Childhood Trauma

Yes - not physical though, but emotional abuse.

Without going into detail, yes I have dealt with abuse, physically, mentally, sexually.

Yes, physical and emotional abuse from my sister and mother. I, like Rose, don't really want to go into detail.

Yes. Mental, physical and sexual abuse.

I hope no one thought I wanted details. I understand that this is a very personal issue. I apologize if I hurt anyone. It was not my intention. I'm just curious if this is a possible link.

I'm also wondering, after Red's comment about her friends, if maybe trauma (meaning a car accident, bicycle accident, etc.) might also play a role.

The only issue I have with this line of thinking is that not all children who were abused or were in some sort of accident have fibromyalgia...otherwise you'd think there would be more people with it. So what causes it, and how can we fix it...

I don't know. I'm in a "how-do-I-fix-it" and "what-the-heck-causes-it" mood today I guess.

ETA: stupid spelling issues...apparently I'm also in a "can't-spell-anything" frame of mind, hehe.

I have not been able to pinpoint what started my Fibro to anything, no traumas and no abuse.

I feel for you all who have suffered abuse and now have Fibro to deal with as well.

Gentle hugs

Sharon

I was just thinking about this recently.

Could it be we are very sensitive people?  I didn't endure anything like abuse at home, but I will say there were many times I was the 'Jan Brady' of the family (anyone who watched the Brady Bunch will understand that!). Things often just didn't work out for me, for some reason.  Ever feel like you can't win, no matter how hard you try? Even my family doctor has noticed this in me.

My two brothers were the well-known athletes.  My younger sister was the darling of the family, and my older sister was the know-it-all go-to girl (interesting she is still considered that today by my siblings.  Some kids never grow up!). Some narcisssism here and there in my family, too, which surely doesn't help. Would you believe I'm STILL treated like a 'dumb little kid' by some of my siblings decades later?  I've had to put up some boundaries. And I'm still looked down on today.  If I say one thing and another sibling says the opposite, their side will always be taken; not mine.

We had some very mean kids in grammar school, and I was teased a lot.  I was very introverted and shy.  I sometimes wonder if that didn't cause my muscles to tense up.  I recall my mom telling me I was too tense, but it was just the way my muscles worked!

Also, I felt I never measured up.  My clothes, my hair, my work, my teeth--quite a lot of criticizing from my mom, especially, and way too much of saying I could do better and "what would her sisters think?" was of all importance.  For some reason, comparing to others was very important to her.

 I think, though, that living through the Depression, this "making it" was of all importance (too important, actually).  Back in the Depression days, no one had much of anything, so maybe many people later tried to compensate for what they missed.

 My dad was fairly quiet, but his sense of humor included some put downs.  I would cry, but he would say 'oh, just kidding,' but it sure wasn't funny to me.

I must say, though, I think they did the best they could, and they had health and other issues to deal with, too. Sometimes we have our own 'blind spots' in our lives we don't see, but others do. I still love them and am thankful for all they did for me, and I don't hold onto any grudges.  The past is the past. You either get bitter or better!

Then there are the romances gone wrong.  Though happily married, I still shake my head at times and wonder what went wrong, especially with two former romances.  But then I move on. Gotta live for this day and look ahead, and leave the past to God.

I found I've had to forgive a lot of people, and those I can't quite forgive, I tell the Lord, "forgive them for me; I can't find it in myself."  This has been very helpful and helped me to look ahead; not back.

Yes, life has had it's share of disappointments, and I do wish things had been better.

Still, I know things could have been worse, too. Overall, I know I have been blessed.

I have to wonder if a lot of disappointments lead to a lot of physical pain?  There's just so much we can take before things 'overflow.'

(Edited to clarify:  My parents were certainly not evil, horrible people, and I know they did the best they could, and sacrificed a lot (I'm afraid I may have sounded too negative in my post).  I think it's easy for us to pick out the negatives in others so we make sure we don't follow suit.  I did have many fun, positive moments growing up, also, and I'm thankful to my parents for all the good things they've done.

I love all my siblings, but there is still much work to be done there.  I'm trying to do it as gently and compassionately as I can.  Right now for some reason, it seems I'm being ousted from conversations, and I don't know why.  But they, too, are dealing with many issues).

Post Edited (Luvzminis) : 9/15/2012 6:58:09 PM (GMT-6)

No details but yes. I was told by my therapist that some thing fibyro is emotions trapped in the body or suppressed memories and it causes all kinds of problems. I don't know if I buy that but I do buy that trauma sure plays a role in it.

I have always believed my Fibro is linked to early trauma - both physical and mental. I was the kid that always got hurt. By the time I was 13, I'd had over 25 stitches, suffered 3 concussions and numerous strains and sprains. From the time I was 10, I was thrown into the middle between an alcoholic mother and a father that couldn't stand against her. Along with this went the verbal and physical abuse inherent with alcoholism.

Not till I was diagnosed with Fibro at the age of 48, did I understand my pain was not normal and was able to find relief through pain meds. Some companies and organizations have suggested, in a fit of incredibly lazy over-generalization, that Fibro is the result of 'over-active nerves'. I find this a terrible over-simplification. Though some nerves may seem 'over-active', I believe these have been under inordinate stress for such extended periods that they fail to respond to the body's natural pain-blocking secretions.

So, is Fibro related to early Trauma? I say , YES.

Very interesting article, almost medfree. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, without any detail except for a long duration. Like someone else mentioned, my therapist talks of trapped emotion./trauma/ body memories....interestingly I have found fibro/cfs the most traumatizing thing in my life ( blocked memories may fit) but either way fibro is real dysfunction and once you have it, it's a real disease.

I grew up watching my mother emotionally abused by my father. As for me, I was physically and emotionally abused by my brother, and my parents could not protect me. There was always tension at home. I also suffered from bullying in school, so I was never a happy child.