New YouTube Video! Stress, Autoimmune Disease, and Inflammation: Why Stress Management Matters
- Dr. Ingela Thuné-Boyle
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Can stress really affect inflammation? And if you live with an autoimmune or inflammatory condition, could managing stress actually help you manage your illness more effectively? In my latest video, I explore the often-overlooked relationship between stress, inflammation, and autoimmune disease.
Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis involve genuine immune dysfunction and inflammation, and appropriate medical treatment is an essential part of managing them - but the immune system doesn't operate in isolation. It is closely connected to the nervous and hormonal systems, which means that psychological stress can have very real physiological effects.
When we experience ongoing stress, the body activates its stress response. Heart rate, hormones, nervous system activity, and immune function can all change. In the short term, this response is protective, but when stress becomes prolonged, the body's regulatory systems can become disrupted.
Research suggests that chronic psychological stress can influence inflammatory and immune processes and, in some conditions, may contribute to increased disease activity and flare-ups. Stress may also affect how we experience symptoms such as pain and fatigue, while prolonged stress can interfere with sleep, recovery, and our ability to cope with the demands of living with a chronic condition.
This is one reason why stress management is more than simply trying to feel calmer. Learning how to regulate your stress response, develop effective coping strategies, build resilience, and create adequate opportunities for rest and recovery may help reduce some of the additional burden placed on the body. Approaches such as mindfulness, gentle physical activity where appropriate, social support, adequate rest, and developing adaptive coping skills can all form part of this process.
Of course, stress management isn't a replacement for medical treatment, but alongside appropriate medical care, it can be another way of supporting your overall health and helping you manage the challenges of chronic illness more effectively.
If you live with an autoimmune or inflammatory condition, understanding the relationship between stress and your body may give you another area where you can develop practical skills and have some influence over your wellbeing and illness management.
Watch the video below. 👇
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Dr. Ingela Thuné-Boyle provides specialized online coaching for adults living with chronic illness, chronic pain, persistent physical symptoms, and mind-body syndromes. She helps people better understand their symptoms, develop effective self-management skills, and improve their quality of life. A UK Chartered & Practitioner Health Psychologist (HCPC) and Doctor in Behavioural Medicine with over 25 years of experience, she brings an evidence-based understanding of the psychological, behavioural, and physiological factors that influence health and wellbeing to her coaching. Learn more about her background [here] and her coaching approach [here].
📩 Contact: For coaching or other enquiries, you can contact her at info@ingelathuneboyle.com.
Please note: Advice given in this blog is not meant to take the place of coaching, therapy or any other professional advice. The opinions and views offered by the author is not intended to treat or diagnose, nor is it intended to replace the treatment and care that you may be receiving from a licensed physician or mental health provider. The author is not responsible for the outcome or results following their information and advice on this blog.
