Autoimmune Disorder Symptoms

Autoimmune Disease Symptom Support with Jenna Burton, LMHC (Licensed in FL, DE, OH, KS, SC, TX & VT)

The immune and nervous systems work in parallel to protect the body from harm. Chronic stress, trauma, and ongoing psychological strain can disrupt this balance, sometimes triggering inflammation and autoimmune responses. When the immune system overreacts, it can attack healthy cells, causing persistent inflammation and contributing to autoimmune disease symptoms.

The Mind-Body Connection

Person wearing a gray shirt with arm tattoo, holding their arm with the other hand, showing redness or irritation.

Common symptoms

While there are over 90 recognized autoimmune diseases, many share overlapping symptoms:

  • Joints & Muscles: pain, stiffness, swelling, inflammation

  • Digestive tract: bloating, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, acid reflux

  • Skin & Hair: rashes, itching, dry eyes/skin, hair loss

  • Nervous System: anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, brain fog, blurry vision

List of Autoimmune Diseases
Close-up of a woman with dark hair and makeup, covering part of her face with her hand that has painted nails and a red nail art design

Triggers & Risk Factors

Autoimmune disorders arise from a combination of genetic, environmental, and physiological factors. While genetics set the stage, many external and internal triggers influence when or how symptoms appear or flare.

Ongoing exposure to these triggers can keep the body in hypervigilance, leading to inflammation, symptom flare-ups, and emotional strain. By identifying and addressing these factors alongside therapeutic approaches like EMDR, individuals can better support regulation of both nervous and immune systems.

Schedule A Call

Key triggers include:

  • Chronic stress, unresolved trauma, major illness, accidents, or loss. Prolonged high-alert states can dysregulate the nervous system and immune function.

  • Viral or bacterial exposures can provoke the immune system and sometimes trigger autoimmune activity.

  • Environmental chemicals, pollutants, heavy metals, and certain additives in food or water may increase systemic inflammation.

  • Highly processed, inflammatory foods, gut dysbiosis, or leaky gut can contribute to chronic inflammation.

  • Pregnancy, labor/delivery, postpartum shifts, perimenopause, and menopause can trigger or exacerbate autoimmune responses.

  • Surgery, injury, or significant physical stress can influence immune system activity.

  • A family history of autoimmune disease increases susceptibility, though expression depends on triggers and lifestyle factors.

A woman and a young girl walk hand in hand along a sandy beach at the water's edge during daytime with an overcast sky.

Frequently Asked Questions: Autoimmune Disorder Symptoms

  • Yes. Chronic stress and unresolved trauma keep the nervous system in a prolonged state of activation, which can contribute to inflammation and worsen autoimmune symptoms over time. While therapy is not a substitute for medical treatment, addressing the nervous system's stress response can be a meaningful part of supporting overall health alongside care from your physician or specialist.

  • EMDR works directly with the nervous system, not just thoughts and emotions. Many people living with autoimmune conditions carry chronic stress, grief, or trauma related to their diagnosis, symptom flares, or feeling unheard by the medical system — even if they don't initially identify these as "emotional" issues. Processing these experiences can reduce the overall burden on the nervous system, which may help with stress-related symptom flares.

  • No. EMDR therapy and other forms of psychotherapy are not a substitute for medical care. They work alongside your treatment plan, focusing on the emotional and nervous system impact of living with a chronic condition — including diagnosis-related grief, medical trauma, and chronic stress. Any changes to medical treatment should always be made in consultation with your physician.

Addressing both your physical and mental health is essential for managing autoimmune disorders.

Effective strategies include:

  • EMDR Therapy: supports mind-body regulation, reduces chronic stress, and can help stabilize inflammatory responses

  • Healthy Lifestyle Practices: balanced nutrition, movement, sleep hygiene

  • Integrated Care: collaboration with healthcare and wellness providers for medications, therapies, and physical health guidance

  • Stress Management: mindfulness, coping strategies, and emotional regulation to reduce symptom flare-ups

EMDR and other therapeutic interventions help restore regulation in the nervous system, supporting both mental well-being and immune function.

Learn More About EMDR Therapy