The Happy Celiac: An Oxymoron Or A Possibility?

[kittty]

I found this open access article and wanted to share. Most celiac-related articles concentrate on the physiological aspects, but this one focuses on the social implications.

The link goes to a PDF of the article: Open Original Shared Link

The Happy Celiac: an oxymoron or a possibility?

Maurizio Esposito

Background: Several international studies, confirmed in Italy too, show a hard presence of socio-relational problems inside the celiac population.

Methods: Qualitative study involving persons with celiac disease and their families. 25 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted in three Italian regions.

Results: Problems of management of social life for celiac persons are experienced, specially in the fields of: school, work, travels and life outside the home.

Conclusion: Chronic illness is a

[IrishHeart]

This is a very interesting study. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I think it holds many truths ---as I most often hear celiacs say they "do not want to bother anyone" with their special dietary needs, so they stay home instead. I just spoke with someone who was glutened because he did not want to cause a fuss by asking too many questions of the server at a restaurant. (I said: "Hon, I conduct the Spanish Inquisition when I dine out and I still get hit from time to time, so do not beat yourself up over it")

It can be an isolating disease as a result.

While I understand that aspect of it, I do not think anyone should feel guilty about being a celiac. We did not ask for this, right?

But I am an adult; I can deal. It's the little ones I feel bad for--they have a hard enough time as it is trying to "fit in", whether they have celiac or not. This just puts an extra burden on them.

As for the conclusion of the study ..."the whole society has to be invested to fight the burden of celiac persons in their possibility of access to public life", I wonder:

how exactly is that going to happen as long as food is the focal point of every social event, restaurants cannot grasp the concept of cross -contamination and people are scoffed for having to be gluten-free because now it is just thought of as a "fad" or "trendy"?

We have a long way to go, but it is encouraging to see the Italian researchers care enough to investigate it.

But, to answer the question posed by the title of the article--of course, there are happy celiacs. I'm happy. I'm alive - and I do not let my dietary needs get in my way of having fun.