In this episode, Jonathan interviews Jessikah Kipf, a licensed therapist and PhD candidate in educational psychology, about the intersection of autoimmune diseases and mental health. Jessica shares her personal experience with autoimmune disease and discusses the impact of autoimmune diseases on mental health. She emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to managing autoimmune disease and highlights the role of mental health in supporting individuals with autoimmune diseases.
The episode concludes with a case study that illustrates the challenges faced by individuals with autoimmune diseases and the importance of finding the right medical support. In this conversation, Jessikah Kipf shares her personal journey with autoimmune disease and the challenges she faced in getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. She discusses the importance of addressing sensitivities and making medication changes, as well as the role of metabolism and mental health in overall well-being. Jessikah emphasizes the need to seek help and not dismiss mental health concerns, highlighting the impact of denial and the importance of a supportive primary doctor. She also explores the concept of resilience and provides tips for building resilience, including the three pillars of power, perspective, and perseverance, as well as the seven C's of resilience: confidence, competence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control.
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:34 Impact of Autoimmune Diseases on Mental Health
12:25 The Role of Mental Health in Managing Autoimmune Disease
16:13 The Holistic Approach to Autoimmune Disease
40:48 Sensitivities and Medication Changes
41:23 Metabolism and Mental Health
42:24 Denial and Seeking Help
43:22 Primary Doctor and Mental Health
44:14 Discovering ADHD and Trauma
44:42 Starting Treatment and Feeling Better
45:40 Resilience and Positive Outlook
46:08 Building Positive Events and Glimmers
47:14 Three Pillars of Resilience: Power, Perspective, and Perseverance
47:41 Seven C's of Resilience: Confidence, Competence, Connection, Character, Contribution, Coping, and Control
01:06:27 Tips for Building Resilience
01:13:16 Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Guest: Jessikah Kipf @jessikahkipf (Instagram)
Connect with Jonathan Szarko:
@JonathanSzarko (Instagram)
Music: DJ Stryer @stryermusic (Instagram)
Angum, F., Khan, T., Kaler, J., Siddiqui, L., & Hussain, A. (2020). The Prevalence of Autoimmune Disorders in Women: A Narrative Review. Cureus, 12(5), e8094. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8094
Autoimmune Association (2024). Tips for Getting a Diagnosis of an Autoimmune Disease. The Autoimmune Association. Retreived March 5, 2024, from https://autoimmune.org/resource-center/diagnosis-tips/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20autoimmune%20patients%20see,quickly%20at%20an%20accurate%20diagnosis.
Cojocaru, M., Cojocaru, I. M., & Silosi, I. (2010). Multiple autoimmune syndrome. Maedica, 5(2), 132–134.
Conrad N, Misra S, Verbakel JY, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and co-occurrence of autoimmune disorders over time and by age, sex, and socioeconomic status: a population-based cohort study of 22 million individuals in the UK. The Lancet. 2023;401(10391):1878-1890. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00457-9
Daskalakis, N. P., Xu, C., Bader, H. N., Chatzinakos, C., Weber, P., Makotkine, I., Lehrner, A., Bierer, L. M., Binder, E. B., & Yehuda, R. (2021). Intergenerational trauma is associated with expression alterations in glucocorticoid- and immune-related genes. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(4), 763–773. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00900-8
Dube, S. R., Fairweather, D., Pearson, W. S., Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., & Croft, J. B. (2009). Cumulative childhood stress and autoimmune diseases in adults. Psychosomatic medicine, 71(2), 243–250. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181907888
Mahmoud, N. N., & Rothenberger, D. (2019). From Burnout to Well-Being: A Focus on Resilience. Clinics in colon and rectal surgery, 32(6), 415–423. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1692710
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Additional Resources & Information:
Autoimmune Disease Awareness
https://autoimmune.org/
3 Pillars: Power, Perspective and Perseverance
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-ps-resilience-power-perspective-perseverance-uda-ltd-lpgxe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=guest_desktop&utm_campaign=copy
https://www.unicef.org/parenting/mental-health/what-is-toxic-stress
Building Resilience in Children: the 7 C's of Resilience
https://www.pathfinder.health/post/helping-your-child-develop-resilience-using-the-7cs-model#:~:text=What%20are%20the%207%20C's,contribution%2C%20coping%2C%20and%20control.
Exercise example of one DBT skill, radical acceptance:
https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/dbt-radical-acceptance
Get involved:
NIH: Program for Healthy Volunteers
https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/participate/studies/healthy_vol_prg.html#:~:text=One%20way%20to%20volunteer%20is,at%20the%20NIH%20Clinical%20Center.
https://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/deciding-to-volunteer
Volunteer
https://www.researchmatch.org/
Volunteer to take surveys
Survey Monkey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/volunteer-application-forms/
Research Volunteer Opportunities
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/research/bpru/research-volunteers
Qualtrics
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