⚠️ DISCLAIMER
ALPIMS (Anxiety, Laxity, Pain, Immune, Mood, Sensory) is not a medically recognized diagnosis. It is a descriptive framework developed to help individuals, families, and care providers better understand complex, overlapping symptoms that are commonly seen in chronic illness, neurodivergence, and trauma-informed contexts.
This model is intended for educational, supportive, and self-advocacy purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While ALPIMS can be a helpful tool for pattern recognition, care planning, and symptom tracking, individuals are strongly encouraged to work with qualified healthcare professionals for diagnosis and treatment of specific conditions.
If you or someone you support is experiencing significant physical or mental health symptoms, please consult with a licensed medical provider.
ALPIMS stands for Anxiety, Laxity, Pain, Immune, Mood, and Sensory — six interconnected domains used to understand the overlapping symptoms and challenges experienced by many people with chronic, multisystem conditions.
⚠️ Note: ALPIMS is not a formally recognized medical diagnosis. It is a functional framework developed to help individuals, families, and clinicians make sense of complex health presentations that often fall through the cracks of traditional diagnostic categories.
Many people with ALPIMS profiles live with combinations of:
- Neurodivergence (e.g., autism, ADHD, giftedness)
- Chronic fatigue and pain syndromes (e.g., ME/CFS, fibromyalgia)
- Immune and mast cell dysregulation (e.g., MCAS, allergies, autoimmune conditions)
- Mood instability, trauma, and anxiety
- Sensory overload and regulatory difficulties
- Joint hypermobility and connective tissue challenges
ALPIMS helps map these symptoms across six domains to identify patterns, reduce medical gaslighting, and guide tailored pacing, care, and emotional support strategies.
It’s not meant to replace a diagnosis — it’s a lens for validation, communication, and holistic care planning when no single diagnosis tells the whole story.
🌪️ Common ALPIMS-Pattern Symptoms
Note: Symptoms vary from person to person. Not everyone with ALPIMS traits will experience all of these, and intensity can shift from day to day.
People with ALPIMS-related patterns often live with multiple overlapping symptoms that affect daily life, emotional wellbeing, and physical functioning. These symptoms frequently interact and flare together, even when no single diagnosis explains them all.
⬇️ Examples of Common Symptoms:
- Chronic fatigue and post-exertional crashes
- Widespread muscle or joint pain
- Migraines or chronic daily headaches
- Dizziness, faintness, or orthostatic intolerance
- Digestive problems (bloating, nausea, constipation, IBS)
- Bladder pain, urgency, or frequency (e.g. IC/PBS)
- Flushing, hives, rashes, or itching
- Food, chemical, or medication sensitivities
- Difficulty regulating temperature or feeling “off” in the body
- Sensory overload (light, sound, touch, smell, movement)
- Panic attacks or sudden waves of anxiety
- Emotional overwhelm or shutdown/freeze responses
- Brain fog, memory lapses, word-finding issues
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep, unrefreshing sleep
- Mood crashes, irritability, numbness, or apathy
- Rejection sensitivity or fear of being misunderstood
- Joint hypermobility, subluxations, or clumsiness
- TMJ dysfunction, facial tension, jaw clicking
- Visual disturbances (light sensitivity, visual snow, blurry focus)
- Misophonia or strong sound sensitivity
- Motion sensitivity or vestibular imbalance
- Burning, tingling, or buzzing nerve sensations
- Flare-ups triggered by stress, hormones, exertion, or unknown causes
- Sudden drops in energy or capacity (“crashing”)
- Trouble tolerating transitions, unpredictability, or overstimulation
🔁 Important Notes:
- Symptoms may fluctuate daily depending on stress, activity, environment, hormones, and nervous system state.
- Each individual’s symptom profile and tolerance window is unique.
- What looks like inconsistency is often the natural rhythm of an overwhelmed and hypersensitive system trying to stabilize.
Who Is Affected?
ALPIMS patterns are seen across all demographics but disproportionately affect women and neurodivergent individuals. Many people report symptom onset following infections, trauma, environmental exposure, or hormonal transitions (e.g., puberty, perimenopause).
Family clusters are common, suggesting genetic and epigenetic influence. ALPIMS may be more likely in individuals born prematurely or with early life stress.
How Is It Diagnosed?
There is no single test for ALPIMS. Diagnosis typically arises from a combination of pattern recognition across domains, exclusion of other conditions, and clinical judgment. People may carry multiple overlapping diagnoses such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, MCAS, IBS, depression, or anxiety—yet share an underlying pattern of dysregulation.
Mapping symptoms across ALPIMS domains can aid diagnosis, especially when traditional models fall short.
Treatment and Management
ALPIMS is currently managed—not cured. The cornerstone of care is lifestyle adaptation, nervous system regulation, pacing, and identifying personal triggers.
Fatigue
- Respect energy limits with pacing
- Track activity to avoid post-exertional crashes
- Rest proactively, not reactively
Pain
- Gentle movement, pacing, stretching, warmth
- Neuropathic agents (e.g., gabapentin, duloxetine)
- Mind-body therapies (e.g., somatics, breathwork)
Sleep
- Sleep hygiene and consistent routine
- Reduce overstimulation at night
- Address comorbid sleep disorders
Cognition
- Reduce multitasking and sensory input
- Use visual or written supports
- Plan cognitive tasks during clearer times of day
Emotional Wellness
- DBT, somatic therapy, mindfulness, emotional regulation strategies
- Process medical trauma, loss, and identity shifts
- Grieve the impact of chronic illness while cultivating purpose
Environmental and Nutritional Adjustments
- Low-histamine or anti-inflammatory diets
- Reduce sensory triggers (light, noise, chemicals)
- Improve air and water quality, use fragrance-free products
Support Systems
- Seek validation and practical help from others
- Educate family and caregivers on fluctuating capacity
- Apply for disability or care support if needed
Prognosis
ALPIMS has a variable course. Some people experience gradual improvement, others remain stable, and some worsen without appropriate care. While full recovery is rare, quality of life can often be improved through consistent lifestyle adjustments, emotional support, and individualized treatment.
Hope lies in pacing, self-awareness, and co-regulation—not in pushing through.
With time, many people with ALPIMS learn to live more gently with their bodies and reclaim meaning within new limits.