Coping With Fibromyalgia |
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| Question: Am
I going crazy and is this just "all in my head"? |
| Answer:
You're not going crazy. You're experiencing many of the
anxieties associated with patients experiencing changes
in their life. Absolutely, if you have feelings of self
harm or harm to others, you must address this immediately.
This is a medical issue that needs to be treated by medical
doctors. If you're just frustrated, anxious and feel like
you want to throw your hands up, this is another issue.
You're probably undertreated. See the book. |
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| Question: Is
there any hope or help for me? I feel like I'm in a living
hell. |
| Answer:
There is hope. There is help. You need to be treated by
physicians that are not only directed toward understanding
and believing in fibromyalgia but are compassionate enough
to give you what you need. Keep watching our web site
for continued updated information on help that's available.
It is our goal to eventually provide a list of reputable
physicians that treat and understand fibromyalgia. More
to come on that. |
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| Question: I just
can't live with this pain any longer. What do I do? |
| Answer:
If you can't live with your pain any longer, you are undertreated.
You've got to understand that medications and treatments
exist to improve your quality of life and function and
to provide relief from symptoms of fibromyalgia. Giving
up is not right. I am a believer in rescue medications
and I'm also a believer in supportive rescue environments.
If you feel at all suicidal
or feel a wish to harm yourself or someone else, please
contact a medical professional immediately.
If you feel that you're just having trouble coping with
this pain, you must find somebody who's going to compassionately
give you the medications and support you need to lessen
your pain. |
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| Question: I feel
so guilty. I can't do the things for my family or children
that I used to. |
|
Answer: Coping
with the emotional trauma and guilt associated with
fibromyalgia is a real tough problem. You are very insightful
and I appreciate your courage to notice your loss of
not only function but of quality of life. Please don't
feel guilty. You didn't ask for this. There is treatment
available to improve you. You're going to need to see
a qualified psychiatrist to start with. There are some
real exceptional psychiatrists that help with coping
and depression. Most fibromyalgia patients do have depression.
You'll be able to take care of your children with the
right treatment. Please start with your primary care
physician if you have a good rapport with him or her.
They usually have a lot of good answers. Specifically,
they'll probably initiate some antidepressant therapy
and maybe some other medications that help with fibromyalgia,
such as Neurontin. Keep in touch.
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| Question: How
can I help my loved one who suffers from fibromyalgia? |
| Answer:
Support, support, support. These people are not crazy,
but they feel like it. They've been told they have symptom
exaggeration and nothing wrong with them. They've been
told about everything. They're experiencing physical and
psychological changes. The best thing you can do for these
patients is to let them know that you are there for them
and will help them with tough times (and there will be
many tough times). Help them find a caring, compassionate
physician who will partner with them. Fibromyalgia needs
partners. You're one of them. The physician is one of
them. |
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| Question: Are
there any support groups available? |
| Answer:
There are. I've attended support groups and some are nothing
more than "pity parties". These tend to disable rather
than enable. They propagate misinformation, at times,
and do not support. Other support groups are very proactive
in helping everybody obtain the highest level of care.
Seek these out. Individual stories and tales of woe are
nice, but don't help you get better. Look for groups with
experience and answers with visiting professional input.
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