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#CouldItBeCeliac
A teenager’s perspective: Feeling isolated with celiac disease?
#CouldItBeCeliac
My name is Sophia and I am a teenager living with Celiac Disease. To me, self-care and self-love are important for a healthy mind and body, especially since being diagnosed with celiac disease. My condition sometimes makes me feel isolated and school closures prompted by COVID-19 exacerbated those emotions. I was excited to have new experiences in my first year of high school. What followed was quite the opposite; I could not see my friends or even sing at school in my music theatre class.
— Sophia
I felt tired and unmotivated. This made my cravings for gluten and sugary sweets worse. But self-care techniques helped me to cope. I began walking regularly with my sister for my physical well-being. The fresh air and intimate conversations helped to clear my head. I also created a 2021 vision board filled with my dreams and goals that gave me a positive mindset. Reading fiction relaxes both my mind and body. It takes me to a safe place where I don’t have to worry about what I can and cannot eat. Watching a TV show that makes me laugh takes my mind off worries and is also a wonderful way to de-stress.
One of my teachers taught me that yoga and meditation are a way to liberate the mind and think of personal growth. When I do a five-minute meditation, I feel awareness and wholeness in my body. It is something I look forward to each morning. Stepping into this new part of my life with self-care techniques is comforting. I feel more in control of my thoughts and emotions. I enjoy spending time at home now taking care of my mental and physical health.
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