Being diagnosed with a chronic illness such as gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease can be a shock even if it finally explains years of feeling unwell. Hearing such a diagnosis can cause a range of emotions as you begin to comprehend the full impact of being gluten intolerant. In the beginning, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, even depressed, as the reality of your diagnosis sinks in.
Your medical doctor will immediately recommend a gluten-free diet plan. This in itself will trigger moments of despair as you wonder how you’ll ever manage without your favourite pizza! But, as you start to navigate a new way of eating and drinking, you’ll discover gluten-free products that can still put a smile on your face. How about gluten-free beer Australia breweries are producing for their customers? Or gluten-free flour for your favourite baked goods?
Managing your emotional wellbeing is also important when diagnosed with a life-changing illness such as coeliac disease. But, how do you do it so that life doesn’t suddenly seem empty and boring? Read on to find out!
Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis: 5 Ways to Manage Your Emotional Wellbeing
1. Accept Your Feelings
Whether you’re feeling angry and bitter or relieved on hearing your diagnosis, it’s important to acknowledge how you feel and accept the emotions. If you need to rant and rave at the unfairness of it all, let it out by hitting a pillow, having a good scream outside or going for a jog.
Some people will go into denial when hearing they have a chronic disease. If this is you, spend some time understanding what frightens you about the diagnosis. Talk to your medical doctor and make sure you’re fully informed about the condition.
Understanding your emotions at the onset of the diagnosis and permitting yourself to feel them will help you cope with the challenges of living with gluten intolerance. Give yourself permission to feel both negative and positive emotions, so you can work through them and move on from the initial shock.
2. Speak to a Therapist
Finding out that you have gluten sensitivity may seem like your world is falling apart. Even more so when you discover how bland your daily gluten-free diet could be! What? No more pastries, delicious, toasted sandwiches or ice-cold beer with your friends at the barbecue? Such thoughts could send you spiralling down a dark tunnel if you don’t have the right support.
Speaking to a therapist will help you express your fears about having coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. Your therapist will assist you to be more objective about your diagnosis and find positive ways of managing your gluten-free diet plan.
3. Join a Support Group
With 1 in 4 Australians suffering from coeliac disease, you’re not alone! Joining a support group will empower you to understand the disease more while swapping stories with other people in the same situation. Support groups also support family members of the person who has been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity.
You’ll be able to access a wealth of information such as self-management programmes, dining venues that support gluten-free meals and retailers selling suitable products. Support groups empower you to live with a chronic condition which in turn, supports your emotional wellbeing.
4. Don’t Go Into Isolation
It’s tempting to start isolating yourself from gatherings with friends and family or from social events when living on a gluten-free diet. After all, who wants to have to explain for the hundredth time “No, I can’t have a beer” without sounding like a killjoy at a friend’s birthday party? These are the challenges that come with being gluten intolerant and many sufferers start to isolate themselves.
Managing your emotional wellbeing is vital when living with a debilitating disease and avoiding social gatherings isn’t conducive to a positive mindset. Choose to educate your friends and family about your condition so they can be more understanding of your dietary needs. And, invite your buddies to try out you gluten-free bakes or gluten-free beer at a brewery for a fun day out. They’ll be pleasantly surprised!
5. Develop a Growth Mindset
Having an open mindset will empower you to learn more about your diagnosis and discover creative ways of living a gluten-free life. Developing a growth mindset will allow you to be more positive about living with gluten intolerance. This will result in feeling stronger about yourself and having more confidence when engaging with other people.
Fostering a growth mindset will prepare you for the challenges of living with a chronic disease that requires you to be selective about what you consume. A growth mindset will help you overcome your fears while looking for opportunities to support your condition.
Being open to learning as much as you can about gluten sensitivity will give you better coping skills and healthier emotional wellbeing.
Final Thoughts
A gluten sensitivity diagnosis can be frightening as you try to grasp living a life without your favourite food or drinks. Your emotions will swing from one feeling to another as the enormity of your condition sinks in. But, there are ways of managing your emotional wellbeing. Follow these tips so you’re able to live a more positive and balanced gluten-free life.
