^{by Michele Rosenthal}

The problem was, there was no time to think about how poorly I felt: I was simultaneously under contract for two books, traveling nationally to speak, writing an award-winning blog, hosting a nationally sponsored podcast and working a full calendar of private and group clients in my trauma and PTSD recovery practice. There simply wasn’t time for me to be tired, fatigued, or slow-thinking. 

By January 2016, however, I was exhausted, my hair was falling out, my muscles were weak, my body ached, my head was foggy, and I couldn’t concentrate. Finally, I dragged myself to my primary care physician. She ran labs and then matter-of-factly said: “You have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s Disease.” 

Thus began my odyssey to take control of my health in the new year— holistically.

From Conventional to Holistic in One Diagnosis

An autoimmune disease (meaning, the body actually attacks itself) of the thyroid, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT) is a well-known ailment that typically afflicts women in their 40s and 50s. Conventionally treated with medications designed to increase thyroid hormone levels, HT can be managed, maintained, and often put into remission. Traditionally, this is done with prescribed medication, which I tried — with disastrous results that sent me running in the direction of holistic alternatives.

Prior to my diagnosis, I hadn’t exactly been holistically-minded. Sure, I took vitamins and supplements, but that was about the extent to which I consciously considered holistic routines. I had no idea that in 2012 the Palm Beach Post reported in an article (including sources from both Palm Beach and Broward counties), that “… according to studies and surveys conducted by the National Institutes of Health, more than one-third of all Americans are now turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) before seeking traditional “Western medical health care.”

Nor did I know that the Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit research and educational resource for the wellness industry, reported that “…the global wellness market grew 10.6% to $3.72 trillion from 2013 to 2015 (latest figures available), while the global economy shrank 3.6 percent over the same period.”

I would never have guessed that within that market growth, alternative and complementary medicine saw some of the most significant growth across all sectors with a 65% increase since 2010. 

And I would have been completely surprised to discover that a 2014 Global Wellness Institute Study revealed that the global wellness market was worth $3.4 trillion, making it nearly three times larger than the $1 trillion worldwide pharmaceutical industry.

My life to that moment been significantly driven by conventional medicine practitioners and the prescriptions they wrote. When I decided to forgo such things to heal my thyroid my family thought I was going in the wrong direction. 

“Both of your grandmothers were on thyroid medication their entire adult lives,” they reminded me. 

But maybe they didn’t need to be. When I researched my condition, I discovered that HT, like many autoimmune and other conditions, can respond positively to holistic intervention. I decided to try.

Putting Together a Holistic Treatment Plan

One year turned into three years, but with a savvy holistic medical team of individual practitioners gathered one by one (and with many holistic interventions applied by trial and error) last summer I received the best news I could have hoped for: 

My labs are perfect. The antibodies that lead to the HT diagnosis are gone — and I feel fantastic. 

Now, I continue to maintain the lifestyle, diet, gut healing, adrenal support, thyroid supplementation and other holistic changes that I put in place. More importantly, I’ve been able to resume my calling to help survivors heal the wounds of trauma.

Through the years of research and application of a wide variety of holistic modalities (from hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming to acupuncture, kinesiology, supplementation and essential oils) I learned to value, respect and believe in the power of holistic healing. As a holistic practitioner and consumer, I wanted to create a community of like-minded souls who also approach health, wellness and well-being from the holistic perspective. 

In 2019 I founded Holistic Health Connections (HHC), a membership-based organization of holistic health providers and consumers living a holistic lifestyle in Palm Beach County.

Recently, I asked some of our members their professional philosophy about and approach to managing autoimmune issues with holistic modalities. Let me introduce you to four of them.

Dr. Tracy Hackett (Board Certified Acupuncture Physician, Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine), “Hidden damage to your body can occur if your immune system is activated against your own tissues. If you’re feeling fatigue, swollen, achy joints, ‘strange’ muscle pain, have skin issues, inflammation, digestive problems, mood imbalances, hormone balance issues, difficulty breathing, sleeping, losing weight, notice cognitive issues and increased memory problems, it may be time to take a closer look at what the underlying problem may be. 

There are excellent tests available to uncover areas of compromise. Plus, Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostics and protocols that I have developed over years of practice to help strengthen health and get clients to their optimal best. I design treatment plans (utilizing only a few medical grade supplements or herbal medicines at a time) that are tailored to specific needs and change as clients progress. 

Also, I like to use lower dosing and move clients toward intermittent maintenance with a few key items as quickly as possible. Acupuncture, near infrared (NIR) therapy, mindfulness practices, dietary analysis and targeted kinesiotherapy complete my holistic approach to treatment.”

Janie Sterling (Board Certified Coach, Professional Certified Coach), “A diagnosis of an autoimmune disease is, to say the least, a life-changing event. In my coaching experience, I have helped many clients gain new strategies to manage their stress levels around such a diagnosis as well as to create wellness practices for their bodies, minds and spirits. 

There are many different ways and mindset approaches I recommend that my coaching clients incorporate into their daily routines to help manage stress and difficult emotions when dealing with such an illness. 

The first place we begin is to work on accepting the situation as it is and to not make it worse than it is through negative catastrophic thinking. We co-create strategies to catch the negative thinking and any limiting beliefs and design ways to positively reframe them before they become real roadblocks to wellness. 

Mindfulness practices, meditation, intentional breathing, physical exercise, listening to music and writing in a daily gratitude journal are also ways to help create calm, peace and feelings of wellbeing while living with an autoimmune illness.”

Ed Dolezal, (Founder of Universal Qi Gong And Tai Chi Institute of the Palm Beaches), “The practice of Qi (pronounced chee) Gong dates back to the origins of time and is associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture. In effect, it is a self-healing practice that incorporates meditation, breathing, visualization as well as gentle movements. It’s known as “acupuncture without needles.” 

There are literally hundreds of forms of Qi Gong that can be learned. Some are general while others are more targeted to specific ailments such as: vision, respiratory functions, cancer, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, etc. You must practice daily and have an open, willing mind.  

Follow your doctor’s orders until you both see marked improvement from the new holistic practice. Your team should include a holistic physician (Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, Ayurvedic doctor, Naturopathic doctor, Functional Medicine doctor, etc…), a nutrition specialist, a Qi Gong Master, etc…

Scores of chronically sick people have successfully improved their quality of life with the described game plan.  I would encourage anyone interested in this path to ask around about reputable and qualified holistic health professionals and teachers of holistic healing practices. I’ll paraphrase an old Chinese saying: “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” 

Arthur Tassinello (Health Consultant and Coach), “Autoimmune disease typically develops from three events: genetic predisposition, exposure to antigen/trigger and intestinal permeability. To reverse autoimmunity, we must identify the antigen/trigger, remove environmental toxins, heal the gastrointestinal lining, and support proper immune function. Diet change, supplementation and essential oil use can all play an important role in the healing process. 

Once the antigen/trigger has been identified and removed, we must eliminate potential triggers from our environment. These include over-the-counter medications, fragrant wall plug-ins and sprays, plus personal care products such as toothpaste, soap and cleaning products that contain toxins that are especially harmful. We can create non-toxic alternatives by using simple ingredients and pure essential oils. For instance: vinegar and lemon or specific essential oils for cleaning and diffusing oils to scent a space.

Essential oils are a multi-faceted and invaluable tool when managing autoimmunity and they play a significant role in healing the gastrointestinal lining, supporting the immune system, and opening our elimination pathways as we detoxify from triggers. When I successfully reversed Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, I used a blend of frankincense, lemongrass and clove essential oils daily to support proper thyroid function.”

Of course, there is, will, and always must be a place for conventional medicine. At the same time, we’re learning more and more in modern society how many holistic options that we have to support our health and well-being in ways which  are natural, gentle and in alignment with the body’s innate healing programs. Recovering and maintaining health no longer needs to be an either/or decision between modern medicine and holistic alternatives. Instead, the growing trend is a blend where both approaches complement each other in ways the support physical, emotional and mental health all at once.