THE SILENT TRIGGER: HOW STRESS AND INFLAMMATION IMPACT ITP

If you’re living with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), you’ve probably been told your condition is “random” or “idiopathic.”

But what if it’s not as random as we think?

There is a powerful — and often overlooked — connection between stress, inflammation, and autoimmune disease. And for many ITP warriors, understanding this link can change everything.

Because the chain reaction looks like this:

Chronic Stress → Chronic Inflammation → Immune Dysregulation → Platelet Destruction

And that chain reaction matters.

My ITP Wasn’t Random

Before I understood this connection, I thought my ITP came out of nowhere.

But it didn’t.

My diagnosis followed one of the most emotionally toxic, high-stress seasons of my life. At the time, I didn’t connect the dots. I didn’t understand how deeply emotional stress could inflame the body and dysregulate the immune system.

Now I do.

And I wish someone had explained this to me sooner.

Why Inflammation Should Matter to Every ITP Warrior

Inflammation is not always bad.

Short-term inflammation helps us:

Fight infection
Heal injury
Destroy pathogens

But when inflammation becomes chronic — from ongoing stress, poor diet, toxins, or unresolved trauma, — it stops protecting and starts damaging.

Chronic inflammation has been linked to:

Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes complications
Neurological disorders
Metabolic dysfunction
Cancer
Autoimmune disease

Including immune-mediated platelet destruction.

When inflammation doesn’t resolve, the immune system can become confused, reactive, and destructive.

For ITP warriors, this is critical.

What Stress Actually Does Inside the Body

Your nervous system has two primary modes:

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) — “Fight or Flight”

Releases cortisol
Raises heart rate and blood pressure
Diverts energy away from digestion and repair

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) — “Rest and Digest”

Repairs
Regulates
Restores

Most of us are living in fight-or-flight mode far more than we realize.

Maybe you’ve felt it too.

Your body never quite settles.
Even when you sit down, your mind keeps racing.

When this state becomes chronic, inflammation rises.

Cortisol: Helpful… Until It Isn’t

Cortisol is not the enemy. In healthy rhythms, it:

Peaks in the morning
Gradually declines throughout the day
Helps regulate immune activity
Acts as a natural anti-inflammatory

But chronic stress disrupts that rhythm.

Instead of a healthy rise and fall, cortisol can flatten. Research shows that flattened cortisol rhythms are associated with:

Increased disease risk
Suppressed immune regulation
Increased inflammation

Too much cortisol over time dysregulates the immune system.

And immune dysregulation is at the core of ITP.

Acute Stress vs. Chronic Stress

Interestingly, short bursts of stress can temporarily boost immune function.

But chronic stress?

That’s where the damage happens.

Long-term stressors like:

Financial pressure
Ongoing health concerns
Social isolation
Relationship conflict
Feeling out of control

Lead to:

Reduced natural killer (NK) cell activity
Decreased immune resilience
Increased inflammatory markers

In research where participants were exposed to a cold virus:

Acute stress did not increase illness risk
Chronic stress lasting more than one month doubled the risk
Stress lasting over two years made participants four times more likely to get sick

It’s not the one hard day.

It’s the unrelenting season.

And many ITP warriors know exactly what that feels like.

The Real Difference Between Who Gets Sick and Who Stays Well

When researchers study long-term illness patterns, one theme consistently rises to the surface:

It’s not whether stress exists.

It’s how well the body can recover from it.

Two people can experience the same stressor.
One adapts. One inflames.

Over time, the person who cannot downshift out of fight-or-flight is more likely to develop chronic inflammation — and chronic inflammation fuels autoimmune disease.

For ITP warriors, stress management isn’t optional.

It is protective.

Stress, Sleep, & Immune Health

Sleep deprivation:

Increases cortisol
Suppresses immune function
Increases inflammatory markers
Impairs brain detoxification

And when you’re exhausted, stress feels heavier.

It becomes a cycle:
Stress disrupts sleep.
Poor sleep increases stress.
Inflammation rises.

Breaking that cycle is powerful.

How I Manage Stress and Lower Inflammation

This isn’t about eliminating stress completely.

That’s impossible.

It’s about teaching your body how to return to calm.

Here are two foundational tools I personally use and teach.

1. Using Essential Oils to Regulate the Nervous System

Stress often begins in the mind.

Rumination — repetitive negative thought loops — keeps the nervous system activated.

One of the simplest ways I interrupt that loop is through aromatherapy.

Scent communicates directly with the limbic system — the emotional center of the brain. Inhaling specific essential oils can signal safety and help shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest mode.

I often pair oils with:

Prayer or meditation
Gentle movement
Journaling (“mental parking lot”)
Affirmations

For someone managing an autoimmune condition, small nervous system resets throughout the day can make a significant difference over time.

If you’d like to learn which oils I personally use for stress support, you can connect with me through my website.

2. Reducing Inflammation Through My 14-Day Reset

Stress is one side of the inflammation equation.

Food is the other.

I found a protocol that combines nutrition, water, exercise, and a platelet-friendly antioxidant supplement. Together, these components of the 14-Day Reset calm internal inflammation by eliminating common triggers such as:

Gluten
Dairy
Refined sugar
Corn
Seed oils
Highly processed foods

When you reduce inflammatory inputs while also regulating stress, the immune system often becomes less reactive.

This isn’t about dieting.

It’s about lowering your total inflammatory load.

If you’re ready to calm the internal fire and support your immune system naturally, I’d love to share more about the 14-Day Reset with you.

Click RESET for a quick info guide.

Natural Ways to Reduce Stress and Inflammation

If you’re not sure where to begin, start here:

Establish consistent sleep and wake times
Take mini stress breaks throughout the day
Move your body (walking, yoga, Tai Chi)
Strengthen social connections
Practice gratitude journaling
Shift your perception of stressors
Support your nervous system with aromatherapy

Small steps matter.

Consistency matters more than intensity.

Final Encouragement for ITP Warriors

If you’ve noticed your platelets drop after a stressful season…

You’re not imagining it.

Your body isn’t fragile.

It’s responsive.

The difference between those who spiral deeper into chronic illness and those who build resilience often comes down to one thing:

Stress recovery.

And that is something you can learn.

If you’d like support reducing inflammation, calming your nervous system, or learning how to integrate essential oils into your daily routine, I’d love to walk alongside you.

You can: