Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with an autoimmune related illness? The reality is that we currently live in especially stressful and toxic times. Our bodies need our support more than ever.

Autoimmune disorders are becoming more commonly occurring these days, especially in those with highly sensitive nervous systems. That's why understanding the following process is so important. It can help us recognize the warning signs and learn to support our bodies so our bodies can heal themselves.

The Cumulative Effect of Chronic Stress
(excerpted from Insight Community Article by Clint Clark, entitled, The Highly Sensitive Person or the HSP Sensory Nervous System):

1-Each time a stressor occurs, the demand for Cortisol increases.

2-With chronic stress (overarousal of the nervous system), the cortisol production system eventually becomes fatigued and exhausted (hypothalamus, pituitary, ACTH production, adrenal glands). The ability to buffer overarousal decreases.

3-Cortisol levels decrease, and possibly, an imbalanced ratio between DHEA and cortisol takes place.

4-A moderate decrease in glucose utilization by the cells begins. Muscle and joint fatigue develops. The normal anti-inflammatory benefits of cortisol diminish, causing muscle and joint aches and pains. Low potassium levels develop.

5-The entire body now feels fatigued, exhausted, overwhelmed, unable to cope with more overarousal, painful, and rapidly approaches shut down.

6-Immune system support for the body diminishes.

7-Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, 20th Century Syndrome or MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Adrenal Exhaustion, and Hypoglycemia begin to set in, along with an increase in cravings for carbohydrates (when we are tired and exhausted, we crave carbohydrates). The digestion system (including the muscles) becomes too exhausted, because of a lack of energy, to properly digest food and properly move the food through the intestines (gas and bloating occurs). A liquid diet seems like the only food (least dense food) that the system can tolerate.

What to Do

Did you know that it's entirely possible to not only manage, but often even reverse these diagnosed (or undiagnosed) ailments? Our bodies just need our support. If you are feeling so creaky, achy and tired that your regular lifestyle has become difficult, reach out for answers sooner than later.

You can help your body return to normal functioning by doing some research online to see if your diagnosis is reversible. You might search for terms like "healing autoimmune disease," "reversing chronic fatigue," etc.

Ask your doctor to test your vitamin B levels, including B-12, as well as vitamin D, chromium, potassium and others that get depleted by an exhausted nervous system. If inflammation is a problem, you can get your body back to producing it's own anti-inflammatory agents naturally. In the meantime, try to take natural herbal anti-inflammatories and immune system boosters.

While I'm not big on taking supplements or pills of any kind, sometimes they truly are necessary to operate to our full physical potential. Contrary to what many believe, our bodies do need added nutritional support, no matter how well we eat. Sometimes we end up deficient of vitamins and minerals even as we are taking the supplements we need! The problem here is incomplete absorption, due to digestive disruptions such as bacterial and fungal toxicity.

Remember, our bodies are very complex. If one system is down, another suffers, and over time an illness can build. But there is so much you can do today. One of the things I believe in doing for myself is asking for help from trusted nutritional counselors and other professionals who understand the needs of my sensitive nervous system.

I find great results with practitioners who use a technique called muscle testing or applied kinesiology to read the truth straight from the body itself. You might try that if it feels right for you.

If you're on prescription medications, you might consider taking a closer look at how they are benefiting you. If they are only masking your symptoms, you may be allowing further depletion to continue.

Taking supportive, natural supplements to replenish your body's needed vitamins and minerals and making sure your body is able to absorb them properly helps your body return to a place where it can heal itself. Find ways to boost your body's adrenal, immune, digestive and circulatory function and promote cellular efficiency.

It's truly not natural for you to be in pain or limited in your body movements, no matter what age you are. Total healing is your body's goal in life and it will work for you if you work for it.

When you feel good, you love better, laugh better, and get to really enjoy your life.
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Jenna Forrest, Intuitive Empowerment Coach

Those who are sensitive, intuitive, perceptive, creative, empathic, deeply thoughtful, gifted or just very compassionate, have needs for a special kind of approach and understanding. Jenna understands this from personal experience. To learn more, visit www.jennaforrest.com