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A healthy immune system guards against germs like bacteria and viruses. With a healthy immune system, you can tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells. However, an autoimmune disease is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. When your immune system is impaired, it mistakes part of your body, as foreign. Foreign invaders send out an army of fighter cells. Your body releases proteins called autoantibodies that attack healthy cells.
Some autoimmune diseases target only one area of the body or one organ. For example, type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affect the whole body.
In a study at Washington State University, a group of volunteers were given hypnotic suggestions to specifically boost their immune system. On the other hand, another group only received relaxing suggestions or no suggestions at all. Their level of T- and B-cells (special defense cells) were measured. Those who had received hypnotic suggestions showed a significant increase in their levels of protective cells. In addition, research and studies have also shown that hypnotherapy can help lower stress reduced inflammation. Inflammation is what contributes to many physical ailments in the body.
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The early symptoms of many autoimmune diseases are very similar, such as:
Symptoms might come and go over time. I will guide you to learn how to connect with yourself through deeper awareness, focus on healing instead of consumption, embrace every day as a new day, and transcend the obstacles that afflict your body and mind.
1. Type 1 diabetes: Pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, high blood sugar results can lead to damage in the blood vessels and organs.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): The immune system attacks the joints; causes redness, warmth, soreness, and stiffness in the joints; can start as early as your 30s or sooner.
3. Psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis: Skin cells normally grow and then shed when they’re no longer needed, skin cells to multiply too quickly, extra cells build up and form inflamed red patches, pain in their joints. This form of the disease is called psoriatic arthritis.
4. Multiple sclerosis (MS): Damages the myelin sheath (the protective coating that surrounds nerve cells in your central nervous system) which slows the transmission speed of messages between your brain and spinal cord to and from the rest of your body; numbness, weakness, balance issues, and trouble walking.
5. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): Original described as a skin disease because of the rash it commonly produces. Joint pain, fatigue, and rashes are among the most common symptoms.
6. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Inflammation in the lining of the intestinal wall. Each type of IBD affects a different part of the GI tract – Crohn’s disease can inflame any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus and Ulcerative colitis affects only the lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum.
7. Addison’s disease: Targets the adrenal glands, which produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone as well as androgen hormones. Having too little of cortisol can affect the way the body uses and stores carbohydrates and sugar (glucose). Deficiency of aldosterone will lead to sodium loss and excess potassium in the bloodstream. Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and low blood sugar.
8. Graves’ disease: It attacks the thyroid gland in the neck, causing it to produce too much of its hormones. Thyroid hormones control the body’s energy usage, known as metabolism. Having too much of these hormones revs up your body’s activities, causing symptoms like nervousness, a fast heartbeat, heat intolerance, and weight loss. One potential symptom of this disease is bulging eyes, called exophthalmos.
9. Sjögren’s syndrome: Attacks the glands that provide lubrication to the eyes and mouth causing dry eyes and dry mouth, also affecting the joints or skin.
10. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: Thyroid hormone production slows to a deficiency causing weight gain, sensitivity to cold, fatigue, hair loss, and swelling of the thyroid (goiter).
11. Myasthenia gravis: Affects nerve impulses that help the brain signal muscles to contract. Most common symptom is muscle weakness that gets worse with activity and improves with rest. Often muscles that control eye movements, eyelid opening, swallowing, and facial movements are also involved.
12. Autoimmune vasculitis: Happens when the immune system attacks blood vessels. The inflammation that results narrows the arteries and veins, allowing less blood to flow through them.
13. Pernicious anemia: A condition that causes deficiency of a protein, made by stomach lining cells, known as intrinsic factor that is needed in order for the small intestine to absorb vitamin B-12 from food. Without enough of this vitamin, one will develop an anemia, and the body’s ability for proper DNA synthesis will be altered.
14. Celiac disease: Can’t eat foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and other grain products. When gluten is in the small intestine, the immune system attacks this part of the gastrointestinal tract and causes inflammation.
15. Eczema: A term for several different types of skin swelling, also called dermatitis. Most types cause dry, itchy skin and rashes on the face, inside the elbows and behind the knees, and on the hands and feet.
16. Asthma: A condition in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
17. Allergic Disorders: Allergies are a number of conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling. Food intolerances and food poisoning are separate conditions. Common allergens include pollen and certain food. Metals and other substances may also cause problems. Food, insect stings, and medications are common causes of severe reactions. Their development is due to both genetic and environmental factors.
18. Cancer: Also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Symptoms vary depending on the type. Hypnotherapy has been specifically employed in the palliative care of cancer patients to reduce symptoms associated with radiation and chemotherapy, such as pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes and sleep dysfunction. Hypnosis helps patients achieve a relaxed, therapeutic, hypnotic state.
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I am blown away! I don’t write testimonials, unless I have been extremely moved by something. I was blessed to work with Brooke on a single session, and before this I was in therapy on and off with multiple therapists for the last 20 years of my life. Brooke was able to do more in one session than many years of work with my previous therapist. She has the true gift of great insight and compassion while also getting straight to the heart of your blind spots and unconscious issues in a way that has truly changed my life.
Skyler J.
There are people who are good at their work there are people like Brooke: who are born to do it. I cannot recommend Brooke more highly. I can only imagine where I would be today if I had started working with her years ago. From the beginning of our session, she knew exactly what tools and questions that would work for my particular psychology and my personal experience. No other therapist has been able to do that or anything close.
What I also really appreciate from our session is Brooke's ability to go directly to the source of the issue while also keeping a very gentle and kind energy with me. I felt very seen, understood, and supported. Everything and more that I could have ever asked for from a therapist. I have a severe trauma history and complex issues she was able to immediately identify and help. If she could help me, I know she can help you too.
Taylor E.
You did more in 45 minutes than my last therapist did in a year.
Jamie
With your help, I've finally started to understand that while my vivid imagination often wants to create terrifying monsters under the bed, in a lot of cases those monsters are nothing more than a heap of decidedly less-terrifying laundry I've avoided for too long that just needs to be aired out and put away. Which is definitely a lot easier than monster slaying. Thank you for shedding light in the dark places I was too afraid to face alone.
Morgan B.
I am extremely fortunate to work with Sydney, who is helping me create real internal change. The talent to listen well is Hall of Fame stuff, and she has that. She then follows with questions, strategies that are organic to the moment. I have come to believe that deep, radical, if occasionally deeply painful change ... and, then, healing can happen. I'm just at the lip of that last part - but would not have gotten there, AT ALL, without Sydney
Ric K.
The best therapist ever! Life-changing 🙂
Catherine H.
Right now, the work is changing my life, sometimes in inches, sometimes in miles.
Ric K.
