How I healed my autoimmunity

Many years ago I had thyroid autoimmune issues. First, I had an under-active thyroid, then Hashimotos disease. Next came a serious case of Graves disease - overactive thyroid. 

I had difficulty sleeping. I was hot all the time, and my eyes started bulging, too.
 

I started drugs to suppress my thyroid hormones, and the medical folks suggested killing the thyroid and taking thyroid drugs for the rest of my life.

Since I grew up in a holistic house, with a mom who is a homeopath, the idea of taking drugs, much less killing my thyroid, was pretty much anathema to me.

I had to take the drugs or I couldn't function. But I was determined to heal naturally. (Manager parts with a plan!)

I tried so many things: many herbs, acupuncture, homeopathy, frequency machines. I worked really hard at a clean, strict diet for years. (Manager parts being 'good', following rules, trying to fix.)

This all helped reduce my symptoms, but didn't completely fix the problem.

I spent hours in therapy lamenting my inability to change this autoimmunity. My body attacking itself. (Manager parts confronting their inability to force health.)

I felt embarrassed and shameful for having a disease. (Exile parts, the most vulnerable parts, feeling humiliated and powerless.)

With the help of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, I eventually gave up a need to control the situation, and focused on my inner emotional healing. (Self energy showing up.)

A few years later, my thyroid returned to normal and I haven't had any thyroid symptoms since. 

I attribute most of my healing to IFS therapy, where I allowed the energy to move through my throat chakra (where the thyroid lives) through talking, crying, laughing, singing, sobbing, and screaming. 

IFS therapy is so fantastic at welcoming all parts of a person, bringing voices and aspects and energies into conscious awareness and allowing them to speak or share in any way that works for them.

This is energy work. It's allowing our energy to move and flow through the vehicle of our inner parts. It is trusting our body and inner knowing about what it needs to process and release.

My specialty isn't physical disease - but attending to all the emotional issues in a person is. Sometimes these emotional issues cause or contribute to illness or dis-ease. 

Love for all of us at this continuing intense time. 
Marta

More about IFS here.