Relapse and Recovery: What Graves’ Disease Taught Me About Resilience

Number 3 In A Series. 

Stages of Recovery

We left off last week talking about how I’d found myself at rock bottom at the age of 25. Because of some poor coping skills, I was extremely unhealthy and had lost a job I worked really hard to earn. 

My recovery was slow. I was young and clueless, and I had to learn everything the hard way. But slowly I learned how to take care of myself. The biggest lessons I took from that time are that gaining some sort of stability and nurturing respect for your mind and body are non-negotiables. 

Instability is a huge trigger of stress, disordered eating and autoimmune issues. Unfortunately it’s not always something we can prevent. Major life changes such as losing a job, losing a loved one, getting married, getting divorced, moving, etc… all have the capacity to wreak havoc on our body, mind and spirit.  

But if you can try to build some sort of self care routine into your day, no matter how small, it will help you pull yourself out of the tailspin. When it came to respecting my body, this manifested itself in several different ways. I ate better, drank less alcohol, exercised more, and most importantly: I started going to therapy. This targeted approach helped me achieve an astounding transformation. My quality of life, my emotional intelligence, and my relationships with the people around me improved.

I think it’s really important for me to state here that I’m just letting you know what helped me. I’m not trying to tell anybody else what they should do, and I understand that there are barriers in life that sometimes make these tools unavailable. And maybe some of them don’t even apply to what you’re going through. But if you ever find yourself in a jam, I would advise you to focus on getting to a point of stability, whatever that looks like for you, and to respect your mind and body, because if you don’t, it is hard to prioritize making good decisions for yourself.

The tools I learned during that decade + of recovery ended up being extremely valuable the next time I found myself in a place of uncertainty and instability. At least I can say that this next chapter wasn’t a disaster of my own making, and I certainly wasn’t alone going through it.

History Repeating

When the pandemic hit, my health took another nosedive. After years of careful management and building a healthier relationship with food, I found myself back in a frighteningly familiar place. We’ll have to add “Pandemic” to the list of major life events that can trigger instability and wreak havoc on your life.

I was formally diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2021. The stress of almost losing my business during the pandemic and the prolonged period of isolation took its toll. Looking back at my collapse in my 20s, the symptoms were strikingly similar—the inability to stay upright, the complete exhaustion, the body that simply refused to cooperate despite my determination.

The difference this time? I had already walked this path before. I had already learned what it takes to rebuild.

The Lessons of Relapse

The good news was that I had already learned so much the first time my health collapsed, and I made a much faster recovery. My previous journey had given me tools I didn’t have before:

1. Knowledge of my body’s signals—I could recognize warning signs earlier

2. A toolkit of techniquesthat had worked previously 

3. The certainty that recovery was possible—perhaps the most powerful tool of all

Beyond the Individual Struggle

My journey has taught me that our relationship with food isn’t just about nutrition—it’s about how we care for ourselves in the deepest sense. It’s about whether we believe we deserve to feel good, to take up space, to nourish ourselves properly.

When I’m working with clients now, I can see how their relationship with food reflects their relationship with themselves. And that’s why simply providing recipes isn’t enough.

Alchemical Transformation

Alchemists always kept their work shrouded in mystery, but I’m a fan of open sourcing. Through sharing recipes, cooking tips, life hacks and my personal story, I hope to help you find your way.

Transformation isn’t about finding the philosopher’s stone—that magical element that turns lead into gold. It’s about the process itself: the daily practice, the small choices, the gradual rebuilding of trust between you and your body. Even if it takes years, it’s worth it.

Your health and happiness are the most important things you can hold onto in this lifetime. They are worth more than gold, and they’re worth fighting for—even when you have to fight more than once.