Dr. Giulia Enders

But what we know from research since the 90s is a very different picture.

It's more that the immune system is trying to keep you safe all the time.

And it's really all it's there for.

That's its whole purpose of existence.

And it does so eagerly.

And sometimes, for example, when it experiences a horrible cold or something happening or notices your body is really not doing well or other genetic factors also, then it can go overboard a bit with that.

It can be overprotective.

They want to do their best, but they're doing something that's not so beneficial.

And that's happening a lot of the times when it comes to autoimmunity.

And to see it like that is not only a nice story, it's also accurate to the research we have, but it's also helpful to the way people see themselves and treat their body when they have this disease.

Why does it matter?

Why is there anything wrong with having this approach that says, like, my body is letting me down?

Well, let me give you just the example I had with this when I really understood this.

And I had a patient and we diagnosed her with a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

And she had been in our hospital a few years earlier where she had a really severe EHEC infection.

So that's a toxic E. coli strain that is very dangerous.

And she said, oh, I have such bad luck.

It's always the gut and it's like acting up and doing all these horrible things.

Of course, she was sad.

That's not a good diagnosis to get.