A blog post for autoimmune patients navigating the unseen storm
If you’ve ever heard the words, “But you don’t look sick,” and felt the sting behind them, this post is for you.
You might be reading this because you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition—or suspect you’re on that path—and you’re feeling overwhelmed, unseen, and exhausted. Maybe you’ve already tried prescription medications, only to find they either didn’t work or left you feeling worse. Maybe you’ve been to the pharmacy for supplements, experimented with diets, tried yoga, meditation, acupuncture, infrared saunas—you name it. You’ve probably lost count of the times you’ve Googled symptoms, only to be left more confused and discouraged.
You are not alone.
Millions of people—especially women—are in this same boat. Autoimmune diseases are rising at an alarming rate, and emerging research suggests that our environment is a big part of why. Viral infections, like COVID-19, have been linked to a higher risk of autoimmune diagnoses. Pollution, toxins, food additives, gut bacteria imbalances—the list of potential triggers keeps growing. And yet, despite all of this knowledge, many patients still hear dismissive lines like:
- “It’s just stress.”
- “Your labs look fine.”
- “You’re just tired.”
- “You don’t look sick.”
But you know your body. And you know something is wrong.
As Meghan O’Rourke so eloquently explores in The Invisible Kingdom, autoimmune disease lives in that “elusive category of invisible illness.” You can feel your body unraveling—whether it’s through crushing fatigue, chronic pain, weight gain, or frightening neurological symptoms—but to the outside world, you seem fine. Presentable. Functional. Normal.
It can take years—on average, five to seven—for autoimmune patients to get an accurate diagnosis. Symptoms overlap. Blood tests can be inconclusive. And women, in particular, are too often dismissed as anxious, depressed, or simply too sensitive. Meanwhile, your life becomes unrecognizable. Work, relationships, parenting, and self-care all take a hit.
I’ve been there. I was diagnosed with five autoimmune conditions by the time I turned 30. Before that, I spent over a decade being passed from doctor to doctor, told my symptoms were unrelated, exaggerated, or “psychosomatic.” I turned to alternative healers because I had no other option. I just wanted someone to listen—and believe me.
If you’re at that crossroads, wondering “Is this as good as it gets?”, please hear this: no, it’s not.
You don’t need to find the perfect miracle diet or one-size-fits-all treatment plan. Autoimmunity doesn’t work that way. Even identical twins with the same diagnosis can have vastly different symptoms and triggers. That’s why this journey is about your body, your environment, your story.
There is hope—but it doesn’t always come from a prescription pad. Often, it comes from understanding your body’s messages and tracing your personal exposome (the sum of your lifetime exposures, including food, stress, sleep, infections, toxins, and more). It comes from working with practitioners who treat you like a partner, not a mystery to solve or a case to dismiss. It comes from trusting your gut—literally and figuratively.
You may not “look sick,” but that doesn’t mean you aren’t fighting a daily battle. And you deserve to be seen, heard, and believed.
Healing isn’t linear. It isn’t perfect. But it is possible. This blog—and the book it stems from—isn’t here to tell you which path to take. It’s here to help you find your path and walk it with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
Because you do know yourself best. And no matter what anyone else says—you are not making this up. You are not alone. And you are not broken.