Breaking the Stigma: Caitlin Edahl on Hashimoto's, Graves, and Embracing Self-Care

In this episode of The Sick Gaze, Caitlin Edahl shares her journey of living with Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease and how it’s reshaped her understanding of health and self-care. Caitlin reflects on how when she was growing up, she internalized societal stigmas around needing help and viewed illness as something that happened to “other” people. Growing up with a home-remedy, Christian background where conversations about sickness weren't common and the belief in self-reliance was deeply rooted, she found herself hesitant to acknowledge her own health challenges. Since her recent diagnosis of these two conditions, she’s had to navigate the emotional weight of challenging stigmas and learning to prioritize her needs.

Caitlin talks about the physical and mental health effects of her conditions, from managing panic attacks to working through feelings of being a burden. She opens up about the journey of embracing herself as she is—food accommodations, medications, and all—and unlearning the idea that speaking up about her health means being “too much.”

This is a warm, thoughtful conversation about breaking free from internalized shame, embracing your truth, and finding strength in the process of healing.

Take care of your spoons!
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