Many people keep waiting for an exact diagnosis to start working on their health. And by this, I mean that they wait for an “exact” diagnosis before they start taking steps to support their body’s healing process.
This is really unfortunate since, for some chronic health conditions, it can often take years and in some cases even decades to get an “exact” and the most “accurate” diagnosis.
Meanwhile, many of these people have spent a chunk of their lives simply trying to get one diagnosis, maybe even multiple ones while they keep getting sicker and sicker. You see, chronic disease progression is not caused by any one factor and if the root causes and the triggers are not identified and dealt with then disease progression continues to take place unchecked. This is especially true in autoimmune conditions where a person can go on to develop several autoimmune diseases over time since there is some form of immune dysregulation at play.
You don’t need an exact diagnosis to get started
It is of course important to get a disease diagnosis so that one can start getting the treatment one needs to stop the disease progression and further damage. For eg, in the case of any kind of autoimmune condition where the immune system is treating a part of the body as alien and that tissue (and eventually the organ) is getting damaged, it is important to first stop this damage.
The good thing is that the diagnosis and the treatment give the person a chance to manage their symptoms better and improve their quality of life with the right medications and treatments. This helps them to deal with the pain more effectively and increase their energy levels so that feel motivated to work on their diet, lifestyle and mindset and can start making long term changes to not only get well but stay well.
However, most people are led to believe that this is where their responsibility ends or even that this is all medicine has to offer them. Unfortunately, this way of thinking rarely benefits anyone in the long run.
This is because the medications and the various treatments mostly focus on symptom management and help to reduce or avoid further damage but does not really address the root causes of why this person has the disease in the first place.
You have the power to heal yourself
The other thing is that we often believe that it is only the “experts” who have all the answers and that there is not much that we can do that is going to make a difference in our health outcomes.
We are the true “expert” with regards to our own body, our life, and our unique healing journey.
What this means for you is that you don’t really need to completely outsource your body’s entire healing process to others. This also means that you can start making the changes necessary to see better health outcomes today, right where you are right now with what you have.
You can start by making small changes in your life that can have a big impact down the line. These may be steps for incorporating better sleeping hygiene, mindful eating practices, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, and much more.
Of course, you don’t have to do all of this alone, a Health Coach or someone who can guide you and hold you accountable can help you with all of this.
(if you are curious about knowing how a Health Coach can help you with this, read my earlier post HERE).
“You can always get better”
This was the biggest learning that one of my clients had after working with me for 6 months. She had multiple autoimmune diagnoses and a huge number of symptoms when we started. She had almost given up any hope of feeling better, having more energy, and less pain in her daily life after trying many medications and treatments.
However, things improved after she learned how to tune in to her body and really pay attention to its messages and start supporting it on a daily basis. She learned how to incorporate small but impactful changes in her diet, her lifestyle, and her high stress levels. As a result, she started feeling much better and started to live and enjoy her life beyond her disease and her diagnosis.
She was also able to see that there was always something that she could do to support her body’s healing process and that taking care of her body and her health was a life long commitment
This is not just limited to her, this holds true for all of us!
One book that I often recommend and gift to my coaching clients is “You can heal your life” By Loiuse Hay. This book can open your eyes to the healing that is possible in your life no matter what the circumstances are.
When you have tried everything…
This is again something that many people with chronic illnesses struggle with. They have tried many of the things that they have read or learned about and they may not have seen much improvement. From my own personal experience of dealing with my daughter’s severe health issues and now as a Health Coach I know that there are usually TWO key reasons for this.
- There is often a lack of prioritisation and simplification of the health creation process. By this I mean that usually what is missing is the awareness about which key areas one needs to focus on rather than trying out many different things all at the same time. A focused, step-by-step approach is key to creating long term health without becoming overwhelmed.
2. There can be a form of disconnection that prevents women from supporting their body’s healing process. This support can be in the form of certain foods, more sleep, more relaxation, less exercise, and all kinds of other unique requirements for healing.
3 powerful reasons why you don’t need to wait for an exact diagnosis
And finally, here are THREE powerful reasons why you don’t need to wait to start creating long term and resilient health with or without a diagnosis
The truth is…
- laying the foundations of good health doesn’t depend on your disease diagnosis
- you can always start where you are, with what you know about your health issues right now
- you can always get better at a physical, emotional or spiritual level because healing is an “inside” job and does not depend solely on external resources
Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice. It takes love
Maza Dohta
I hope that you can now see why you don’t have to wait for anything to be different in your life including getting an exact diagnosis to start supporting your body by creating a healing environment.
Whether this is by making healthier food choices, choosing one thought over another, reducing toxins in your immediate environment, or incorporating deep breathing/mindfulness into your life, there are many things that are in your control.
When you start living your life in this manner you find that you feel more empowered, motivated, and confident in yourself, in your body and you are able to face many health challenges in the future from a place of strength.
“AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE 101”
A carefully curated and comprehensive collection of carefully selected books, podcasts, websites, blogs, and other resources from the field of Functional Medicine with a focus on autoimmune diseases
If have been looking to get ANSWERS to questions like
-Why do I have this disease?
-Will I get any better?
-Can anyone help me? Nothing is working
-Is there any hope for me to get my life back?
-I am still waiting for a diagnosis, which direction do I need to move towards?
then this GUIDE would a game changer for you!
“Autoimmune Disease 101” is a carefully curated and comprehensive collection of carefully selected books, podcasts, websites, blogs, and other resources from the field of Functional Medicine with a focus on autoimmune diseases.
The Functional Medicine model of care for chronic diseases seeks to answer the question “Why do you have this disease” so that you can get personalised and effective care for your unique condition.
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