TL;DR
A Tiny Buddha essay recounts the writer’s diagnosis of an autoimmune condition in 2022 and how recurring illness-related worry led them to track where their attention was focused. The writer says noticing thoughts tied to the past or future can help settle them, while emphasizing that the illness remains real and the practice does not always relieve distress.
A writer recounting an autoimmune diagnosis in 2022 says a simple question—“Where is my attention right now?”—helped them recognize when fear about illness was focused on the past or future rather than the present. In an essay published by Tiny Buddha, the author describes this as a way to notice and sometimes settle worry, while stressing that it does not change the condition or erase its effects.
Get wellness gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The author says they spent two months in and out of hospital with chronic stomach and back pain while doctors investigated the cause. Tests and surgery initially seemed to bring the episode to a close, but the pain returned. After small purple spots appeared on the author’s skin following a walk, a doctor suspected an explanation and took a skin biopsy. The author says the diagnosis of an autoimmune condition came in 2022.
The diagnosis was preceded by worries about losing health, the possibility of worsening symptoms, and effects on work and a young family. The writer came to sort thoughts into past, present and future, each accompanied by liking, dislike or neutrality. Memories of being healthier and questions about why the illness happened were linked to the past; fears about future deterioration were linked to the future. The author says attention to an ordinary present detail, such as feet on the floor, could feel less burdened by those narratives.
The essay does not identify the autoimmune condition or describe its specific medical course. The author says relapses began with one in March 2023, followed by several more. During a later relapse, also described as occurring in March, the writer was taking steroids and noticed that messages from a boss intensified a sense of urgency. Naming the fear as future-focused helped settle it temporarily, the author writes, but the worry returned and sometimes still lasts until a stressful event begins.
Separating Symptoms From Worry
The account offers a personal coping approach for readers dealing with persistent illness: distinguish the body’s present needs from mental predictions about what may happen. The author is careful not to equate that approach with recovery. Medical care, appointments and practical decisions still require attention; the essay instead draws a line between acting on a health need and repeatedly replaying it.
That distinction matters because the writer describes illness and worry as related but not identical experiences. The condition remained, while the intensity of distress shifted with attention. This is the author’s individual account, not evidence that the same method will work for everyone or a substitute for professional care. The essay’s value is in making the writer’s own process concrete: identify where a thought is directed, notice it, and return attention to the immediate moment when possible.
Products Worth Considering
Garmin Venu 4 GPS Fitness Smartwatch, 45 mm, Black Silicone
Garmin Venu 3 Fitness Smartwatch, 45 mm, Black
Oral-B iO Series 3 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush for Adults, Black, 3 Modes, 2 Brush Heads and Travel Case
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Diagnosis to Attention Practice
Before developing the question about attention, the author says they searched books and talks about the mind, stress and older traditions for a steadier form of happiness. They found many approaches but little structure they could follow. The eventual question was intended to be brief and usable during daily life: “Where is my attention right now?”
The writer applied it to recurring thoughts: comparing the present body with a healthier past, asking why the illness happened, or imagining a worsening future. The author says these thoughts often moved attention away from what was happening at that moment. They describe the method as observation rather than denial: the illness was real, and the aim was to notice when commentary about it added another layer of distress.
““Where is my attention right now?””
— The author, writing in the Tiny Buddha essay
Medical Details Remain Unspecified
The source does not name the autoimmune condition, identify the medical tests or surgery, or give details about the author’s current symptoms and prognosis. It also does not provide a publication date for the essay, making it difficult to establish exactly when the later relapse occurred beyond the author’s reference to “this March.”
The account is a personal narrative, not a clinical study. It does not establish whether attention-based observation has the same effects for other people, or how it interacts with treatment. The author reports that the practice can settle a thought but does not always lift the underlying weight; some worry persists until a stressful event begins.
The essay describes no new diagnosis, treatment change or planned medical milestone. The writer says they are still practicing the attention question during relapses and stressful moments, repeating it when worry returns. The source provides no further update on the author’s health or on whether the practice has changed over time.
For readers applying the account to their own circumstances, the author’s distinction is between noticing a thought and disregarding a health concern. The essay does not advise changing medication or delaying medical care. Questions about symptoms, treatment or medication remain matters to discuss with a qualified health professional.
Key Questions
What happened to the author?
The author describes chronic stomach and back pain, hospital visits and surgery, followed by a skin biopsy after purple spots appeared. They say they received a diagnosis of an unspecified autoimmune condition in 2022.
What question does the author use to notice worry?
The question is: “Where is my attention right now?” The author uses it to notice whether a thought is focused on the past, present or future.
Does the practice make the illness or worry go away?
No. The author says the condition remains and that noticing a thought can settle it temporarily, but does not always remove the distress underneath. The essay does not present the practice as treatment or a cure.
When did the author report relapses?
The writer says the first relapse came in March 2023 and that there have been several more. A later episode is described as happening “this March,” but the source does not provide the essay’s publication date.
Source: tinybuddha.com
