| I suffered from Fibromyalgia and Chronic | | | | is normal. |
| Fatigue for 4 years before reaching a point | | | | |
| where I am 90% better than I was at the | | | | Becoming chronically ill is very much like a |
| beginning of the illness. | | | | bereavement. The losses and emotions involved |
| | | | are very similar. Giving up works means not |
| I will say from the outset that I believe | | | | only that you lose income but you also lose |
| this is one of the worst afflictions that can | | | | status, friendship and a purposeful role in |
| strike any person, at any age and at anytime. | | | | life. |
| | | | |
| Not only is it so debilitating that it now | | | | Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| has the same disability rating assigned to | | | | encompass the full range of human emotions |
| heart disease patients, but at the same time | | | | and magnify the negative ones ten-fold. |
| you have to deal with negative connotations | | | | |
| that surround it. | | | | This disease really is a monster. The usual |
| | | | response is to want to hide away from the |
| Even the name doesn't sound credible, | | | | world. However, confronting these emotions |
| "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", "what is that | | | | can be very important as part of your |
| like a bad hangover or something" people will | | | | psychological rehabilitation which should be |
| say. At a time when you need the most support | | | | addressed in conjunction with the manual |
| in your life, often, people are turning their | | | | therapy discussed later. |
| backs and walking away or muttering under | | | | |
| their breath. It is a frightful condition. | | | | This really is an area where a healthy mind |
| | | | can assist a healthy body towards better |
| This will be a pivotal point in your life. | | | | recovery. |
| You will find that during the course of your | | | | |
| illness you will find out who your real | | | | The pain that comes with Fibromyalgia and |
| friends are, and who really cares. | | | | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can be frightening |
| | | | and this in itself can cause fear, |
| There is no point disguising the reality | | | | loneliness, isolation, panic and anxiety. |
| which is, I'm afraid to say, that you will | | | | |
| lose a lot of friends and colleagues along | | | | Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can |
| the way to the monster that is Fibromyalgia | | | | create a fear of rejection by others even |
| and CFS. | | | | when there is no evidence of this happening. |
| | | | I mean, who wants to be around someone who is |
| It is NOT possible to explain this condition | | | | like this, we say to ourselves. |
| to people who have no experience of it either | | | | |
| by having suffered, or through having a | | | | Again this is a normal reaction, our self |
| particular medical interest in the area. They | | | | esteem is based on what others think of us, |
| WILL NOT understand what, or to what extent, | | | | and usually that is based on what we "do" or |
| you are suffering. Again, I'm afraid this is | | | | "how we play" , or "what we say", generally |
| the norm. Accept it as such and you will not | | | | how we interact with other people. As we take |
| then be personally offended by acts of | | | | to "doing less", "playing" less and generally |
| prejudice. Easier said than done I know. Let | | | | interacting "saying" less, then our self |
| us examine a common sequence of events which | | | | esteem plummets along with our health. |
| may ring a bell with sufferers, to understand | | | | |
| the prejudice from an outsider perspective. | | | | We are worried about the future; the dark |
| | | | shadow of uncertainty is round every corner. |
| You had a viral/ bacterial/ chemical exposure | | | | Will I ever get better? What if I don't? How |
| of unknown etiology, the same as happens to | | | | long is this going to go on? We ask these |
| millions of people throughout America every | | | | questions every day. We begin to experience |
| day, and for some reason that no-one can | | | | life in a shadow land. Our hopes and dreams |
| explain to you, you have felt generally ill | | | | have been shattered and the road ahead can be |
| and exhausted with multiple symptoms and | | | | bleak and never ending. |
| multi-systemic involvement ever since. Your | | | | |
| doctor appears cynical and can't give you an | | | | Anger is very common emotion - Why me? - Why |
| adequate diagnosis so you may by now have | | | | now? - What have I ever done to deserve this? |
| been referred to a psychologist for analysis | | | | Unfortunately this anger alienates those we |
| as a suspected depressive incident. "hmmm | | | | love even more. |
| okay" you hear them mutter. | | | | |
| | | | You will find supportive people, often, and |
| Ask yourself this question. | | | | encouragingly the last people you would |
| | | | expect. Those who are supportive are often |
| If you had no knowledge about Fibromyalgia | | | | people, or those close to them, who have |
| and CFS what would your reaction be to | | | | experienced serious illness and are living |
| someone else developing these | | | | with it, or have come through it. |
| symptoms?............ You see? Its human | | | | |
| nature, it's cruel isn't it? | | | | Or, those who have experienced Fibromyalgia |
| | | | and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or have someone |
| So how do we as sufferers cope and | | | | close to them who has it. These are the |
| rationalize what is happening. | | | | people you should aim to spend your limited |
| | | | energy resources building relationships with |
| Knowledge is power. Educate yourself about | | | | for the moment. |
| your condition. | | | | |
| | | | Do not feel bitter towards people who you |
| Concentrate on yourself and try not to dwell | | | | lose at this stage, hold on while you can |
| morbidly over the people that you have lost | | | | then just let them go lightly, they are not |
| already. Those that do not stand by you, and | | | | your problem. Fibromyalgia and Chronic |
| there will be some, are what we term | | | | Fatigue Syndrome IS your problem, and |
| fair-weather friends, usually activity based | | | | fighting it hard is your duty to yourself, to |
| they were your friends due to your common | | | | get your health back, for you and your loved |
| interest in a certain activity, be it sport/ | | | | ones. You are going to need the energy you |
| work etc. | | | | have left for this fight. |
| | | | |
| The activity has gone due to your illness, | | | | I do advocate counseling and support groups. |
| therefore by association so does the | | | | You will need to find someone who has |
| friendship, this is okay because we are going | | | | specific knowledge about the emotional |
| to get you to a stage where you can resume | | | | effects of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, |
| the activity, you can forgive those | | | | again a good doctor should be able to put you |
| "acquaintances" if you wish and resume the | | | | on the right path, there are also |
| activity with them, you will also be wiser | | | | Fibromyalgia and CFS support groups based in |
| and more aware of "the type" of friendship | | | | most cities and towns across the US. |
| you have with this person. | | | | |
| | | | Once you have found a good support group you |
| What goes around come around and what is | | | | will also find good counseling. |
| going around is that you are going to get | | | | |
| better!! | | | | However, the majority of cases will NOT need |
| | | | to see a psychologist unless you are being |
| There is a small consolation that I allow | | | | referred for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, |
| myself, and this is the level of | | | | as your illness is NOT depression, and |
| self-knowledge and wisdom that you will gain | | | | therefore you should not accept |
| from this painful journey. It's a small | | | | anti-depressants, with the exception of |
| consolation I know and I hear most of you | | | | possibly low dose amitriptyline if your |
| screaming, "it's wisdom and knowledge I could | | | | symptoms include severe nervous pain and |
| well do without", but it is there and when | | | | sleep disturbance. |
| you do come out the other side in the | | | | |
| following weeks and months what you have been | | | | However I cannot personally vouch for this |
| through will make you ten times the person | | | | but there is enough evidence to suggest is a |
| you were before. | | | | valid treatment. |
| | | | |
| You have plumbed the depths of pain and | | | | Mental and emotional preparation, knowledge |
| despair and in the future you will be scaling | | | | of your condition, and the correct course of |
| the heights. If you come through this nothing | | | | treatment are all essential and work |
| in life will phase you again. You will value | | | | symbiotically to assist your recovery. |
| the simple things in life. You will live | | | | |
| every day. You will scoff at the vanities and | | | | In my next article I will explain new |
| selfishness of our systems and culture. | | | | research which is allowing us to determine |
| | | | how genetic and biomechanical anomalies, |
| Fibromyalgia and CFS will create emotional | | | | predispose certain individuals to attacks of |
| havoc for you and for your loved ones. This | | | | Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. |