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Autoimmune Disease: When Your Body Fights Harder Than It Needs To

Updated: Dec 7, 2025

By Donna Burfield - Joy & Purpose Coaching

 

Autoimmune diseases are often invisible, misunderstood, and minimised, even by the people living with them. Many individuals spend years thinking their symptoms are “all in their head,” “just stress,” or “normal tiredness,” when in reality their immune system is working overtime.

 

Autoimmune conditions aren’t caused by weakness, poor lifestyle choices, or lack of resilience; they’re biological, unpredictable, and deeply exhausting, and yet, the people living with them often carry on quietly, managing pain, fatigue, flare-ups, and fear with remarkable strength.


 

What Is Autoimmune Disease?

 

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, treating healthy cells as if they are foreign invaders.

 

This can affect:

 

  • joints

  • skin

  • organs

  • digestive system

  • blood vessels

  • nerves

 

There are more than 100 autoimmune conditions affecting people of all ages.

 

According to the British Society for Immunology, around 4 million people in the UK live with an autoimmune condition. Globally, autoimmune diseases are rising steadily, especially among women, who are disproportionately affected.


 

Why Autoimmune Conditions Are Often Missed

 

Autoimmune symptoms overlap with many other conditions, including:

 

  • fatigue

  • brain fog

  • digestive issues

  • joint pain

  • mood changes

  • hormonal imbalances

 

Because of this, people are often misdiagnosed with stress, depression, anxiety, IBS, or “normal ageing.”

 

It is not unusual for someone to wait years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.


 

Types of Autoimmune Diseases

 

While each autoimmune condition is unique, they share a common thread: the immune system is attacking the body rather than protecting it.

 

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.

 


2. Lupus (SLE)

A systemic condition affecting organs, skin, joints, and energy levels.

 


3. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Affects the nervous system, impacting movement, sensation, and cognition.

 


4. Type 1 Diabetes

The immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

 


5. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Causes an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

 


6. Graves’ Disease

Causes an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).

 


7. Coeliac Disease

An autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine.

 


8. Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis

Affects the skin and joints.

 


9. Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis (IBD)

Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.

 


10. Sjögren’s Syndrome

Affects moisture-producing glands, causing dry eyes, dry mouth, and fatigue.

 


11. Autoimmune Hepatitis

The immune system attacks the liver.

 


12. Vasculitis

Inflammation of the blood vessels.

 


13. Myasthenia Gravis

Affects muscle control and strength.


 

These conditions can vary from mild to severely disabling, and symptoms often change over time.


 

Common Symptoms of Autoimmune Disease

 

Symptoms vary depending on the condition, but many people experience a cluster of similar signs.

 

Fatigue

Not “tiredness,” but deep, bone-level exhaustion that rest doesn’t fix.

 

Joint & Muscle Pain

Stiffness, swelling, burning, or aching.

 

Digestive Issues

Bloating, pain, diarrhoea, nausea, food sensitivities.

 

Skin Changes

Rashes, dryness, redness, and sensitivity.

 

Neurological Symptoms

Tingling, numbness, brain fog, migraines, and dizziness.

 

Temperature & Sensory Issues

Cold hands/feet, heat intolerance, hypersensitivity.

 

Emotional & Mental Strain

Anxiety, low mood, and overwhelm, often triggered by pain, inflammation, and exhaustion.

 

Flare-Ups

Sudden worsening of symptoms triggered by stress, illness, hormones, diet, or even weather.

 

Autoimmune symptoms are real, even when they’re invisible.


 

Why Autoimmune Disease Is So Exhausting

 

Living with an autoimmune condition means navigating:

 

  • unpredictable flare-ups

  • constant symptom management

  • medication side effects

  • emotional labour

  • misunderstandings from others

  • exhaustion from a body stuck in “fight mode”

 

It’s not just a physical journey; it affects every part of life, and the resilience required to live with it is extraordinary.


 

What Helps When You Have an Autoimmune Condition

 

1. Medical Support 

GPs, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, and immunologists.

 


2. Anti-Inflammatory Approaches 

Medication, immunosuppressants, steroids, biologics, and supportive therapies.

 


3. Lifestyle Adjustments

 

  • pacing

  • gentle movement

  • stress reduction

  • anti-inflammatory eating

  • prioritising rest

 


4. Emotional Support 

Therapy, coaching, support groups, and community.

 


5. Understanding Your Triggers 

Hormones, stress, weather changes, certain foods, and infections.

 


6. Self-Advocacy

Autoimmune patients often need to push for referrals and clarity, not because they’re difficult, but because the system is slow.


 

UK Support Organisations

 

 

Autoimmune disease challenges your body, energy, identity, and sense of control. It forces you to slow down when the world expects you to speed up. It makes ordinary tasks feel extraordinary. It can make you question your strength, even though you’ve been strong for far too long.

 

Autoimmune conditions are unpredictable, but your worth is not. You are still whole, still capable, still deserving of support, rest, patience, and dignity.



🌿 You can explore more free tools, articles, and supportive resources on the Joy & Purpose Coaching website.

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