“I have a new diagnosis. Now what?” A functional medicine approach

Receiving a new diagnosis is overwhelming. On the one hand, we may experience relief because we have finally found the “answer”. Yet on the other hand, there can be so much sadness and anxiety around a new diagnosis. This could be rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, PCOS, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, a mood disorder… The list goes on.

Conventional medicine may recommend a very strong medication to manage symptoms – maybe to suppress our immune system, stop natural hormone fluctuations, or reduce stomach acid. In some cases, we’re told there’s “nothing else we can do”! These options take our power away and make us feel hopeless. While medication may be helpful, there is always something more that you can do as well.

I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and took several strong, injectable medications for the majority of my life because I thought that was my only option. It wasn’t until much later that I realized how much our diet and lifestyle influence chronic illness. And that there were many things I could do (and have done) that have led to me no longer needing those medications and feeling great!

So, is there another way to think about a new diagnosis? Functional medicine says yes. Here’s how we approach a new diagnosis.

Acknowledge the Emotions

As we know, receiving the diagnosis can be overwhelming and full of emotions. There will be no “one size fits all” solution to our situation – and everyone reacts differently. Please know that whatever feelings come up for you, they are reasonable and to be worked through, not pushed down. 

We also may feel an urgency to get back to “normal” or being symptom free. Be patient with yourself and your body as you work through these emotions. Often, slowing down and listening can help a whole lot.

Back to the Basics

We see chronic symptoms and/or a new diagnosis as signals that our body needs support. Our body’s default is health – but in our modern world, it’s quite difficult to maintain. What is your body trying to tell you? What might have triggered this? Were there signals before your diagnosis? What were they? 

Was the stress level too high for your body to cope well, were you staying up too late and working too much? Was there a recent illness, accident or death in the family?

Then we think about what these recent events might have meant for our body and how it’s trying to talk to us now.

Give Yourself Time

We generally don’t come to a chronic illness overnight - it took a while to get there. Inflammation or chronic illness has been developing under the surface. Conventional medicine usually ignores test results until they’re well out of range when the disease has already formed (as opposed to functional medicine, which focuses on prevention or catching things early.) 

With this in mind, we may not return to “normal” right away, or live a completely symptom-free life as soon as we’d like. It likely took us a while to get to this place so it can take some time for things to reverse or improve as well. But it is so worth it! 

The “quick fix” of medication is often more of a bandaid than an actual solution to the underlying root cause of our problem. The focus on functional medicine is about actually correcting the problem at the source so we can resolve it once and for all.

You are NOT your Diagnosis!

Please remember not to identify with your diagnosis as part of who you are. You are not a sick person! You are a person working through an illness. I have seen many patients cling to their diagnosis because finally, they have answers… but be careful. Following every Facebook group for people with that same diagnosis tends to lead us to think we are our diagnosis. 

And you are so much more! Your diagnosis might be part of your life right now and something you will learn and grow from if you let it. But it is not who you are. You are an amazing person with gifts and talents, unlike any other person on this planet. You have a big purpose and we cannot let a diagnosis take you off course!

Reach out for help

There is no need to navigate a new diagnosis alone. Just because we are given this diagnosis or strong medication, does not mean there aren’t options. In functional medicine, we believe there is always something we can do. There is always something in our power to improve the situation. We look at the entire medical timeline and how the body ended up in the state that it’s in. Then we make adjustments accordingly. 

No matter your diagnosis, we can help you understand and move forward. We offer a different perspective, where there are always things we can do. 

If you were handed test results you don’t understand, a new diagnosis, or new medications, reach out! I will take the time to explain them to you and discuss your options. You are not alone here, and your body is always working towards health. You are more powerful than you know!