Concierge & Internal Medicine | Rheumatology Expert to Get to the bottom of your diseases.
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Title: Holistic Wellness by Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit
Subtitle: How to Overcome Your Diagnostic Journey
By Dr. Susan Baker | Rheumatologist in Beverly Hills
For many patients with autoimmune or rheumatologic diseases, the diagnostic process is not a straight line — it’s a winding path filled with uncertainty, misdiagnoses, and emotional tolls. Symptoms like chronic fatigue, diffuse pain, brain fog, or skin changes often appear gradually and overlap with other conditions, making the journey feel invisible to others but deeply real to the person living it.
A study in Arthritis Care & Research found that it takes an average of 4.6 years for patients with autoimmune diseases to receive an accurate diagnosis1. Dr. Susan Baker sees this every day in her Beverly Hills practice and believes that healing must extend beyond lab tests and into the whole human experience. What's even more obvious is that many of these chronic conditions might be deeply buried under confusing symptoms.
Western medicine excels at acute care, but when it comes to chronic, immune-driven diseases, an integrated approach often leads to better outcomes. Holistic wellness means addressing not just the physical manifestations of disease, but also the emotional resilience, mental clarity, and spiritual grounding needed for sustainable health.
For autoimmune patients, inflammation is not just cellular, and its important to understand too that it can be emotional, relational, even existential. Chronic illness can erode identity and connection. This is why Dr. Baker incorporates mind-body-spirit strategies into her care plans, creating space for recovery on every level.
Autoimmune diseases like lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis are associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma-like stress responses. The inflammation involved in these conditions can affect the brain’s neurotransmitter balance — particularly serotonin and dopamine pathways2.
Additionally, the psychological stress of "not being believed" during the diagnostic journey has lasting effects. According to a 2018 study in Health Psychology, patients who feel dismissed by physicians early in their diagnostic path often experience long-term anxiety and reduced trust in healthcare3.
Overcoming the diagnostic journey begins with reclaiming agency over your own health story. Here’s a core toolkit Dr. Baker recommends:
Holistic To-Do List for Autoimmune Wellness:
Healing begins when patients feel seen. Dr. Baker emphasizes compassionate listening, clear communication, and collaborative goal-setting in every consultation.
Mind-body interventions aren’t just “feel-good” — they are clinically validated. A review published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that meditation can reduce levels of C-reactive protein and proinflammatory cytokines, both of which are elevated in autoimmune disorders4.
Even spiritual health has measurable impact: a 2022 study in JAMA Psychiatry linked personal meaning and life purpose with lower inflammation and better pain management in patients with chronic illnesses5.
After receiving a diagnosis, many patients report a sense of grief — for the body they once had, the uncertainty of the future, and the loss of control. But this stage also offers something powerful: the opportunity to rewrite your narrative. Dr. Baker encourages patients to view their diagnosis as a turning point, not a dead end.
Healing is not linear, it’s cyclical, intuitive, and deeply personal. And it becomes more successful when patients are supported in every aspect of their being.
At her Beverly Hills office, Dr. Susan Baker combines modern diagnostics and rheumatologic treatments with a human-centered, holistic framework. She partners with therapists, integrative nutritionists, and pain specialists when needed, and always includes conversations around stress, sleep, and emotional wellness.
You don’t have to face this journey alone. Whether you're still seeking answers or navigating life post-diagnosis, Dr. Baker offers care that honors your story and supports your whole self.
