11/02/2026
AUTOIMMUNITY DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN.
I want to share a recent case because it illustrates something extremely important.
A 35-year-old businesswoman came to see me with thyroid nodules. She was mildly hypothyroid, but there were no significant autoimmune markers at the time. No major red flags.
She was stressed. Overworking. Pushing hard.
But functioning.
We continued treatment and monitored her labs.
Then something shifted.
Her ANA levels came back elevated. For those who don’t know, ANA (antinuclear antibodies) are often a marker that the immune system is beginning to turn against the body — an autoimmune signal.
So I asked myself: what changed?
When we revisited her case history more deeply, it became clear.
Her stress had escalated.
Relationship conflict intensified.
She felt boxed in.
Overwhelmed.
Anxious.
Unable to express her frustration or hurt.
She internalised it.
And that emotional pressure had nowhere to go.
That is when the autoimmune “switch” flipped.
This is something I see repeatedly in clinical practice.
When emotions are suppressed — anger, resentment, grief, powerlessness — the body often manifests what the psyche cannot express.
Autoimmunity is, in many cases, the body attacking itself because it feels unsafe, overwhelmed, or unable to cope.
This does not mean emotions are the only cause. But they are often a powerful trigger.
Your nervous system and immune system are deeply connected. Chronic emotional stress dysregulates the autonomic nervous system, shifts cortisol patterns, and alters immune signalling.
The thyroid is particularly sensitive to this.
If you are dealing with thyroid nodules, Hashimoto’s, or unexplained autoimmune markers, please do not ignore your emotional state.
Ask yourself:
• What am I not expressing?
• Where do I feel trapped?
• What resentment am I carrying?
• What am I afraid to say?
Journal it.
Speak to a therapist.
Have the difficult conversation.
Cry.
Release.
Healing is not only biochemical. It is emotional.
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