CIRS & Autoimmunity: Untangling the Hidden Triggers, with Jenny Johnson, PT

CIRS, Mold, and Autoimmunity: Getting Off the Inflammation Roller CoasterThis is an encouraging and educational interview for anyone navigating Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) Dr. Melissa Mondala sits down with Jenny Johnson, a CIRS guide and community-builder, to unpack how biotoxin exposure from water-damaged buildings, mold, bacteria, and Lyme can drive chronic inflammation that mimics or even triggers autoimmune disease. They cover what to look for, how to differentiate CIRS from conditions like lupus, MS, and RA, and why environmental cleanup, sleep, nervous system support, and community are foundational. Jenny also shares moving recovery stories and practical ways families can pace healing without burning out. CIRS is a chronic inflammatory response to biotoxins the body cannot easily clear. Symptoms can mirror lupus, MS, and RA, and CIRS may coexist with or trigger autoimmune flares. Taking a careful timeline, targeted labs, and sometimes imaging helps sort out what to treat first. Key takeawaysLearn what CIRS is and how it overlaps with autoimmunity.Discover why “remove the exposure” is step #1.Cleaning up or leaving a water-damaged environment reduces daily biotoxin load. Explore "pairing" detox strategies so the immune system can calm and autoimmune symptoms become more manageable. Learn the “brain on fire and brain on ice” model.Discover the early anchors of recovery.Learn why community speeds healing.Discover hope through real-world stories.CIRS can cause anxiety, depression, panic, rage, and cognitive issues like brain fog and executive dysfunction. Having a coach or community to be your “borrowed brain” reduces overwhelm while you recover. Prioritize sleep and simple nervous system supports. Add nutrition shifts toward anti-inflammatory eating, then layer movement as capacity returns. Passive vagus-nerve supports can help when you are too depleted to do more. Jenny’s CIRS Healing Collective (https://cirshealingcollective.mn.co/landing) meets weekly to share practical tips, host guest experts, and reduce loneliness. Safe, validating connection supports the parasympathetic nervous system and helps people stay on the “healing track.” Jenny shares recoveries in her family from Lyme and mold injury, and a child’s neurodivergent symptoms easing after addressing environmental causes. Parents are encouraged to keep pressing for answers. ConclusionCIRS is fixable, and addressing it can dramatically change the trajectory of autoimmune symptoms. Start with a solid history, test what matters, remove exposures, and anchor sleep and nervous system care. Do less, but do it on the right track. Most of all, do not do this alone. Community and a clear plan make the path lighter and faster. Connect with Jenny JohnsonSimplified Wellness Designs: https://simplifiedwellnessdesigns.com The CIRS Healing Collective https://cirshealingcollective.mn.co/landingJenny Johnson is a leading expert in Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and complex environmental illness. She is a Shoemaker Certified Coach, and drawing on years of clinical research and

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