How to Tackle Autoimmune Illness With EFT Tapping?
EFT Tapping for Autoimmune diseases
In this article, you will learn about autoimmune diseases - their types and symptoms along with how to tackle them with an alternative therapy called Emotional Freedom Techniques (also known as EFT Tapping technique.)
An autoimmune disease is like this dark space that drains you of your physical and mental energy so much that you can even lose hope of ever coming out of the proverbial storm.
If you have an autoimmune disorder, chances are that you have already drained your finances heavily by having tried every known ‘cure’ including medicines, herbs, organic foods, juices, various diets, therapies and counselling.
You would have already tried all the latest pioneering treatments in place since traditional medicines are not working or helpful, while you desperately pursue an alternative therapy.
You are finally willing to test any non-conventional way of treatment, any crazy idea that would just make you feel ‘normal’ again.
If this defines you or your clients, I have got you covered. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a customised solution for autoimmune disorders. It will quickly make you realise that there are no answers on the outside. The only answers are on the inside that you can seek by connecting with your inner guidance and wisdom. By the end of this blog post, you will know how to transition yourself or your clients from self-hatred to self-love.
WHAT ARE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES?
Vitiligo woman portrait
Autoimmune diseases refer to problems with the acquired immune system's reactions. The body becomes its own enemy.
Normally immune cells are the cells that the body produces to fight foreign substances that enter the body or are no longer needed, for example, viruses and bacteria.
Trillions of these tiniest immune cells are working all the time to help keep you healthy and guard you against foreign invaders. However in autoimmune, the immune cells mistakenly target the body’s own healthy tissues, signalling the body to attack them and cause harm.
In autoimmune diseases mainly type 1 diabetes, lupus and psoriasis, the immune cell itself is found to attack the body. People fighting rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) and type 1 diabetes, have in common a malfunctioning immune system.
On average, autoimmune diseases take up to five years to be diagnosed. Some of the symptoms indicating a possible autoimmune illness are as follows:
- Tiredness
- Body pain
- Fatigue
- Exhaustion
- Skin challenges
- Inability to digest food
- Bloating and gas issues
However, these symptoms do not suggest a chronic autoimmune illness but rather exhibit that currently your defence system senses trouble where none exists. Hence, your defence system becomes your own enemy and ends up harming you.
As a Practitioner, it is important to note that autoimmune diseases can target the following:
- Heart
- Brain
- Nerves
- Muscles
- Skin
- Eyes
- Joints
- Lungs
- Kidneys
- Glands
- Digestive system
- Blood vessels
TYPES OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
In the US, one in every five people has an autoimmune illness.
In part, it is diet-related. The western diet increases the risk of autoimmune diseases; therefore, these diseases are more prevalent in the West than east.
Today, the medical world has recognised more than 80 autoimmune diseases. The list of some of the fatal autoimmune diseases is as follows:
1.
Diseases of the joints and muscles
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus)
2.
Diseases of the digestive tract (from the mouth to anus):
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Ulcerative colitis
3.
Diseases of the endocrine system
- Graves’ disease (Overactive thyroid)
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Underactive thyroid)
- Addison’s disease
4.
Diseases of the Skin
- Dermatomyositis
- Psoriasis
5.
Diseases of the nervous system
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
6.
Other Diseases
- Myasthenia gravis - affects the nervous system
- Autoimmune vasculitis - affects the vascular system
- Type 1 diabetes - affects insulin
- Pernicious anaemia - affects the blood vasculature of the body
- Vasculitis - affects limp, legs and the veins
SYMPTOMS OF AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESS
Autoimmune disorders can affect any part of the body, mostly resulting in inflammation that produces redness, heat, pain and swelling. The sooner an autoimmune disease is detected and brought to the attention of doctors, the better the chances are for reversing some of the damage caused to various organs.
Many autoimmune diseases affect more than one part of the body:
- For joints they cause joint pain, stiffness and loss of function.
- For thyroid they cause weight gain, muscle aches and tiredness.
- For skin they cause rashes, blisters, and colour changes.
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of autoimmune disorder. The disease may manifest itself as weight loss for some patients, or skin rashes for others.
The symptoms of the joints and muscle diseases are as follows:
- Muscle aches and pains
- Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
- Muscle weakness
- Inflammation
The symptoms of digestive tract diseases are as follows:
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Acid reflux
- Nausea
- Food sensitivities
- Blood or mucus in the stool (poop)
The symptoms of the skin diseases are as follows:
- Rashes
- Itching
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
- Inflammation
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
The symptoms of the nervous system diseases are as follows:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Anxiety and depression
- Confusion and difficulty in thinking
- Blurry vision
- Insomnia
- Memory issues
- Migraines
- Lightheadedness
- Numbness and tingling
There could be other diseases as well. Some of their symptoms may be:
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Fever
- Chest pain
- Swollen glands
- Weight gain or loss
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Temperature sensitivity
The symptoms and effects of autoimmune diseases vary from person to person. Being able to recognise these patterns is key to correct diagnosis.
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ITS EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Do you know that your immune system is affected by your emotions?
Candace Pert in her landmark work, “Molecules of emotion” shared how when you have a bad feeling, you put in place a cascade of biochemical triggers in the body that are harmful to the body. But when you reverse your feelings and switch on a positive emotion naturally and organically, you put in place a cascade of neuron chemicals that are more supportive to the body within a millisecond. It is actually that quick.
With the emotional connection, when you are working with yourself or a client with the autoimmune label, the idea is to shift the energy system to being back in balance. It might be a continual process.
When I work with a client with the label autoimmune, I have a very honest conversation with them. My preference is always to use Inner Child Matrix. Inner Child Matrix is not for all. It is practised by certified trainers to create empowering beliefs and a compelling future.
One of the things I noticed with Inner Child Matrix is that it makes a connection with the soul’s energy. What is even more significant is that you reset the past memories and emotions associated with it. Right there, the biochemical reactions (that are more supportive to your body) start to happen.
“Emotions are the glue that holds the cells of the organism together.”
Candace Pert
WHAT CAUSES AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE?
There is no particular cause that results in the malfunctioning of the immune system.
Researchers believe that a combination of genes and environmental factors play a crucial role.
Some factors that make a person more prone to autoimmune are as follows:
- Being female; 78% of people who have an autoimmune disease are women.
- Having parents or first-degree relatives with a history of autoimmune diseases.
- Exposure to toxins
- Having body weight above average or being obese.
- History of contagious infections.
- The practice of smoking, lack of proper nutrition, and an unhealthy lifestyle.
- Certain medications or drugs, such as some blood pressure medications, statins and antibiotics also trigger autoimmune diseases (talk to your doctor before stopping any medication)
Those who already have one autoimmune disease are at a higher risk of developing another. It is important to get examined by a medical practitioner or get a professional medical diagnosis.
HOW TO TREAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES NATURALLY
In order to suppress an overactive immune system, patients who have autoimmune diseases are treated with medication. However, these medications are to be taken with care. A high dose can weaken your immune system and make you susceptible to infections and viruses.
The onset of autoimmune diseases involves the immune system and emotions, so psychotherapy is very helpful. A clinical psychologist ensures proper diagnosis so that patients with autoimmune diseases can recover at the earliest without medication.
Here are some techniques that you can practice regularly to support your immune system naturally:
1.
Maintain a healthy diet
Healthy and restrictive diets are helpful for autoimmune diseases. The idea is to eliminate foods that trigger the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Typically, red meat, dairy products and any drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol are known to trigger systemic inflammation, which aggravates the autoimmune disease.
The idea is to eliminate these foods that trigger the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. You can later introduce them back when they are not triggering any symptoms.
2.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise is a vital part of the self-care and healing process from autoimmune. A pumping heart is paramount in managing an autoimmune condition.
A consistent exercise schedule produces anti-inflammatory compounds namely endorphins and endothelial nitric oxide. It also produces chemicals that enhance your brain function and can give you a feeling of purpose in life when positive physical changes take place.
3.
Connect with your loved ones
Upon detecting an autoimmune condition, do not isolate yourself. Stay in the presence of your loved ones. Love is a crucial element in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The presence of your loved ones allows you to feel safe and secure.
4.
Rest enough, recharge well
Rest days are self-love days. In times of crisis, nothing helps as much as self-love. Carve out time to indulge yourself. Give yourself time to accept the situation at hand and tune in to yourself. Be gentle and loving.
5.
Learn a therapeutic technique like EFT Tapping
Emotional Freedom Techniques is a scientifically proven self-help method to tackle the surface symptoms of an autoimmune condition with ease and balance the body and mind. The effect of EFT treatment is not only quick but also long-lasting. It is, therefore, beneficial to those looking for a long-term treatment plan.
For those wanting to take full responsibility for their treatment plan and willing to change their lifestyle with an alternative therapeutic technique, download the free EFT Tapping booklet below and experience the power of EFT Tapping first-hand.
New to EFT? Learn how Emotional Freedom Technique Tapping heals.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (tapping) is clinically proven to lower stress, tension, anxiety, past-trauma to enable health, happiness and vitality.
STEPS TO TACKLE AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION WITH EFT TAPPING TECHNIQUE
If you are a patient yourself or healing a client, the following is a sample procedure to overcome an autoimmune condition:
Step 1:
Use EFT tapping on what it feels like to have an autoimmune condition
This step involves exploring the physical sensations in the body associated with autoimmune conditions and using the physical tension tapping process to reduce those sensations.
1.
Identify the surface symptoms
Bring into your awareness a time when you felt the symptoms of autoimmune. Explore the physical sensations in the body associated with autoimmune and connect with the surface emotions. The surface symptoms could be:
• Physical
- Tiredness
- Exhaustion
- Pain
- Itchiness
• Mental
- I am so scared it will never go away
- I can’t get off the couch and will this ever go away?
• Emotional
- Anger
- Fear
- Deeper emotions such as isolation, despair and hopelessness
In order to explore surface symptoms, you can also ask yourself the following questions:
- What triggered your condition the most?
- Where in the body did you experience the pain triggered by autoimmune distress?
- What is the colour, texture, size, and shape of the pain triggered by autoimmune distress?
- What are the sensations like? For example, rough or smooth.
2.
Measure using a scale:
Measure the level of autoimmune distress on a scale of 1-10 by asking, "What number is your autoimmune condition at, where 10 is really high and 1 is not high at all."
Just, go with whatever number comes up spontaneously, without thinking too much about it.
3.
Tap on the side of your hand (Karate Chop):
Tap on the Karate Chop using the setup statement, for example:
1. For physical symptoms
“Even though I feel so tired and am totally exhausted, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
“Even though my skin is really itchy, I just cannot sleep and it is so hard, it is very irritating, will it ever go away? Yet, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
2. For mental symptoms
“Even though I can’t get off the couch, I feel mentally dejected, and I wish it would go away, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Or
“Even though it is so unfair, I try to be a better person and just do anything I can, but I cannot really get anything to work, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Repeat this three times.
4.
Tap on the upper body, facial and finger EFT Tapping points:
You can use the same phrase to tap on the facial, upper body, and finger EFT Tapping points:
- Eyebrow: This ..... (incident/event/memory name)
- Side of the Eye: Number ..... (SUDs)
- Under the Eye: So ..... (feeling or sensation)
- Under the Nose: Makes me feel so ..... (feeling or sensation)
- Chin: This ..... (incident/event/memory name)
- Collarbone: It makes me feel so ..... (feeling or sensation)
- Thumb: I just feel so ..... (feeling or sensation)
- Index Finger: In the ..... (location)
- Middle Finger: This ..... (incident/event/memory name)
- Little Finger: So ..... (feeling or sensation)
5.
Close the sequence:
Close the sequence by tapping on the Karate Chop tapping points again and repeating the setup statement,
1. For physical symptoms
“Even though I feel so tired and am totally exhausted, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
“Even though my skin is really itchy, I just cannot sleep and it is so hard, it is very irritating, will it ever go away? Yet, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
2. For mental symptoms
“Even though I can’t get off the couch, I feel mentally dejected, and I wish it would go away, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Or
“Even though it is so unfair, I try to be a better person and just do anything I can, but I cannot really get anything to work, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
6.
Relax:
Gently take a breath in and out. Now take a sip of water.
7.
Test:
At the end of the EFT tapping sequence, ask yourself the following questions to test the original limiting belief:
- What number is the pain at?
- What happens when you think of your condition now?
- How does that memory you discovered make you feel?
You will notice a cognitive shift. If it has reduced to a level that you feel happy with, you can stop. Otherwise, you can repeat this process by going back to Step 1.
Step 2:
Argumentative Tapping
Use argument tapping to clean up any remaining conflict with the belief. These can even be a result of unconscious thoughts that are preventing you from growing.
For example,
- From "Yes, I am a failure" to "No, I am not a failure."
- From "Is this ever going to get better?" to "I deserve to have the life I want.”
Follow the tapping sequence after this.
Step 3:
Close each session with positive tapping
Examples of positive tapping sequences are:
- “Even though I feel so tired and am totally exhausted, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
- “Even though I am in so much pain, will this pain ever go away? I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
- “Even though my skin is really itchy, I just cannot sleep and it is so hard, it is very irritating will it ever go away? I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
- “Even though I feel so depleted, I am not sure I can ever have enough energy, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
- “Even though it is so unfair, I try to be a better person and just do anything I can, but I cannot really get anything to work, I deeply and completely love and accept.”
- “Even though it is really hard, and I am really worried about it, what if I could relax now.”
Step 4:
Imagine the future
A certified practitioner will get you to imagine stepping into the future and notice how things are different when your autoimmune condition is under control. These differences in the present situation and future situation will push you to overcome your fears and live your life with a heart full of love and acceptance.
It is always better to reach out to a certified Practitioner to tackle your autoimmune condition. They know the drill and the techniques to effectively help you eliminate the past root cause, clean up remaining conflict with past traumas and install new beliefs.
HOW TO WORK WITH AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE: EFT PRACTITIONER 101
Autoimmune is nothing but self-harming. As a practitioner, work on memories of the times when they harmed themselves, or when they were harmed. It might be the reason why they are unconsciously commanding their body to harm themselves. Ask them questions like how they feel about safety and protection.
The first step to healing autoimmune diseases is to be compassionate and reconnect with the body. This is because in the label of autoimmune, the body attacks the body and there is a major conflict going on between the body and its capabilities. As a practitioner, it is very important to be gentle and kind with a client who has autoimmune, labels and failures.
1.
The first component of healing an autoimmune disease is the emotional or mental aspect which is where Emotional Freedom Techniques comes in. It is not easy to live with the label of an autoimmune disease; because at some level, the body has failed you or let you down. You are surrounded by uncertainty. The question, "What is going to happen," continues to scare you. Doctors do not have sufficient knowledge about autoimmune disorders either. There are hardly any treatments or cures. The medications taken in to treat autoimmune diseases, unfortunately, dampen the effectiveness of the immune system. The financial drain on someone with an autoimmune disorder is also quite significant as they are trying different treatments and therapies without any positive results. Traditional medicine can no longer help these complicated situations so they turn to alternative therapies and non-conventional ways of treatment that do not take into account suppression of the immune system like energy medicine.
2.
The second component is the biochemical aspect, which includes nutrition. Working on the emotional component definitely impacts the biochemical component because when a negative emotion is reduced and positive emotion is formed, it impacts the biochemistry of the body. In this, diet and nutrition play a very significant role. The body becomes sensitive and clearly tells you what it wants and does not want. It may even pick up the energy with which the food has been made. The food you eat creates the biochemistry that is needed for health and healing.
3.
The third component of healing an autoimmune disorder involves the structure and physicality of the body. This is where exercises like yoga, walking, and Tai Chi play a role. Bear in mind that your clients only engage in movements that feel supportive for their body. Some of the energy yoga exercises are great to rebalance the lymph and immune systems. Breathing works the best for an autoimmune disorder. Take a deep breath through the belly and breathe out through the mouth with a whoosh sound.
Autoimmune disorders cause stiffness in the body. It leads to despair and disappointment, and frailty. As a practitioner, you need to connect with the pain of what they are going through as empathy is the key here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can having emotions like anger and fear lead to autoimmune?
There is so much deeper than these emotions. These emotions are just surface emotions. Whereas autoimmune conditions are majorly caused due to a misalignment with self.
2. Why is it important to do your personal peace before working with a client with autoimmune?
It is very easy to judge yourself as a practitioner because it can be a very frustrating journey of working with someone who has autoimmune. Sometimes, it can feel like no matter what you do, it is not working for them. There are also chances that you may mirror their emotional state. So, while working with clients who have any kind of chronic illness, you must do your own personal peace.
3. How does surrogate tapping help someone with autoimmune?
Surrogate tapping is found to be very powerful when working with someone who has autoimmune. This is because sometimes they are not able to understand well what is going on. After all, they are in so much pain and there is hardly any room for acceptance. They are not yet ready to meet themselves.
4. What could be the alternative to “I love and accept myself”?
Some of the variations you could do are:
- “I am open to the possibility of loving and accepting myself anyway.”
- “Suppose somehow, I could love and accept myself.”
- “What if I could accept where I am now.”
5. A child does not have any negative or suppressed emotions. In fact, they are too young to experience the emotions of an adult. Thus, I do not understand how a little child can have an autoimmune disease.
A child probably has thoughts and emotions, but you are not able to understand them because the child is not able to verbalise what he or she is experiencing.
You can connect directly with the energy system of the child and command the energy system to change it. The next thing you can do is surrogate tapping, but make sure you step out of the child’s body afterwards. Moreover, try to know the emotional state of the person who wants to do the work with the child. This is to know the underlying driver from them to work with the child in mind. If their emotional state is cloudy, it needs to be worked on first.
CONCLUSION
More than 80 autoimmune diseases affect people worldwide.
They often run in families and can affect any part of the body, including the joints, skin and internal organs (kidneys and brain). Use the aforementioned tapping sequence to free yourself of an autoimmune disease.
EFT tapping is not a way to bind yourself into believing false affirmations. It is a technique that complements your efforts in fighting back a condition and winning it over.
You can also learn EFT Tapping professionally and become a qualified EFT practitioner to help yourself and others tackle autoimmune conditions.
Continue to learn and explore!
Love,
Dr Rangana Rupavi Choudhuri (PhD)
P.S. Want to discover if EFT is right for you? Book a Complimentary Discovery call.
How To Self-Heal & Become An EFT Practitioner
Discover how EFT Tapping can help you to self-heal or to become professionally qualified as a Certified EFT Practitioner. Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) is clinically proven to lower stress, tension, anxiety, past trauma to enable health, happiness and vitality.
In summary, the main function of your immune system is to guard your body against foreign invaders. But in an autoimmune condition, your defense system turns faulty and sees trouble where none exists. As a result, your defense system mistakenly ends up attacking the healthy and well-functioning cells of the body. EFT Tapping for autoimmune tunes your body’s energy in a more positive outflow and taps away all the tightness in the body that is stopping you from winning over this disease. Are you ready to live a life filled with health, wealth, and vitality with EFT?
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Disclaimer: The information on this website is purely for educational purposes and does not in any way replace the requirement for medical and psychological diagnosis and treatment. Please do seek professional medical and psychological diagnosis and advice for all medical and mental health conditions. It is advised to always book any consultations with qualified professionals.
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