However, the only person who truly understands your experience is you.

YOUR Unique Experience

Living with a thyroid condition is a unique experience, and one that is different for everyone. While others who also have a thyroid condition may be able to relate to some of your struggles, your experience is still unique to you.

It is important to remember that your pain and struggles are valid, even if others do not fully understand or validate them.

The Challenge of Invisible Illness

One of the challenges of living with a thyroid condition is that it is often an invisible illness. This means that others may not be able to see or feel the effects of your condition, which can make it difficult for them to understand or relate.

It is important to recognize that unless someone has a chronic or invisible illness themselves, it may be impossible for them to truly understand your experience.

Acceptance and Validation

While it can be frustrating to feel as though others do not understand your experience, it is important to remember that you do not need their validation. Your experience is valid regardless of whether others understand it or not. It is important to focus on acceptance rather than validation, and to surround yourself with people who are willing to learn and understand.

You can join My FREE Facebook Support Group Here

Setting Boundaries

It is important to recognize that not everyone will be able to fully understand or relate to your experience. It is okay to set boundaries. You can conserve your energy by not wasting it on people who are not willing or able to understand. It is also important to seek out support from those who do understand, such as fellow thyroid patients in online support groups.

Share Your Experiences

If you struggle with feeling misunderstood or invalidated, it can be helpful to share your experiences with others who can relate. If you have people in your life who are willing to learn and understand, you can direct them to resources such as articles and books that provide information about thyroid conditions.

We Stand together…

Living with invisible illness in the form of a thyroid condition can be challenging, but it is important to remember that your experience is valid and unique.

It can be frustrating when others do not fully understand your experience, but focus on self acceptance rather than validation. 

Seek out support from those who do understand, and set boundaries with those who do not.

You can join My FREE Facebook Support Group Here

My FREE guide to feeling better with HYPoTHYROIDISM {with Thyroid-Friendly Recipes}

The influence of diet on Hypothyroidism & Hashimotos cannot be understated. It’s not about a quick fix; it’s a sustainable lifestyle change to support your body and reduce the autoimmune response causing harm to your thyroid.

To help you get a jumpstart on this lifestyle I have made a free guide containing more detailed information and a collection of recipes specially designed for Thyroid health

This resource aims to empower you with knowledge and practical steps to balance your diet, assisting in the management of Hashimoto’s symptoms. 

Download your copy by clicking the button below

Remember, working alongside any medication, these diet and lifestyle adjustments can make a significant difference in your well-being.

Recovering from thyroid surgery involves navigating unexpected challenges. Some of these aren’t thoroughly discussed pre-operation.

One of the less talked about aspects is the delicate balance of medication afterwards. Finding the right dosage can be a trial and error process, and it has a profound impact on emotional well-being.

I’ve experienced firsthand how fluctuations in medication can bring on intense feelings of depression. It can catch you off guard, leaving you feeling incredibly low.

I want to share this because it’s important to recognise that these tough emotional experiences may be tied to your medication levels rather than your personal circumstances.

But with time and patience in fine-tuning your medication, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Mental Crash After My Thyroidectomy

When I had my total Thyroidectomy in 2017 my surgeon breezed happily through the “it’s just a little pill you take every day” speech.

He started me on 75mcg of Levothyroxine which I now know was way too low for me.

In the weeks after my Thyroid was removed my own thyroid hormones slowly left my body, leaving me reliant on this low dose. 

Slowly my mood dropped lower and lower. As someone who wasn’t a depression sufferer before, this was extremely worrying and frightening. 

Thankfully I somehow knew the terrible feelings weren’t “really me” but instead were related to the low dose.

That helped me to hold on…

I fully admit that on the worst days I truly didn’t want to be around any more. 

My fear

It frightens me that some people may be going though this without knowing that the depression can be fixed by a simple med adjustment.  

I worry that there may be deaths connected to this.

I have also heard from a nurse that they watch out for sulcldal feelings when people have to withdraw from their medication before going through Radioactive Iodine treatment.

So the medical establishment know this can happen but don’t warn Thyroidectomy patients about it.

The same serious mental health issues can happen with hypothyroidism too but Doctors rarely mention it.

Know you will feel better

So, I want to offer a word of encouragement. If you find yourself in a similar state, where each day feels heavier than the last, remember that adjustments can, and will, make a difference.

Finding that therapeutic ‘sweet spot’ for your medication is not just hopeful thinking; it’s a realistic goal.

With the right levels, not only does physical health improve, but so does emotional health.

Remember – You CAN get back to great mental health

You can buy your own full and accurate thyroid test to do at home. Its quick and easy to do and you get Doctors feedback which you can then follow up with your own Doctor.

I use Lets Get Checked for my at home Thyroid tests and you can find out more details about them here
Use code THYROIDCOACHHELEN25 to get 25% off your test kit

If you are worried about your mental health a full Thyroid test could be the first step to feeling well again.

Let’s start a conversation and spread awareness about  the connection between Thyroid health and mental health