Health

Living Well With Autoimmune Conditions

Your body attacking itself. Unpredictable flares. The exhaustion that no one sees. Living with an autoimmune condition means managing more than just symptoms—it's the uncertainty, the grief, the invisible struggle. These are stories from people who found Tapping to be part of their healing toolkit.

40% Avg. Stress Reduction
1.8M+ Improved Quality of Life

The Science: How Stress Triggers Autoimmune Flares

Your immune system and nervous system are in constant communication. When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol and inflammatory cytokines—signaling molecules that affect immune function. In healthy systems, this is temporary. But in autoimmune conditions, where the immune system is already dysregulated, chronic stress can tip the balance toward inflammation and flares.

Research has identified several mechanisms. Stress hormones can increase intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"), allowing particles into the bloodstream that trigger immune responses. Stress reduces regulatory T-cells, which normally keep the immune system from attacking the body's own tissues. Stress also disrupts sleep, and poor sleep further dysregulates immune function. The result is a stress-immune feedback loop that's particularly damaging for autoimmune patients.

Tapping addresses this by reducing cortisol (studies show 24-43% reductions) and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This shifts the body out of the inflammatory state and toward regulation. It's not about thinking your way to health—it's about giving your immune system the neurological environment where it's less likely to overreact. Many rheumatologists now acknowledge that stress management is part of autoimmune treatment, not just a nice-to-have.

Complement, not replacement: Tapping works alongside medical treatment, not instead of it. Many people use Tapping to manage the stress and emotional burden of their condition while continuing to work with their healthcare team.

Real Results

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Elaine

Debilitating fibromyalgia -> Reclaiming life

"In 2004 I was in a car accident which triggered VERY DEBILITATING fibromyalgia. It was hell and I refused to believe that I just had to 'learn to live with it.' My business goals, dreams, income, health, relationships and credit... ALL crumbled, shattered and pulverized."

Elaine's journey was long and difficult. She was self-employed and couldn't collect unemployment or disability. For 8 years she focused on trying to get well so she could earn money again.

"I am so happy and grateful to have a life again. I did get well and now hope to be able to work again so I can have income again. I have been successfully using EFT for PTSD. Fifty years of feeling unloved and unwanted by my mother and her abuse took a big toll on my body and spirit."

Elaine discovered that Tapping helped her not just with the physical symptoms of fibromyalgia, but with the underlying emotional trauma that had contributed to her condition.

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Severine

Long COVID / ME/CFS -> Finding support for healing

"I have been using your Tapping app since October 2024 and it has supported me a lot on my healing journey. I am in the process of recovering from Long COVID, ME/CFS. And your app is a huge help on this journey."

Severine, writing from Germany, discovered that Tapping works alongside other approaches for chronic illness recovery. She also uses the Gupta program, noticing parallels between brain retraining and EFT.

"The basis of the Gupta program is relaxing the nervous system with meditations and retraining the brain, especially the amygdala. Every time I use the program I am reminded of the parallels to EFT. There are so many people with this condition and many don't know that EFT is also very helpful in this case."
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Mike

Wife's fibromyalgia with MS symptoms -> Finding inner peace

"After the birth of our second daughter nine years ago, my wife started getting migraine headaches and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and migraine headaches with MS symptoms. She was put on heavy doses of medication. The result was her total loss of libido. Our marriage went downhill."

Mike, a trained counselor with 30 years of experience, searched everywhere for help. He researched all the top relationship gurus and psychological research. Nothing helped—until Tapping.

"Since the conference, I use Tapping daily and have begun restoring my own self confidence and emotional state. Today I saw my PCP and told him about Tapping. He was interested in learning more."

Mike's experience shows that autoimmune conditions affect not just the person diagnosed, but their entire family. Tapping became his tool for managing the stress of caregiving.

Working With Autoimmune Conditions

Daily stress management: Consistent Tapping may help prevent stress-triggered flares better than crisis intervention.

During flares: Tap on symptoms, frustration, fear of progression. Don't try to "tap away" the illness, just ease what you can.

Emotional processing: Grief, anger, fear about your condition all deserve attention. These feelings don't help healing, but suppressing them doesn't either.

Support Your Autoimmune Journey

Dr. Kim D'Eramo's specialized collection for autoimmune support.

Introduction to Autoimmune Support Week 1: Honoring Emotions Beneath Symptoms Week 2: Connecting with Your Body Week 3: Opening Up to What's Possible Nightly Restorative Sleep
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can Tapping help with autoimmune conditions?

Tapping can help manage the stress component of autoimmune conditions. Research shows stress can trigger flares by increasing inflammatory cytokines, reducing regulatory T-cells, and disrupting immune function. By reducing cortisol (24-43% in studies), Tapping helps create a calmer physiological environment that may reduce flare frequency and severity. It works alongside medical treatment, not instead of it.

Q: How does stress affect autoimmune disease?

Stress triggers the release of cortisol and inflammatory cytokines that affect immune function. In autoimmune conditions where the immune system is already dysregulated, chronic stress can tip the balance toward inflammation and flares. Stress also increases intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"), reduces regulatory T-cells, and disrupts sleep—all of which worsen autoimmune symptoms.

Q: What autoimmune conditions can Tapping help with?

People use Tapping for many autoimmune conditions including fibromyalgia, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, long COVID/ME/CFS, and others. The technique addresses the stress-immune connection rather than the specific disease, so it can complement treatment for any condition where stress affects symptoms.

Q: Should I stop my medication and just tap?

No. Tapping works alongside medical treatment, not instead of it. Many people use Tapping to manage the stress and emotional burden of their condition while continuing to work with their healthcare team. Some rheumatologists now acknowledge that stress management is part of autoimmune treatment, not just a nice-to-have.

Results Hub All results Chronic Illness Living with conditions Fibromyalgia Related conditions Stress Flare trigger

Important Notice: The Tapping Solution App is intended for general wellness purposes, including stress management and emotional wellness support. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. If you have been diagnosed with a medical or mental health condition, please consult with your healthcare provider. This app is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.