The One Resource I Wish I'd Had...
I was diagnosed with idiopathic gastroparesis in 2004. I spent many years afterward totally consumed with fear and overwhelm. I was absolutely desperate to find a cure because I really thought that was the only way I'd ever be okay. I didn't think I could live -- certainly not live WELL -- with gastroparesis.
Once I became a health coach, I realized I could indeed live and even live WELL with gastroparesis. I was physically healthier and had a better grip on my well-being, but it was a white-knuckle grip. I still wasn't free of the fear and overthinking. I remember literally crying in the middle of the grocery store because my head was swirling with so many thoughts about what I should eat, what I wanted to eat, what I'd never eat again... I was doing okay but it just felt so hard.
As I've discussed before, my entire experience of gastroparesis has changed since then. Completely separate from my physical symptoms, my day to day experience of gastroparesis is totally different. It doesn't feel hard anymore. I'm not consumed with fear or worry or thinking about what I should and shouldn't be doing. I'm not crying in the grocery store or lamenting each passing birthday as another year with the condition.
I have found so much freedom and so much ease in the midst of still having gastroparesis and it has nothing to do with a medication or a management plan. It's all due to what I learned from Dr. Amy Johnson and what she teaches in her program, The Little School of Big Change. I can't imagine how different my experience would've been if I'd had this 16 year ago.
I've talked about The Little School of Big Change here in the past but I keep seeing how this understanding is changing lives and I feel compelled to continue sharing about it. I really believe that this has the potential to alleviate so much suffering in our community.
The Little School of Big Change is based on the understanding that we experience our life from the inside out, rather than the outside in. That we don't feel our circumstances or our diagnoses, we feel our thinking about our circumstances and our diagnoses. That sounds simple but what it means for those of us struggling with gastroparesis is profound. It opens up the possibility for a completely different experience that isn't dependent on figuring out how to get rid of gastroparesis or finding the perfect diet, practitioner, or medication.
My plate is totally full right now and I don't have the bandwidth to create resources specific to gastroparesis from this perspective. But honestly, The Little School of Big Change does such an amazing job, I'm not sure it's necessary. I do hope to be able to offer some more coaching around this in the future but for now, this is the best, most thorough resource I can recommend for those who are looking to alleviate the suffering.
Live sessions of The Little School of Big Change are offered twice a year. A self-study version is also available at any time. There's much more information about the program itself on the program page but if you have questions, please send me an email at lwwgp@crystalsaltrelli.com and I will do my best to answer it for you.
And if The Little School of Big Change isn't for you right now, no worries! Here are some other resources that I recommend as an introduction to the "inside out" understanding taught in the program and discussed in my recent YouTube videos:
- Alleviating the Emotional Suffering (Post)
- The Inside Out Revolution (Book)
- Painless (Book)
- Changeable (Podcast - start with Episode 1!)
Note: some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that if you click those links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products that I have invested my own money in and believe to offer great value. I don't provide affiliate links for anything that I wouldn't share without an affiliate link. That said, the income from affiliate links does allow me to continue creating free content here and on my YouTube channel so I appreciate anytime you use one.