Emotional Autoimmunity: Dealing with the emotional issues of chronic illness

Kerry Jeffery
  • 5.0 (40)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Chronic illness completely changes your life but nobody talks about or even acknowledges all of the emotional issues that come with it and I'm on a mission to change that. As a therapist living with four autoimmune diseases, I know exactly what the issues are and more importantly, how to overcome them. From medical gaslighting, dealing with grief and all of the 'what if' thoughts that keep you awake at night, let's talk about the emotional issues of chronic illness and what you can do to help yourself.

  1. 3D AGO

    Is what I'm feeling normal?

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text If I had to name the one question that almost every person asks me when we start working together, it's this: Is what I'm feeling normal?  This is because there is a complete lack of understanding about what chronic illness is and what the appropriate and normal human emotional responses to becoming chronically ill are.  Often, currently healthy people mistakenly believe that their health and capability is a direct reflection of their choices, actions and thoughts, rather than something that simply happens to them. But the reality is that chronic illness and disability can happen to anyone, at any time through no fault of their own and that no one can be guaranteed health. Yet when we do screw up our courage and try to talk about how we feel and make ourselves vulnerable in doing so, others either dismiss us, blame us, disbelieve us or wrongly think that it's simply an issue of mind over matter or being more positive.  All of that can leave you feeling that it must be a 'you' problem.  That you are just not strong enough or trying hard enough or that everyone else living with your condition is coping so much better than you.  So, lets talk about all of the normal emotional responses to living with chronic illness, what they are, why you feel that way and hopefully, this will leave you feeling a little better in knowing that you are not the only one.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    57 min

  2. JAN 12

    How do you find joy again?

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text How do you find joy again?  Question: It’s been 4 years now with chronic illness and I am so sick of being sick and I know everyone around me is sick of me being sick as well.     I feel like my whole life now is based around managing my symptoms and the exhaustion and the grief of everything I have lost. How can I start to feel some joy again because right now, it feels impossible. When people first start working with me, the things they always list as goals are all of the things that they want less of. Less anxiety, less pain, less overwhelm or grief and it takes a while to start to think about what is it that you want more of or that you want back, instead of all of the things you want less of.  More joy, more peace, being more present and engaged with your life.  More feelings of being connected and having an expanded emotional range so that you can feel so much more than where you feel stuck at the moment.  But a lot of that is going to depend on where you are right now.  So, lets talk about where you can be stuck, what to do when that happens and how you can start cultivating a practice to include more of the things you want, including joy.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    46 min

  3. 07/02/2025

    Chronic illness and Shame

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text Of all the emotional issues that come with chronic illness, the most painful and most damaging is shame. While guilt is about something we have done, shame is about who we are and all of the ways we feel that we are bad, wrong, weak, lacking or 'less than' that make us so very different to everyone else. Especially when we compare ourselves to others who have our illness and who seem to be doing so much better than us.  In this episode I go through the typical kinds of statements and beliefs that you can feel when living with chronic illness, address some of the driving factors that create these feelings and explain why they leave you feeling so full of shame.  Things like:  I feel ashamed because I feel like I am failing to get better. I feel ashamed because I am ruining my families lives. I feel ashamed and embarrassed because I look so different than I did before. If you live with chronic illness and struggle with feelings of shame, then this episode is for you and will help you understand why you feel the way you feel.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    48 min

  4. 06/05/2025

    Ask Kerry Q & A Part 2.

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text I asked my email and social media communities a while back to ask me anything about the experience of chronic illness that they were struggling with to see if I could help and in this episode, I am back with part 2.  I was planning to answer three questions this time but unfortunately, I was running out of energy towards the end of recording and had to leave the last one for now.  I will circle back to it another time as I think that topic deserves it's own podcast and I plan on getting tips and strategies from more seasoned travellers than myself.  In this episode I speak to: How do you deal with a sleepless night or nights? and I'm not doing fun things, like creative stuff because I'm always stuck in the rip tide and just trying to keep my head above water. It's exhausting and depressing.  Have a listen and please share this if it can help your friends or your chronic illness communities.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    46 min

  5. 03/24/2025

    What if they don't believe me?

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text By far, the biggest and most upsetting issue for those of us living with chronic illness is not being believed.  From Doctors, family, friends and even total strangers on the internet, there are so many people full of scepticism, unsolicited advice and downright disbelief.  But how do you deal with the questions and comments like: It's all in your head.Why are you still so sick?There must be some Doctor who can fix you.You just need to think more positive.But you look so well.You need to stop letting the illness define you.In this episode I take a deep dive into the basis of other peoples disbelief, how to deal with the comments and judgements and more importantly, what you can do to empower yourself.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    57 min
  6. How to adapt to living with chronic illness Part 2

    02/25/2025

    How to adapt to living with chronic illness Part 2

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text The emotional and psychological impacts of becoming chronically ill so often go unrecognised, misunderstood belittled or simply ignored. Which means that when it happens to you, you have no idea if the grief, fear, overwhelm and exhaustion that you feel are normal or that maybe, it is all in your head after all.  A big part of my work is to normalise and validate the often complex emotions that come with becoming chronically ill because people need to understand that all of the emotions are real, appropriate and completely understandable.  In this episode, I share perhaps the most challenging emotional issue of living with chronic illness that leads so many of us feeling hopeless, powerless and completely overwhelmed.  And more importantly, I give you some practical solutions for what you can do when you feel this way because you deserve to feel understood, supported and believed.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    43 min

  7. 11/20/2024

    How to adapt to living with chronic illness: Part 1.

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text Most of my new clients with chronic illness are starting from a place of complete overwhelm and feeling like they are sitting in the wreckage of their lives and wondering, 'where do I even start to deal with this?' So let's talk about overcoming that overwhelm and finding ways to help yourself take back some sense of direction and control.  In this episode which will be a series, I start breaking down the first steps you need to take to start adapting to living your new life with chronic illness.  This includes:  Processing all the emotionsHow to get the information you needFirst steps to working out what you can do to help yourselfWhat your priorities need to beHow to manage the disbelief. If you are feeling totally overwhelmed and need some direction and validation, then this podcast is for you.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    40 min

  8. 10/08/2024

    When others don't support how you choose to manage your illness.

    Enjoyed this episode? Send Kerry a text Chronic illness changes every aspect of your life and a large part of that is figuring out ways to best manage your symptoms and protect your energy.  The biggest problem is though that other people can get in the way of that.  Whether it's Doctors not supporting the treatment options you want, friends or family criticising or judging the changes you are making or having to deal with others fear, concern or disapproval, it adds another big challenge to an already overwhelming situation.  When chronic illness already leaves you feeling isolated, criticised and struggling, how do you cope when others don't support how you choose to manage your illness?  Find out how in this episode of the Emotional Autoimmunity podcast.  Kerry Jeffery is a Coach, Counsellor and Clinical Hypnotherapist helping clients all around the world to overcome the emotional issues of living with chronic illness. She lives in Melbourne, Australia along with Hashimoto's, Celiac, Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Type 1 Diabetes. Find out more about Kerry and her Therapy programs here. Book your FREE online Discovery Session with Kerry here. Follow Kerry for daily posts on Facebook here.

    51 min
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5
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About

Chronic illness completely changes your life but nobody talks about or even acknowledges all of the emotional issues that come with it and I'm on a mission to change that. As a therapist living with four autoimmune diseases, I know exactly what the issues are and more importantly, how to overcome them. From medical gaslighting, dealing with grief and all of the 'what if' thoughts that keep you awake at night, let's talk about the emotional issues of chronic illness and what you can do to help yourself.

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