This article originally appeared in the Winter 2006 edition of Celiac.com's Open Original Shared Link.
Celiac.com 04/30/2010 - The gluten-free lifestyle is a big part of who we are.  So when friends, relatives, and loved ones don’t get it—I should clarify—when they seem to choose not to get it—we sometimes get a little cranky.
I know—I was reminded of how it feels when loved ones don’t choose to get it this past Thanksgiving when one of my relatives who shall remain nameless glutenized the mayo jar.  Now I realize it may seem petty to get tweaked about someone dipping a knife in a mayo jar—but it had gluten all over it, and worse yet, she did the same thing last Thanksgiving, and I threw a tizzy about it then.
Realizing the first dip alone contaminated the entire jar (of course ...

Celiac.com 10/06/2005 - You’ve all heard the joke proclaiming that “denial is not a river in Egypt.”  No, it’s not.  What it is, though, is a very real issue for many, if not most people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.  There are a couple of types of denial—the first type affects us—while the other type affects those around us.
When We’re in Denial
Many people who are diagnosed—or when their kids are—go through some type of denial.  It usually occurs at a few key times after diagnosis—and for a few different reasons, here are some examples:
Immediate denial—the diagnosis isn’t right.  Nope.  Couldn’t be.  I don’t know anyone who has that.  I don’t even know what gluten is.  I’ve never heard of celiac disease.  I don’t have symptom...

I am 15 years old and was diagnosed with celiac disease almost two years ago.  After many years of stomach pains and rheumatoid arthritis I was relieved to finally have an answer.  Even today I still remember the shock that comes with the realization that you will never have another bite of "normal" food again.  After coping with the different emotional struggles that accompany a life changing diagnosis, I still had some difficulties. Most of these had to do with my friends.  Over time I have learned how to handle the awkward social encounters pertaining to my celiac disease.  
Here are some of the most common:
Refusal:  I had some friends that flat out refused to eat in front of me, in order to not make me "feel bad.". Although I am flattered that they would sacrifice something for m...

Celiac.com 12/29/2017 - Do you remember the moment when you were diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? Most people I talk to have it etched in their memory. After all, the information is life transforming. Yet, I doubt if most of us understood the enormity of the information until time passed and we had the opportunity to actually fully understand what it meant besides the gluten free diet (GFD).
Along with having to learn that gluten is everywhere, we also learn that having to eat differently is, to put it mildly, upsetting. In fact, the psychological impact of living with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity usually involves depression and anxiety. There are other emotional responses as well; these include grief and, for some, trauma (depending upon how long it took...