he was two months old, Sigal was busy being a new Mom, in a new country where she didn't know the language and undergoing fertility treatments to try and conceive again. 

One night she was taken to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain, thinking it was from the fertility treatment and was shocked to be told that she was now a type 1 diabetic. She had no idea what it meant, no idea how to deal with it and it felt like a bomb had been dropped on her life. 

Sigal shares her stories from feeling like a victim, experiencing multiple diabetic coma's and why and how she decided to start taking control and taking back her power to manage her blood sugars in a new way and get the best health possible for her. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

Emily was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 6 years ago, but it is only in the last 9 months that she has been really feeling the impact of chronic illness. As a Mom of two young children ages 4 and 2, trying to explain her fatigue and the pain in her hands from arthritis has been a challenge. Emily shares her story about chronic illness, seeking help and how she explains her day to day difficulties of chronic illness in a way that helps her children understand and still feel safe.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

One night twenty years ago, Krista Rowan went to bed feeling normal and woke up the next day in acute pain from a full body flare that turned out to be Rheumatoid Arthritis. She spent most of those years looking for the next medication once the old one failed and trying to find a way to fit herself back into her old life. It took a big wake up call including adding more to her diagnosis list to help her start making baby steps to find the possibilities available to her now. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

James's first experience with autoimmune disease was when he was diagnosed with psoriasis on his scalp and behind his ears at age 14. He remembers his Dad getting mad with him and thinking he wasn't washing his scalp properly and sending him back to shower with some medicated shampoo.

He also remembers the fatigue. James had trouble getting out of bed and getting to school and always felt exhausted. He tried different ointments and creams to help the psoriasis but it always came back.

Eventually James was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis at just 20 years old feeling like his life was over and that he would never get better. Find out how Jame's got his life back in this episode.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

When you are a young, type A Alpha female with big goals and dreams, what do you do when you get hit with Multiple Sclerosis? Robyn's initial response was to do everything she could to prove that she was "stronger than MS" by committing herself to running 20 races which only left her feeling worse. Find out how Robyn made the shift from MS warrior to MS thriver and feeling great about what she is still able to achieve. 

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

In this podcast, we chat about Kirstie's experiences of Hashimoto's, Endometriosis, IVF, pregnancy and Motherhood. Kirstie shares openly and honestly how she prepared emotionally, how she does what it takes for her to feel like a present and resilient Mother and why she didn't discuss her pregnancy publicly until she passed the 7th month mark.

Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes.

Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here.

Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here.

Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.