What causes an autoimmune brain? Remember the Freedom Framework I use to reverse autoimmune disease (in myself and my patients)? The Freedom Framework is the methodology I use to solve the health challenges we are all presented with throughout life. Given that we are all unique, we are all different puzzles. However, there are four corner pieces to each puzzle that will help us anchor in the rest of the puzzle. These are actually also the root causes for what causes an autoimmune brain. They all have to be addressed if the combination of infection, inflammation and immune dysregulation are going to be reversed. The four corner pieces of every health puzzle are:
- Genetics: Your genetics are different from anyone else’s. Genetics are the reason one person can be exposed and infected by a tick-borne illness like Lyme, or can live in a mold infested home or office, or can have Epstein Barr virus and not have symptoms and another person is brought to their knees. I do genetic testing on every one of my patients for this reason. I have both Lyme and EBV, but my genetics allow me to live in a collaborative relationship with them now due to the work I’ve done with the other three corners of my puzzle.
- Toxic Burden: Your toxic burden will be unique to you. This refers to the amount of toxic buildup you have had over a lifetime and your body’s ability to rid itself of these toxins. In my book, Solving the Autoimmune Puzzle, I go through the difference between a toxin and a toxicant and help you see just how many of both there are in our world today. Your genetics and toxic burden are linked because all of the patients I have ever tested have a mismatch in their phase I and phase II liver detoxification pathways. What does this mean? If you have autoimmunity, you are likely not efficiently ridding yourself of the ubiquitous toxins that are present in our air, water and soil. Toxic burden includes viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal infections as well as all of the chemicals we are exposed to. I’m a big believer in mycotoxin (mold) testing and also in testing for the toxic burden your brain is holding. To test your brain, I test for lectin sensitivity, gluten and gluten related product sensitivity, tick borne illness antibodies and neurological antibodies.
- Digestive Health: If you have autoimmunity, you have leaky gut. In order to test for severity, I like to look at food sensitivities every 6-9 months so we can track how well your immune system is doing at calming down. An immune system that’s attacking you is not a win-win situation. In fact, a body at war with itself means there can be no winner. I like to approach your immune system as if it’s a dog with rabies who is amped up to bite first rather than ask questions. We want to get that dog better by curing its infection and inflammation and then teach it to be kind, soft and cuddly; only baring its teeth if absolutely necessary. The good news is, you CAN retrain your immune system to ask questions before it attacks. You eat at least 2-3 times a day. It’s important that what you are eating isn’t setting that immune system off again and again. That’s why I say to test, not guess.
- Trauma and Stress: The last corner piece of the puzzle is the one I usually find is left out. Early childhood events set up how your nervous system responds to your own mind’s perceptions. If you walk through the world believing it’s not safe and the people in it cannot be trusted, your immune system will behave the same way. If you are resentful because your expectations are not being met in some way, you will have inflammation. Resentment is one of the most toxic substances there is; and it’s manufactured by you. Not only do I begin helping my patients rewire their brains immediately, but I also help them self-confront the root causes to their hypervigilant perceptual field and hypothalamic, adrenal, pituitary, gut axis. The gut and brain and endocrine (hormone) and immune systems are all connected. What one does, the others follow. It’s important to rewire nervous system reactivity patterns that are causing gut wall damage, disease specific genetic expression, and creating a hospitable environment for viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. I have found that no amount of therapy will stick if the adrenals, hormones, and brain chemicals called neurotransmitters are not balanced.
The autoimmune brain is not hard to fix, but first it must be identified. The links above help me to help you find the right diagnosis and then to personalize your treatment plan so that you can attain reversal in your disease. Reach out and make an appointment so we can help you get to the root and treat from the root causes if you find that you are suffering from:
- Unexplained skin rashes
- Fatigue
- Low libido
- Digestive symptoms
- Abdominal bloating or pain
- Hot flashes or temperature dysregulation
- Brain fog or memory changes
- Insomnia
- Anxiety, depression, mood swings
- Lack motivation
- Pain in your joints and/or muscles
- Tingling sensations in your periphery
- Numbness or weakness
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headaches or migraines
- Eye dryness, fatigue, or pain
- Weight gain or loss
- Loss of flexibility or hyper-flexibility
- Loss of endurance
- Depersonalization
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Parasitosis
- Paranoia
- Lethargy
- Obsessive compulsiveness
- Agitation
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Loss of interest in life, career, family, what you have loved in the past
- Psychosis
- Lassitude
- Inability to feel
- Frequent infections
- Restless legs
- Heart palpitations
- Isolating behavior
- Drink or use marijuana to calm down
- Change in hair, skin, or nails
- Bruise easily
- Need daily naps
- Drinking more coffee to focus