Ep 89 Mental Illness & Celiac Disease
Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
This week I have a very personal conversation with Erin, a gluten free blogger about her struggles with mental illness. We often talk about the roller coaster of emotions after a diagnosis and starting a gluten free diet, but Erin’s experiences became more life-altering. Anxiety and Depression became a way of life, with celiac disease and the gluten free diet always playing a part. Erin gives some great coping advice that we can all use, regardless of how much we are swayed by our emotions and state of being. You can find Erin online at glitzandgf.com, on Instagram at glitzandgf and on Facebook at Glitz & Gluten Free
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
(search Sues Gluten Free Baking)
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
It’s hard to write a follow-up my conversation with Erin. I’m always impressed when someone can be so personal and honest. I share something of myself in every podcast and every blog. Most bloggers use their blogs for just that, to share. It’s the personal honesty that meant so much from Erin. Mental illness is still something many people don’t want to discuss, if it’s about themselves.
This conversation reminds me of the issues I’ve come across when I’ve done peer counselling for the CCA. It’s often denial as opposed to honesty that comes through. I remember my denial at the beginning – “they can’t mean no gluten, it must be just some reduction in gluten”. Those words come into my head often when I talk to people and find them playing mind games with themselves to try and avoid the work it takes to be gluten free.
Eating gluten free is not conventional, we are often seen as outcasts, is all the fussy eating really necessary? Denial is the easy emotion to fall back on. If you don’t accept the diagnosis, I mean really accept it, not just say you do, the consequences can be serious. The best example of this is those people who cheat, maybe they admit it, maybe they don’t. They are prepared to put up with the discomfort, pain and other inconveniences of being glutened, because they think they’re different and can get away with eating a bit of gluten. They make excuses.
My experience with these excuse makers usually ends in them accepting the diet, but it’s after more damage, more pain, more missed family get-togethers and more “giving-in” to what other people think about celiac disease. The option is knowledge and self care. Find out as much as you can about the condition and the diet, share with others, practice best food and health choices everyday and get help when you can’t do it alone, and that goes for your mental state of well being also. Self care is all of you, your diet, any other medical conditions and your mental health – it’s you all rolled into one – you – and you’re special!