With celiac disease food truly is medicine- as it should be for everyone. Unfortunately most of our mainstream foods are laced with gluten and other potentially irritating additives.
At present, the only available treatment for celiac disease is to maintain a strict gluten free diet. In our world of everything has gluten in it, this is a difficult standard to uphold. Even those with super “Type A” personalities are not exempt from getting glutened themselves.
“Women with celiac disease — an autoimmune disorder associated with a negative reaction to eating gluten — are more likely than the general population to report symptoms of depression and disordered eating, even when they adhere to a gluten-free diet” ~according to researchers at Penn State, Syracuse University and Drexel University.
The quandary of celiac disease
In order to live a normal life, one must eat all of the time. Much to the celiac’s dismay, eating is also considered a social event. When we are talking about even simple exposure to crumbs, celiac disease is akin to walking a tightrope. Eating in restaurants, at friends homes and potlucks can be wildly risky and anxiety provoking events.
If a woman is social in any way with celiac disease she has limited choices- don’t eat, bring her own food or roll the dice and risk getting severely ill. All of these choices have social ramifications.
This situation would give anyone a pressing need for control over food. Having to live with celiac disease and these choices involves many diet control issues. This just comes naturally with the territory. Because of these lifestyle issues, women can find themselves isolated with this autoimmune disease.
People with celiac disease may be heard saying:
- I don’t want to be bothersome
- I feel like a difficult house guest
- I feel burdensome on a host or hostess
- My condition is discounted
- If I could just simply eat…
The repercussions of tainted foods are ghastly and poisonous. Who would choose to make themselves feel ill on a regular basis- no one truly. Having nausea/ vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation, bloating and no appetite hardly makes that dicey meal you chose to eat worthwhile.
Researchers go on to say, “It is easy to see how people who are not managing their disease well can frequently feel unwell and, therefore, be more stressed and have higher rates of depression,” said Josh Smyth, professor of biobehavioral health and medicine, Penn State, “But researchers had not carefully looked at whether people who are effectively managing celiac disease exhibit a greater risk for such difficulties.”