"To be able to find and work through a cerebral palsy and autism diagnosis, there needed to be a change in attitude from me. Our starting point towards mental and emotional healing, is where we find out about ourselves. Knowing what you’re dealing with is the start of 'the healing process.'

It is not enough to know you deal with something and ignore it for a quiet life, or have it and settle into life with it to appease others, it's important to work on yourself. It was important for me that I found ways to manage what I had to deal with around a disability I didn't know I had and to get to know about that disability.

So, it turns out I have cerebral palsy and autism, but they are not something I define myself by. It was important for me to understand my symptoms – and so that I could get to know me.

It's easy to ignore issues, in the hope they go away, but nothing goes away until we deal with them. It is better that we manage, and co-exist alongside what we get to deal with. It's the key to managing your life."

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

Most people who read this blog

went on to read these blogs next
Date 29 October 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

Autism and the Hidden Challenges of Living Independently

When the familiar world changes, leaving you to navigate life and the overwhelm of autism on your own Thank goodness for this blog – a place to make sense of my experiences. It's been a challenging life. Growing up ...
Read more
Date 26 October 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

Healing Earth Side: Putting Mental Health First

Learning to Live Well With What I Cannot Change. I have come to understand that healing is not always about fixing what is wrong. As my experience shows, some things are beyond our control, and therefore healing ...
Read more
Date 22 October 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

Do You Have To Forgive?

Finding closure by letting go of guilt and responsibility that were never yours to carry Every child has a right to know who they are and what they are living with. This is part of my healing journey. I spent much of my ...
Read more
1 2 3 … 691

2 comments on “Our Starting Point”

  1. It sounds like you've reclaimed your precious life in the way you perceive things. Something is growing in you, Ilana.

    The fact is, you are timeless, your challenges are very temporary.

    1. Thanks Tim. That's kind. Yes, today is probably not the best day, but you're right. Through my intuition, I can sometimes effortlessly (and it's taken years to master the process) understand and work through my issues.

      My challenges are temporary, but anxiety and my bad thoughts sometimes feel permanent. A bad day brings them both back.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to receive regular updates

Enter your details below to be the first to receive updates on new articles on my blog.