In autoimmune diseases, chronic pain is often the first sign of an underlying imbalance. At other times it is a byproduct of the tissue damage that accompanies many autoimmune conditions. Either way, there is a lot of evidence that links chronic stress to pain that accompanies any chronic illness.
The most important aspect of immune function is about tolerance. A healthy and balanced immune system should be constantly surveillance and choosing not to respond a majority of the time.
When diagnosed with an autoimmune (or any other such severe chronic condition), we often feel helpless. In fact, conventional wisdom tells us that that there is not much that we can really do in terms of getting better apart from taking the necessary medications that have been prescribed. This further fuels this feeling of helplessness and leaves us feeling disempowered.