Welcome to the Phoenix Helix podcast dedicated to maximizing autoimmune health through the paleo diet and lifestyle.

While there is no cure for autoimmune disease, the choices we make every day can have a powerful impact on how we feel.

I'm Eileen Laird, your host from PhoenixHelix.com, and I reduced my rheumatoid arthritis pain by 95% which took me from a life of excruciating

pain and disability back to a full and beautiful life. A short disclaimer, I'm neither a doctor

nor a nutritionist and the opinions expressed here are personal. Always consult with your

health care team before making medical decisions. Now let's get

on to the show. Welcome to episode 106. Our topic today is victimhood versus empowerment. First of all, let me say that this episode is not about making anyone feel bad about themselves. Sometimes we view life in black and white terms, that there are people in the world who play the victim and others who overcome.

And we obviously hope we're in the latter category.

But here's the thing. It's not that simple. This is part of being human. We all find ourselves in victim mode once in a while, especially when life is hard.

And there is a time and place for throwing

ourselves a pity party. The key is not getting stuck in that pattern, and so that's our

conversation today. How do I identify signs that we are in a victim mindset, and how can we shift

to feeling empowered, strong, and hopeful again? My guest today is Sarah Coleman. She wrote an article

on this topic for the website, Autoimmune Wellness. I loved it when I read it, so I reached out to her

and asked if we could expand it into a longer conversation, and she said yes. Sarah has a health

coaching practice that focuses on psycho-neuroimmunology, the science of how

our thoughts and emotions affect immune and autoimmune health. She has a master's degree in

contemplative psychotherapy, a bachelor's degree in nursing, and is a certified AIP coach as well.

Welcome to the show, Sarah. Thanks so much, Eileen. I'm happy to be here.

I'm very excited for this conversation. But before we dive into our interview, I want to give a

shout out to our podcast sponsor, Luminant Skin Care. They are a wonderful paleo skin care

company. Their products are natural, organic, wildcrafted, non-GMO, and

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