Solange Has Revealed Her Autonomic Disorder Diagnosis In A Powerful Instagram Message

It's a time of year for reflecting on our priorities and for taking better care of ourselves, and it sounds like Solange is doing exactly that. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Solange revealed that she has an autonomic disorder that requires that she pull out of a New Years Eve performance in South Africa. Emphasizing her desire to maintain as much privacy around Solange's disease diagnosis as possible, the singer began the message by saying, "wrote, deleted and re wrote this like 5 times...Still not sure what exactly or how much I want to share...," before opening up about her health difficulties.

"The past five months I have been quietly treating, and working through an Autonomic Disorder. It been a journey that hasn't been easy on me..." Solange explained, "Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all. It's a complicated diagnoses, and I'm still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after." In the message, the 31 year-old musician thanks Afro Punk, the festival she was to be performing at in South Africa, as well as numerous other music festivals, for having maintained confidentiality concerning her diagnosis of the disorder.

According to heathline, autonomic disorder is a health condition that develops when the nerves of the autonomic nervous system are damaged. The autonomic nervous system controls several basic functions including body temperature, heart rate, digestion, sensation, and breathing rate. Autonomic disorder can affect part or all of that system in ways that range between mild and, in some cases, life threatening, as the autonomic nervous system connects your brain to body parts such as the heart, liver, skin, and even the interior muscles of your eyes.

At the end of her message, Solange highlights the importance of taking care for ourselves, and said, "As a part of the self care that I've tried to encourage this past year, it needs to start with myself, and I'm looking forward to doing a better job of this 2018." For anyone who has struggled with any health condition in the past year, these words will be all too relatable. Many of us need reminding to prioritize our health over any other commitments we might hold. And it's just as encouraging to hear Solange embodying these sentiments as it is to hear of a major festival like Afro Punk giving Solange the time and the privacy to take time out and to heal.

Though the singer doesn't give details regarding the severity of the disorder, and in fact seems quite eager for her fans and the media to respect her privacy on the matter, what's important is that she is taking care of herself. It's also worth adding that Solange was incredibly positive about performing at Afro Punk at a later date, which suggests that, though she may be struggling health-wise, she's fighting strong, regardless. "I give you my ABSOLUTE WORD I will come back with AfroPunk and deliver this performance," she assured her fans in the message, "as it is so extremely important to me to connect with the people who have so closely inspired me in so many ways."

Suffice to say, at this stage, it's likely important to Solange's fans that the singer take the time necessary to rest up and get better. Though it's always a disappointment to miss out on seeing a beloved musician perform live when they mean a great deal to you, it's more important to know that they're taking the best care of themselves possible — even if that means canceling an important show. As we move into 2018, that's one positive takeaway that we can all take from this story — to prioritize our health and look after ourselves. Just as Solange has done.