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Welcome to The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast Season 1! We’ve created this podcast as a free resource to accompany our upcoming book, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook: A DIY Guide to Living Well with Chronic Illness.
Episode #14: Step 7: Connect – Our Stories is an episode all about an often unexplored, but vitally important, piece of the healing process, connection. In this episode we talk not only about connection with other people and its role in healing, but connection with the natural world. We start with a chat about how our illnesses initially impacted our support networks, how things changed after diagnosis and when realization that this was chronic set-in. We address the awkward, depressing, and often stressful truth behind trying to articulate the experience of autoimmune disease to those close to us, plus how the experience can expose weaknesses in our connections with others. We also talk about transitioning our social lives to support healing, finding new connections through online support, and avoiding the trap of adopting illness as an identity. Next we move on to exploring the role connection with nature had in our recoveries and wrap up with ways to experience the benefits of that connection even when you can’t get out in the woods regularly. This episode is a great match for listeners that are wondering if the strain illness has taken on their “people” connections is normal or what they can do to enhance their nature connections.
If you want to dig in check-out the ideas in the “Building a Support Network” section in Chapter 7. This is a good place to help you get the gears turning about forming or strengthening relationships, if it feels like this area could use some attention for you.
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Show Notes:
0:00 Intro1:31 Introducing the Connect topicHow Healthy Relationships Make Us Healthy
2:26 Angie shares about what her support network was like early in her journeyStrong, but confused
5:26 Mickey shares about what her support network was like early in her journeyStrong, but tense
7:50 Mickey talks about key relationships that were under stress due to her illness9:17 We don’t have rituals for acknowledging chronic illness in our society10:18 The awkward and depressing side of discussing your autoimmune disease11:18 The importance of adding people who “get it” on a personal level to your support network12:29 Mickey’s social life now13:26 Angie shares about transitioning her social life to support healingWorking to inspire others to support her choices by projecting confidence about her journey
15:54 Mickey shares about avoiding long explanations with all but the most important people17:48 Mickey shares about connections she found onlineShe was looking for empowered people
19:30 Angie shares about connections she found onlineHer virtual relationships turned into real world connections
21:25 How to avoid adopting illness as our identitiesConsider ways autoimmune disease has expanded your lifeConsider how it could actually shut you off from connection with othersConsider meeting new people and letting your illness take a backseat in how you define yourself to them
25:00 The powerful role connection with nature can play in healingThree Reasons You Need More Time in the Forest
25:38 Angie shares about her experience with nature and healingIt gave her a renewed energy
27:00 Mickey shares about her experience with nature and healingShe had a similar sense of drawing energy
28:20 The inescapable connection we have to the natural world28:52 How Angie connects with nature nowWalking
30:05 How Mickey connects with nature nowShe moved to a farm
31:30 Experiencing the elements of nature when we can’t get outHouse plantsNature sounds recordingsDiffusing essential oilsBright light exposure
34:14 Your homework for Step 7, Connect!Try out the “Support Network Evaluation” tool in Chapter 7 of The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook to assess the strength of your connections with others.
34:34 Outro
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The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast is a complimentary resource to our forthcoming book, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook: A DIY Guide to Living Well with Chronic Illness. Support us in our mission to revolutionize how autoimmune disease is viewed and treated by pre-ordering your copy today!
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Check out the previous episode, Episode #13: Noelle Tarr, NTP on Autoimmune-Friendly Movement, and the next episode, Episode #15: Angelo Coppola on Connecting with Humans and Nature. For the full podcast archive, click here.
The post The Autoimmune Wellness Podcast Episode #14: Step 7: Connect – Our Stories appeared first on Autoimmune Wellness.
