my question to all of you is do you really think that this is an emotionally driven illness as many doctors say or do you think something else is going on? I ask this because I can’t understand how if it’s an emotional issue then why does the weather effect it? and why do my feet feel numb and cold all the time? and then there’s the fact that we are prone to getting other illnesses. I know there’s been a lot of research into this and they have found it is indeed in our brain but there are other illnesses that stem from the brain also that aren’t considered emotionally driven. I was told that since I was abused when I was young many years later I got this illness. this does not make sense to me. and why is it that others that have been abused aren’t getting ill? I just don’t believe it’s what they try to say. what do you think?
I haven’t a clue. How can Emotions make your hip joints throb???
Me thinks, someone is grasping at straws because they don’t want to say “I don’t know”.
“Well, what Is it?” “I don’t know.” “How do we Fix it?” “I don’t know.” “Can we Cure it?” “I don’t know.” “Well, what Do You Know?” “…”
It is not an emotion based illness - there is true pain felt by a person with fibro, and fatigue.
IMHO, where the emotions come in is in coping and pushing through. Stress and frustration can contribute to fibro & make the symptoms worse. There is no magic pill - fibro needs to be managed. I do take amitryiptyline & others take other things to help but many products don’t work forever or only ease symptoms, not fix them. Sleep, healthy diet, stretching, rest all help. Mindset is important too and I think where the emotional factor comes in. I think that’s what biofeedback is - coping strategies, calming strategies to help reduce pain.
I believe in time fibro will be testable and neurologists may be the go to specialist…and it will be a testable disease (not a syndrome).
Hey Jenni,
I have to agree with Luna 100%. As a society we place dr’s on pedestals. When we are unwell we go to the dr’s to get answers and the dr tells us what is wrong. The dr’s have the answers. But for some conditions the dr’s do not have the answers and this is a problem. Some medicos do not like to admit they don’t know the answers, so instead of admitting they put it back on the patient. I personally have been told it’s a stress thing, past stress, present stress, future stress (like, I’m imagining things happening in the future then stressing about them. WHAT??) I have been told it’s all psychosomatic, or it’s all hypochondria or it’s drug and alcohol related. Hell, they even locked me up in a psych ward 'cos you must be crazy to be having that much pain. WE can’t find anything…" (until the did find something)
My condition is not fibro related but we know our body’s better than anyone and I’m sorry to say it like this, but often better than the dr’s. It’s often not until you are faced with a situation where the dr’s don’t know for sure that we have a need to question their expertise. I am not saying that people’s emotions do not play a part with their conditions because we know that they can but to be saying “it is an emotionally driven illness” hmmm.
I’d recommend finding a fibro specialist if possible or at least a medico who truly knows fibro.
Merl from the Moderator Support Team
it was the specialist that knows so much about fibro that told me that it was due to me being abused when I was a child. like I said that makes no sense whatsoever. and I’ve heard other doctors say you don’t have to be thinking about it all the time cause it’s in your subconscience. I just think they are stupid to it is all. I went to the hospital once cause i’m so ill from the fibro I can’t tell when i’m truly ill anymore and she said every single thing that was wrong with me was depression. didn’t even call it fibro. refused to do any more tests on me and I just left. I hadn’t been able to eat right in three days cause i was getting sick to my stomach and I was worried. I complained to the hospital about this and they never replied. it’s so frustrating.
Jenni the specialist that told you that should be fired. There isn’t enough proof of how the disease comes about for them to give you that answer. I would honestly get a different specialist. I agree with Merl and Luna, rather than saying they don’t know they will grasp for straws and that’s not fair. Fibro comes before depression. I’m really sorry you are dealing with this. Do you have a PCP? I’m on 150mg of Lyrica in the evening and that helps me tremendously. It doesn’t fix it all but it helps. Don’t ever settle for someone who isn’t believing you. Fibromyalgia is a real disease and I can’t wait for the day when all those doctors who have denied patients realize that they screwed up. Hang in there Jenni. Don’t give up on finding a doctor that can help.
Davey
Absolutely not. From someone that’s has this junk going on for over 30 years, it’s not emotional it’s physiological. This disease causes our emotions to be all over the place. The pain, the brain fog, the fatigue and all the other symptoms are real and don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise. You can’t have all these physical symptoms and not be emotional. You need to give yourself a break. This stuff is REAL!!!
All of us reading this are supporting you:+1:
I was told some 20 years ago that had emotional issues that were causing my Fibro. I went to therapy for nearly 12 years before my therapist told the doctors that it had to have a physical source not an emotional one. Then I had to change Doctors in turn she sent me to therapy. After a few years of cognitive behavioral therapy the therapist and my doctor had to agree that the cause is physiological not emotional. Now my new PCP is a APRN and she thinks that any one who thinks that fibro is an emotional problem of any kind is a “quack”. She believes that therapy may help you deal with the depression and other issues brought about by chronic pain suffering but it does not help lesson the pain of fibro or any other physical ailment only physical treatment of physical problems can help. My advise is find another doctor. I found one who is very empathetic and helps me more than all of the others.
I don’t think this is a emotionally driven disease. Before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia I was always on the move, enjoying life, and not depressed at all. Over the years I slowly started to deal with this unbearable pain which came with some many other symptoms. After ruling out lupus, ra, ms, and other conditions I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Which took five years to get get a diagnoses. Since being diagnosed with Fibro and dealing with the days of nonstop pain where you can barely get out of bed, brain fog, numbness, ect. I now have depression and anxiety. My doctor always makes sure to tell me that Fibro is REAL and that at this time there isn’t enough research available to pinpoint the cause or how to cure it. He also stated that the symptoms of Fibro mimic so many of illnesses that sometimes you can use medicine and treatment plans from those disorders to help in treating a Fibro patient. Also I have never had anything drastic happen to me that affected my emotions so for me personally I know for a fact it wasn’t emotionally driven. And if your doctor does feel like this is an emotional illness why do so many Fibro patients suffer from IBS, Cronic fatigue disorder, and so many other conditions that have nothing to do with the way your emotions work??? I feel like your doctor should just be honest and say that he/she doesn’t have a definite answer to address your concern. My advice is to surround yourself around a positive support system and find a doctor who is willing to fight this battle with you. I hope that you find strength in knowing that we are all here fighting this battle together. Don’t let what you doctor had said get you down. Remember it’s not all in your head and that what you are going through is REAL!!!