When Your Body Forgets the Basics: Living With Dysautonomia
October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month. So before the month comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to talk about this condition that affects millions, yet remains widely misunderstood.
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for disorders of the autonomic nervous system — the part of the body that controls things we don’t typically need to think about: heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation. When it doesn’t work properly, your body can feel unpredictable and out of sync with itself.
For me, dysautonomia means learning to work with a body that often has its own plans. It means heart rate spikes for no reason, lightheadedness that comes out of nowhere, and energy that drains faster than it should. It’s needing to lie down at a moment’s notice, electrolyte drinks on standby, and wearing compression socks under my favorite skirts. It’s learning to rest before I crash — to treat rest not as weakness, but as maintenance.
What Dysautonomia Can Look Like
Dizziness or fainting when standing up
Rapid heart rate or palpitations
Chronic fatigue
Nausea, bloating, or GI issues
Trouble regulating body temperature
Brain fog or confusion
The most common form of dysautonomia is POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which primarily affects women and can develop after illness, trauma, or long-term stress. It’s an invisible condition — one that often takes years to diagnose, and even longer to manage.
Learning to Live in a Body That Does What it Wants
Chronic illness changes everything: how you plan your days, how you move, how you see yourself. But it also teaches you to slow down, to notice, to honor what your body is asking for — even when it’s inconvenient.
I’ve learned to build small rituals of care into my daily life. To protect my limited energy like it’s sacred. To understand that “doing my best” looks different every day.
If you love someone with dysautonomia, know this: we’re not unreliable or unmotivated. We’re navigating a body that often forgets how to function — and doing it with more patience and resilience than most people will ever know.
This month, I’m lighting a blue candle for everyone living in a body that doesn’t follow the rules. May we be seen, believed, and cared for — by others, and by ourselves.
