there is a 1 in 2 chance you will end up with chronic illness

At just 24 years of age, Shannon Harvey was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Her immune system had become hyperactive and was attacking normal, healthy tissues. Her muscles and joints were inflamed and she was told if her disease progressed she could end up with organ failure or wheelchair-bound. In search of a cure, Shannon tried everything from drugs to alternative therapies - but she was still sick. One thing she did know however, was that when she was stressed she got worse. So with a background in journalism, Shannon sought answers from pioneering science. During her ten-year journey, she and her film-making husband interviewed health researchers from around the world culminating in a film called The Connection and a book The Whole Health Life. In this interview with The Art of Healing, Shannon shares some of her thoughts and findings.

You were so young when you first noticed signs of unwellness Shannon - did you have any events from childhood that you think contributed to this?

I’m often asked if I can pinpoint the cause of my illness. And of course, there was no thing. It was the perfect storm. I have a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disease. I had gut issues associated