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Fibromyalgia
Do you believe that your emotions contribute to your fibro symptoms?
Strongly Agree!! - 33.3% - 1 votes
Agree. - 33.3% - 1 votes
Who Cares? - 0.0% - 0 votes
Disagree. - 0.0% - 0 votes
Strongly Disagree!! - 33.3% - 1 votes
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Posted 4/12/2011 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Good Afternoon FibroFamily!

I was thinking about my own recovery/management as well as reading fibro blogs last night and there were some interesting discussions about the mind-body connection and fibro. Personally, I'm a big believer in the mind-body connection and working on emotional stuff in addition to other physical treatments for fibro - it's what's been most beneficial for me.

I've been doing a lot of research online about the most current trends in fibro treatment and there's a lot of talk about working to remove deep emotional traumas and/or painful emotions that remain in our bodies and manifest into physical symptoms. Again, I'm not saying fibro is in our heads - trust me, I know it's real and it's a physical problem.

In my own path to recovery, I've had a chance to reflect on what brought on the fibro and what exacerbated it and I think that if I hadn't had a million doctors telling me to learn to live with the pain and that I would have such horrible pain (I couldn't even hold a pen) for the rest of my life, maybe my fibro wouldn't have been so severe. I guess I'm just saying my belief is that our fears, anxiety, stress, etc. can make the fibro worse.

So...I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on the mind-body connection - if you think it's contributed to your fibro, if you're doing anything to treat your mind as well as your body, if you think this subject is irrelevant in relation to your fibro - whatever you want to post!

Best wishes to everyone and hope you have a healthy, beautiful day!
Posted 4/12/2011 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
I do not believe that fibromyalgia can be brought on by emotions and traumas that bring on the pain and neither do most of the doctors studying this illness.  The current studies point to a problem in our central nervous systems.  MRI's taken of fibromyalgia patients show that they have increased activity in the area of the brain that deals with pain.  When we are touched or poked, we hurt far more that the person without fibro.

 

Here is a great link from the US News and World Report.  They spoke with Dr. Daniel Clauw, who is considered one of the top specialists dealing with fibro and chronic pain...and other illnesses that are similar.  This is a very informative read so I hope everyone reads this.

 

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2007/10/18/fda-approves-a-drug-for-those-who-suffer-from-fibromyalgia

I do believe that emotional stress and anxiety can make fibromyalgia pain worse but it doesn't cause fibromyalgia.  Fibromyalgia is a medical illness, not a psychological one.  It's well known what stress and anxiety can do to make you feel lousy.  I have learned how to control these and I put everything in perspective, keep a positive attitude, and look forward to living my life and living it enjoyably.  But, I still have pain. 

 

I think some day soon they will have important answers for us and our future will look far brighter!

 

Sherrine

Posted 4/12/2011 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
I personally believe the way you think about any illness you may have affects the way you experiance it. If you think your life is ruined, chances are you aren't even going to bother to find ways to help yourself. Thinking positive and being proactive is the best thing I can do for myself.

I do know I have some control over how I feel...I'm my own best cheer leader. Having positive thoughts motivates me to do what I can to help myself.

Relaxation therapy helps reduce pain...deep breathing, mental imagery and meditation is calming and reduces stress.

Treating the emotional issues of an illness is just as important as treating physical symptoms. In my case, the emotional issues were helped by finally accepting my disorders.

Great subject, Leora...wishing you and everyone happy thoughts!

Hugs, Robin
Posted 4/12/2011 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
Yes what your life hands you can make things much worse.
And the way a person handles it also plays a roll in how sick you can become.
I fell that if you dwell on illness it can become consuming.
But you really can't know what another person is really feeling.
I am a firm believer that you keep your chin up, shoulders back and push forward.
My mother and youngest brother are my biggest heros.
My mother contacted polio before I was born and told she could not have any more children but she had 4 more of us.
She has no stomach muscles and has been in a wheel chair for most of my life.
My brother was born with heart defects and underwent his first open heart surgury on his second birthday. We were told he may live to 8. He's had 3 open heart surguries and many, many more complacations in his 45 years.
The Dr's don't understand how either of them have done what they have, all I can say they are both very head strong and get up and moving every day they can.
I just hope I have half of what they have.
Each of us know what we feel and it's up to us to do what it takes to keep going and not give in.
Posted 4/12/2011 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I just want to emphasize that I never said, nor am I implying that emotions CAUSE fibro. I said it exacerbates the symptoms (negative emotions can make the symptoms much worse).

I appreciate your responses and your honesty.
Posted 4/12/2011 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Leora, I was going by what you have said previously in other posts you have written.  Here is an example.  It sounds like you are saying this healer healed you by "removing emotions that are stored up in your body."  If you remove the emotions from the body and you are "healed" then it was emotions causing the problems, it seems to me.  The doctors are saying that this is a central nervous system problem.  So that's why I posted what I did.  Below is what you wrote on another thread. 

 

Basically, this woman gave me and all the other patients she's worked with our lives back. the work she does is amazing and she removes the fibro from your body through natural healing. she doesn't have anything to do with medicines, it's more about removing emotions that store up in your body.

Sherrine

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