Trusting Yourself: Through the Voices of Abigail Gladstone and Simi Goyal
By Abigail Gladstone and Simi Goyal with assistance from Devyn Quinn, GIG Cares Outreach Manager
As many may know, May is Celiac Awareness Month. This is a time of year when we support one another, encourage each other, and learn more about being gluten-free!
This article is very meaningful because it is meant to help teens feel empowered, and it is written by teens! You’ll read about Abigail’s experience with speaking up and trusting her gut. Then, Simi will share helpful tips about learning to let go of second guessing.
I (Devyn) will add some additional details on how you can do these things, along with how you can learn to and feel good saying no!
Let’s start with Abigail’s incredible story about how she was able to speak up:
Speaking Up
At my school, I am the only kid with celiac disease. It’s very hard at events, because more often than not, I feel left out. I go to a relatively small school, so it feels like after four years people would be aware. Most of the time, if I want gluten-free food I have to fight really hard for it.
One time last year, my school was hosting an awards ceremony, and I went to the coordinator to ask if anything would be gluten-free. She wasn’t sure and said she would call and ask. But nothing ended up being gluten-free, and it was too late to order anything else.
This year, they sent out a form asking about allergies or dietary restrictions for senior events, and obviously I filled it out. But when the first event came up, the only gluten-free food available was salad without croutons. I decided from there on out to actually really try to advocate for myself. Speaking up for my needs was probably the best decision I made, because it was clear what I needed from my school. It actually worked. My school got me food that I could eat — a fruit and cheese platter with gluten-free crackers for field day — and made sure I felt safe eating it. – Abigail Gladstone
Abigail took the brave step of choosing herself. She chose to ask for accommodations, to ask for an option that was adequate for a growing teen.
Being a teen is hard. Advocating for yourself is hard. Navigating the gluten-free world while being a teen and advocating for yourself can feel impossible sometimes. But with the right friends, school staff, and overall support system, you can do anything!
If you are curious about how to grow your support system or how to start advocating for yourself, feel free to reach out to GIG Cares’s Devyn Quinn, at Devyn.Quinn@gluten.org. The team at GIG would love to help encourage you to be yourself!
Next up, Abigail is going to share about a time when she knew she had to trust her gut instead of relying only on what others said.
Trusting Your Gut
Having celiac disease is hard because even a little crumb can make us sick. That’s why if something feels off, it’s important to listen to your body. One time, I was at a restaurant and had ordered a quesadilla with a corn tortilla, but when it came it looked different than usual. I asked my family if they thought it looked like corn and they all said it looked fine. But I still felt off, so I made my brother take a bite, and lo and behold it was a flour tortilla. I was fairly new to being gluten-free then, but not new to having allergies. I’ve had a nut allergy my entire life, so feeling untrusting of foods is not uncommon — but gluten is a lot harder than nuts. – Abigail Gladstone
As Abigail said, trusting yourself is so incredibly important. If you feel unsure or have an “off” feeling about something, it is essential not to ignore it. It is always better to keep yourself safe than to end up sick.
This next section is written by Simi Goyal, where she talks about letting go of second guessing and all that comes with it.
Letting Go of Second-Guessing
Living with celiac disease or a gluten allergy/intolerance often comes with insecurity and second-guessing. Is this really gluten-free? Did I read that label correctly? This second-guessing can be mentally exhausting, especially for those of you who are newly diagnosed and are still adjusting to the gluten-free lifestyle.
Second-guessing usually comes from the concern of accidentally consuming gluten. However, it is also often rooted in social insecurity or fear of making the wrong decision. While these insecurities are valid and understandable, they raise your anxiety levels and lessen the overall quality of life. Building confidence in asking for gluten-free meals and label reading can help mitigate the stress that comes with second-guessing.
While second-guessing is a significant stressor, it doesn’t mean that it is solely negative. Double-checking does protect against consuming gluten and helps make informed decisions. It is important to find a balance between double-checking and second-guessing. When you have taken the appropriate precautions, like label reading and communicating your needs, you should be confident in your efforts and trust that you have done what you needed to do to protect yourself. Over time, this will become a routine and lower your levels of anxiety. – Simi Goyal
The last section we will dive into is about saying NO.
Yes, saying “no” can be uncomfortable, but sometimes it is necessary to keep yourself safe. If someone or something is making you feel uneasy or uncomfortable, or if the situation feels wrong, say no.
It doesn’t have to be rude but it does need to be firm. Here are a few examples:
- “I appreciate the effort. I do not feel comfortable.”
- “Thank you so much for trying. I am going to skip this.”
- “It was so kind of you to do this for me. I do not want to get sick.”
- “I am not comfortable.”
- “I do not want to get sick.”
- “I’m not comfortable with this. Thank you for the offer.”
Saying “no” can be hard, and that is okay! The more you do it, the better you will feel, and the more confident you will become. One important thing to remember when learning to say “no” is that it should be used when you truly need to protect your health, safety, or comfort.
If you have any questions about anything covered in this article, feel free to reach out to us. Our team would be more than happy to help you work through anything or have a conversation with you.
Reach out to Devyn Quinn at Devyn.Quinn@gluten.org to get connected to the right person.